To cancel the swimming lessons

[HungryHippo11]

My DD is 4.5 and is a complete beginner at swimming - we have only been about 4 times in the past year due to pool closures etc. An opportunity came up for a week of reduced swimming lessons at a local private pool, so I booked her on. Website said that parents could watch from the poolside.

I phoned yesterday to check the details such as what to bring along, because I hadn't had any confirmation email or anything. Apparently due to covid, parents aren't allowed poolside, or in to the building at all, and have to drop the kids off at the entrance swim ready and pick them up an hour later.

WWYD? My instinct is to cancel the lessons - I don't think I'm OK with sending a young child into a place she has never been, with instructors neither of us have ever met, to do a potentially dangerous activity at which she is a complete beginner.
BUT I think the swimming will be a really good thing for her to start learning as she has been so little and its a life skill.

Am I overreacting? I know kids swimming lessons the parents aren't usually in the water but they would at least be in the same building?

Yabu. As long as they are qualified swimming instructors with a crb check they will be better qualified than you to ensure their safety. Although I could take my kids in to get changed (pre covid) I never watched their lessons ither than watching weeks. So the first 5 I didn't see or even know anything of the instructor.

Covid is still here and we aren't completely out of the woods yet. Places open to the public still have their own regulations around covid protection and that's fair enough. It's a bit disingenuous of some people to say that there are no rules now, covid is over and we should all be back to normal. That's obviously not true yet.

Having said that, I wouldn't take my child to swimming lessons under those circumstances. They are a bit OTT. My grandchildren go to swimming lessons and parents are certainly allowed in to drop off their children and help them get ready. Not sure what happens about viewing, but I will ask my daughter about that later.

This is unacceptable, at dd's swimming lessons parents are no longer allowed poolside but we can view from upstairs . My daughters 5 and she would be frightened and unable to get herself dressed without me there. I'd cancel

Similar happened here - my little one did swim before covid with either my hubby or me in the pool with her. The school asked that for similar to yours and she would swim in the pool alone with other kids and the instructors. We weren’t comfortable as it was a big step up (she was 4 but has been in the pool since 6 weeks) and we couldn’t be poolside.

The changing situation was similar to yours but about 4 months ago. Things different now.

We decided not to go back but now go with our local leisure centre. Can be poolside, pool is perfect depth and we have a dry robe so literally put it on pop in the car and wash and dry at home (about a 10-15 minute drive). She doesn’t get cold and means we avoid the changing rooms (but can use them if we wish too).

I don’t think anyone has said covid is over. But the vaccination programme has meant restrictions are mostly lifted and a lot of things like swimming lessons are ‘back to normal’ even if life isn’t.

@lannistunut good to see OP has managed to book lessons for next month, not so in demand then!

@HungryHippo11 well done, your child will enjoy those lessons more, so will you.

@UnsolicitedDickPic

Who helps them get undressed and dry at the end of the session, are they expected to do that themselves? I wouldn't be happy leaving DD at the door like that when she'd never been there before.

this

I used to help on school swimming and the receptiona nd year 1 needed a lot of help after swimming.
(we did things like made sure they got their towel first, didn't drop their wet costume on top of dry clothes, turned socks /t shirts and trousers the right way round and handed them to them ready to put on.)

Could not imagine a 4.5 year old negotiating the whole changing rooms etc by themselves

sorry. missed you updates somehow.

I think you have done the right thing