School swimming lessons and trunks

[WendyWednesday21]

I need some opinions because I r
honestly don’t know if AIBU.

DS Is 8 and in year 4. The class is due to start swimming lessons next Wednesday. Boys have been told they have to wear trunks. Ds is refusing to wear trunks. He has been crying about it everyday to the point it has made him sick. He is on steroids and a little bit over weight. When we go swimming he wears swimming shorts and is fine.

school says is the rules the swimming. Instructor makes and the swimming instructor are saying it’s up to school.

WIbU to say he is not doing swimming lessons due to the trunk situation?

I'm a school swimming teacher it's standard practice the same as girls aren't allowed to wear bikini. Trucks and shorts are pretty much the same thing only not as thick and have lining. If he's worried about his weight he could get a swim top to cover his chest.

www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Bear-Camouflage-Black-Years/dp/B07TJ6DDT9/ref=asc_df_B07TJ6DDT9/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=375474512556&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6339049457312847027&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046801&hvtargid=pla-796793938027&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=79395903040&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=375474512556&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6339049457312847027&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046801&hvtargid=pla-796793938027

Seeing as it's a ridiculous 'rule' no one is taking ownership of this 'rule' just send him in shorts. Surely suitably attired for swimming lessons is all that is required?

www.marksandspencer.com/l/kids/boys/swimwear

What are his objections to trunks? If he's self-conscious about his weight wouldn't he be more comfortable in trunks than in shorts?

I’d just send him in swim shorts and see if they say anything. I wasn’t even really aware that shorts and trunks weren’t interchangeable terms and unless this is a fussy private school, I’m sure lots of parents will just reuse whatever their boys wore on holiday this summer!

Bananarama21 putting aside the bikini requirement, why are fitted pants/shorts a requirement, and looser fitting swim shorts not allowed? I think kids should be encouraged to participate in swimming lessons, not be put off by such 'rules'

I would also just send him in in shorts. And a rash vest type top if he’s self conscious and would prefer it

Also the links posted are to what I consider to be swimming shorts, not trunks.
OP are you being told saying he has to wear pants style trunks?

The only difference is length isn't it? Sometimes boardshorts don't have the mesh lining, you need ones that do but otherwise there is no reason for them to complain about long ones. I think it's really just them saying no speedo type things.

My boys wear jammers ( knee length tight swim shorts) and rash vests as they have ASD and hate being 'exposed'. Some swim schools don't allow swim shorts as excess fabric flapping round the legs can make it harder to learn I think ?

I sympathise massively but I think you need to work with him on overcoming his body image anxieties rather than just saying he doesn't have to do swimming.

When they say 'trunks' what do they mean exactly? Provided they're not massively long and baggy and are designed for swimming, I don't think it would have occurred to me that swim shorts and trunks were different. I think maybe swimming instructors don't want kids in massive baggy knee-length board short because it's not actually easy to swim well in them and they can snag on things and get caught in filters? But a normal pair of short swim-shorts with a proper lining etc would surely be OK? Or are they saying they have to basically turn up in Speedos?!

www.amazon.co.uk/Speedo-Essentials-Endurance-Jammer-Black/dp/B000OYHNKW/ref=asc_df_B000OYHNKW/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310551916946&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13143475245966206434&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006781&hvtargid=pla-563707475751&psc=1

Like these

I would buy him jammers, there's a big difference in their ability to swim comfortably between trunks/jammers and boardies.

If he's self conscious, as my 10yo son is but the matching top.

Example here: speedo.com.au/product/boys-allover-panel-jammer/8_09531H220.html

Apologies if Jammers is an Aussie term, I'd not heard of them until I moved to Oz but all the boys wear them at nippers and for squad training.

smileandsing The trucks I've listed in the links are completely acceptable. We just ask its swimwear not actual shorts as the material is thicker and weight them down.

Oh I've just seen several people referring to jammers 🤦‍♀️

I presume they want the tight shorts that @Didiplanthis linked to, rather than the looser swim shorts with lining? The competitive swim club here requires them but it’s a ridiculous rule for regular swim lessons.

Op you can wear swim shorts just not long ones due to the drag. That's all they mean. Along as they are above the knee that's fine.

This is what our swim school told us.

Because a loose-fitting Bermuda swimsuit sticks to the legs and pulls in the crotch, it is more difficult to perform a nice leg stroke. In addition, a Bermuda provides more resistance in the water. All this makes swimming more difficult. Therefore buy tight swimming trunks for boys (with legs)

My sons school are the same, they weren’t allowed to wear “board shorts” (1st pic) but could wear the hammer style (2nd pic) so still the same length just fitted

Bananrama21 thanks for clarifying. I'd have thought that sort of swimwear would be fine for school arranged lessons. Insisting on tight fitting swimwear is unreasonable, they're not competitive swimming for club and personal glory after all!

I sympathise massively but I think you need to work with him on overcoming his body image anxieties rather than just saying he doesn't have to do swimming.

Because it's that easy!

I would also just send him in whatever he is comfortable wearing. My 10 yr old daughter went to her school swimming lessons wearing swim shorts, as she feels more comfortable in them, and no-one said anything. (She has suspected ASD, so am interested in a previous poster's comment about her boys with ASD feeling exposed).

I would contact the swimming place, my son was in the same position - on steroids after finishing chemo - and they were fine with him wearing shorts. He was already self conscious enough with minimal hair without having to deal with that too

Just wanted to add though, they weren't baggy board shorts though, were jammers but we went up a size to get them not so skin tight

My son started swim lessons with school this week too! We was told no swim shorts they had to be in a same material as swim costumes, there was no way my son would put on a pair of speedos so I found these on ebay, they are shorts but are in the same material as a costume and he said quite a lot of the boys wore these type too!