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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be upset at swimming group ds has been put in?

18 replies

Blossomhill · 17/01/2008 16:18

Ds is imo a very good swimmer, can swim in deep end and on his back etc. He has gone swimming with school today for first time.
Anyway there were 3 groups, beginners, intermediate and advanced. Now I don't think that ds should have been in the advanced but definitely the inter group (middle). He is in the baby pool ffs and not happy about it but doesn't want me to go in.
What would you do? He is 10.

OP posts:

scatterbrain · 17/01/2008 16:21

Perhaps he didn't show off his skills when they were deciding - Personally I would keep out of it - they'll soon see he is too good and move him up, if that is the right thing.

scatterbrain · 17/01/2008 16:23

Oh - meant to say that I would suggest to him that he tries to demonstrate how good he is - without showing off of course !

foofi · 17/01/2008 16:23

I would definitely say something. I beg to differ with scatterbrain - they may never realise in the beginners' group that he is capable of better.

FunkyNora · 17/01/2008 16:24

As it was only his first time today, it may well be possible that the school teacher / swimming instructors will move him to the middle group from next week. Will he be doing swimming for the rest of this term? I would wait and see what happens over the next couple of weeks IMO.

Also it may take a couple of weeks for your DS to decide whether the group she is currently in is within her ability range rather than too easy for her. HTH

scatterbrain · 17/01/2008 16:26

Maybe the others are all fantastic swimmers ? So hard to jusge without seeing all of them ! FWIW my 7 yr old can do all that you mention - so maybe he is not as advanced as you thought ?

Pollyanna · 17/01/2008 16:29

How far can he swim? I think that would be the criteria.

I agree, my just 7yo can easily swim 25m, and I think there are more advanced swimmers than her in the group above her. You need to know how strong swimmers the other children are imo.

roisin · 17/01/2008 16:34

When this happened with ds1 (twice actually) I didn't say anything, they soon realised during the lessons and put him up into the more appropriate group.

snorkle · 17/01/2008 17:42

Mistakes are often made at the start as children don't always show what they can do well enough, he will be moved up when they see him doing the skills they need. I doubt saying anything will help much in any case as the swim teachers are usually pool-based rather than school-based.

Another thing to remember is that the most experienced and best teacher nearly always has the lowest group and a bit of going over the basics never hurts with stroke development.

flyingmum · 17/01/2008 17:53

It may be to do with stroke development. If its in a big group with a school class (mine went today) then I think they don't risk ANYTHING as my chap said loads went into the little pool. Only about 11 of them (out of 30) went in the big pool including my son and he already has his 200M badge so is pretty competent and I assume the others were similar. He said they worked on specific stroke development (my words not his - 'specific' not known to 7 year old!) I'm sure that more than 11 kids in his class are more than competent to go into the big pool but I think early on they daren't risk even the vague possiblity of some sprog getting out of their depth and getting into trouble.

Blossom, If it continues for another week or two I would definately say something - by 10 he must be a bit too tall to be able to swim comfortably in the little pool. I was worried that my chap would mess about with his friends today and not show what he could do and be relegated to the beginners so primed him before hand and fortunatly it worked. I would tell your chap to be absolutely brilliant next week and then go in and say something if that doesn't work.

cory · 17/01/2008 17:56

I think there is a good chance they will realise. Certainly I wouldn't complain until you know what standards they are used to. Being able to swim back and breast stroke in the deep end doesn't strike me as being very advanced in itself, lots of kids this age can swim 1000 metres or more and do the width of the pool under water- so that may be more the standard they're looking at.

hifi · 17/01/2008 17:58

it happened to me at school and i was in a swimming squad, the reason then was that i could already swim well and the attention needed to be on those who couldnt swim at all.

Christywhisty · 17/01/2008 21:02

HOw far can he actually swim.

At our classes they are in the shallow end for Beginners and Intermediate. The intermediates are taken to the deep end after a few weeks to practise swimming 25m lengths.
Not until they can swim 25ms in breast, front crawl and back stroke do they go to the deep end for Improvers 1 and 2. They move up to Advanced when they are working on Bronze and Silver and the Swim Trainer (1 hour lesson) for their Gold.

Original poster

Blossomhill · 19/01/2008 12:45

I don't think that you can compare really with a 7 yr old. He has been able to do all of this since he was 7. He can swim pretty far and is very tall for his age. He is in size 12-13 clothes and size 6 shoes so you can imagine the baby pool is way too small for him.
It may well be to do with his stroke or the fact he is a bit rusty on his back. I must admit we haven't been swimming for a while.
Thanks for all your comments btw

OP posts:

Hallgerda · 19/01/2008 13:03

I'd encourage your son to have a word with the teacher on his own account - if he can sort the problem for himself, so much the better. If he won't, then go in. (IME the beginners in school swimming lessons are complete non-swimmers, so he's really going to be unhappy if stuck in that group).

OLDroot · 19/01/2008 13:09

BH - you talk to the teacher - seems crazy

snorkle · 19/01/2008 15:13

I think Hallgerda's idea of him speaking to the teacher is excellent if he's ameniable. He could just politely ask what he needs to do to be moved up as he feels he's a bit big for the baby pool. Also, could you take him swimming yourself before the next lesson so that he's really back on form by then?

Original poster

Blossomhill · 19/01/2008 22:15

Thanks yeah I will have a quick word. Don't want to make too big a deal as ds gets embarrased these days and I think you are right snorkle (lol @ relevance of yr name and this thread) we will take him swimming before next week

OP posts:

roisin · 20/01/2008 10:11

When this happened to ds1 he wasn't particularly bothered about it at all. There were several children in his school year who were very serious club swimmers and lightyears ahead of the rest.

DS1 was moved up in the 2nd or 3rd session, because the instructors realised he was in the wrong group. I think that was much better for his self-esteem as he was put up on his own merits, without me having to interfere.

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