AIBU not to bother with swimming lessons anymore?

[PurpleFeather]

Swimming lessons are doing my head in!!! I have three kids between 5 and 10. They all love swimming and are confident swimmers. They have lessons on a Friday afternoon and EVERY WEEK it’s such a battle. They don’t want to go, they’re tired, we miss the lessons if one is ill etc. On top of this the lessons are not great, the groups are huge and there is a lot of waiting around. And it’s costing me a fortune…

I really just want to stop the lessons especially as they can now all swim. We do also swim once a week with the whole family and they love it.

Should I persevere so they can improve further? For how many years do most kids have lessons? Or is it okay just to cancel and put an end to this nightmare?!

Your 5 year old will surely have lessons at school anyway? Possibly your older ones too.

I doubt your 5 year can be a good enough swimmer yet, I would make him continue. The 10 year old should be fine to stop.

The lessons are for them to learn so if they’re all able to swim - no need to continue. I’d carry on with the weekly family swim that they enjoy and maybe do a school holiday swimming course now and again.

My 2DS hated swimming lessons but loved fun time in the pool on holidays. Give yourself - and them - a break 🙂

I would keep going, swimming confidentially and having any skill or technique or being able to save yourself is quite different. My eldest is 10 and doing level 7. Then they can stop.

25m is nowhere near enough so out depends on how good a swimmer good is.

As a minimum they need stamina in swimming and floating and to be able to swim fully clothed.
If they are building up that stamina when you take them swimming then it may be ok. But you need to be honest about how much swimming is getting done in those sessions. Would they all be able to swim 100m well without stopping for example?

Keep going! It's been hard with the dark nights, but things will get easier now.

Mine hated swimming, so I set the rule once you can swim 25m comfortably and unaided and adequately we stop the lessons and just go for fun swims - local open air school pool is £45 for the whole family, unlimited use from May to September. Honestly once they've the basics, they hone their skill swimming with their friends when playing in the pool.

I'd make sure they're at a level where they'd be able to pass the sort of test that might be required for an outdoor activity like canoeing or similar. So minimum 50m without struggling and treading water. I doubt your 5 year old is there yet.

I used to have to give tests to check swimming ability for those sorts of activities and had to fail so many kids. It was really upsetting!

If they can get from one side of the pool to another in a confident stroke I'd quit. Lessons in this country at the moment are ridiculous where they keep you swimming for years and years before they let you go 25m...the second my kids can swim a length, that's it I'm cancelling (2 years lessons and counting)

@RafaistheKingofClay I've never swum fully clothed in my life. I get the water safety thing but think we're getting it all a bit wrong with swimming lessons in the UK where most kids can't even swim a length because it's all about technique and other stuff. Basic A to B is important.

I had lessons at school almost 30 yrs ago. Then it stopped as my parents couldn't afford it after. I completely lost the set of swimming and all my skills. I've only started back up as an adult as I want to be more confident in the sea when I go snorkeling

It is so hard, I am struggling to learn to tread water. I think swimming is one of those activities that if you don't keep it up even on a semi regular basis and just stop completely its hard to get back into it. Its not like riding a bike iyswim.

Do yours do stages? Ours go up to stage seven. I'd just say once they complete stage 4 they can leave, as after that it's honing technique, diving and stamina.

Also, when will they do swimming with the school
?

Oh also, at our pool, just general swimming you are only allowed past the half way point if you can show you can do 4 lengths off the trott. So if they stop before they can do that, they won't be able to go into the deep end when going with friends.

Agree. you would rather have a few tedious Fridays than a drowned child.

Agree with trying a different day or getting a private instructor for all three- it will mean you may not need to go each week and may have more flexibility. I’m doing this every two weeks and the kids have improved so much.

Bin it off op and carry on the swinming at weekends all together. Use the cash fir something else.

What stage are they each at?

if the lessons are bad for you - find different ones. With my eldest we’ve progressively swapped between weekend and weekday, and private and group lessons, depending on the quality of teachers, use of time in class and what she needed.

i told my eldest she could stop when she achieved stage 7. she’s chosen to continue by is now in the ‚academy‘ group (stages 8-10 though not called that in our area). She hopes to learn to lifeguard.

my youngest is frankly unlikely to leave stage 1 this millennium.

I think once stage 7 is complete that's when they can officially 'swim' and is a safe time to end. Before that I dont think it is a good idea to quit. Even on completing stage 7, a small 6 to 10yr old may not be safe in deep and choppy cold water or strong tides/current. I wouldn't have kids quite before stage 7.

Both my children are club swimmers now, but I do remember the lessons. It was pretty horrible with busy changing rooms, loads of parents watching, faff of changing etc.. not to mention the cost! But it is worth it!

Would you consider private 1:3 lessons? They will be able to swim for the full session and it'll be more tailored to their development. Prob not much more expensive either.

I do a six week private course a couple of times a year for my two (currently stages 4 and 5) as we couldn't get them into group lessons after covid. They've come on massively and seem to go up a stage each course.

Agree with the tiredness on a friday!

Can you give them a break for six months or so then reassess? Make swimming a fun activity in the meantime.

I think for children who are not going to swim competitively or for exercise - which is probably most tbf - then life saving is probably the most important. Swimming clothed is a very different feeling to swimming in just a swimming costume / trunks. It’s probably not an experience you want for the first time when you are in trouble. I’m not sure if lifesaving skills are part of the ASA standards these days or whether they are separate levels.

I would stop the lessons. You can do a crash course in the holidays if you feel you need to.

Can your children all swim breast stroke, back stroke and front crawl confidently ? Can they tread water with good stamina?
If not keep going with the lessons. My children have lessons at 7 and 11 in a small group every week.

I would say persevere- maybe a different time rather than at the end of the school week. Stamina, treading water, cold water safety etc is important and I am not sure splashing around with mum and dad at the weekends will be enough, unless you are doing lengths with them - happy to be corrected on that, obviously.
I wish I had continued lessons or the importance was recognised when I was younger.

"Swim, okish" - ahhh yes, they sound nice and safe if they ever got into difficulties around water!

I think its incredibly selfish to stop swimming lessons because you basically just can't be arsed with the hassle. If the children ever got into difficulties, you'd never forgive yourself, it's not worth it. Children need to learn to become excellent and confident swimmers to give them the best chance should anything ever happen.