To be That Parent about swimming?

[Thatswimmingparent]

Ds is 3 and a quarter. His swimming class is the last one which is based on age - after that it’s ability.

To progress he needs to swim independently and this is literally a couple of strokes between two adults but he can’t yet do this. I think he actually can but because now the other children in his class are so notably younger (2 and a half) it’s holding him back.

WIBU to ask them if they’d consider letting him move up a class? Or will they just eyeroll at me?

How are the other children holding him back? The instructors know what he needs to do and what he can do and frankly it doesn’t make any difference at all how old the rest of the children are.

It might be a better idea to organise some 1-2-1 sessions for him to give him the confidence boost he needs. Otherwise, he might end up in a group where the other children are much further along than him.

He can't do it yet...you are being unreasonable in thinking the other children are to blame.

Do you take him swimming at other times?
If so does he swim independently then?

Seems a bit unfair to blame the other DC in the group for holding your DC back.

Take him yourself and your partner (or friend or whoever) and bribe with whatever works.

Start close together and almost pass him backwards and forwards, and slowly get wider. He'll get it. Bribe him with a much wanted toy or whatever if necessary! Once he gets started he'll be fine. Make it fun. Or you can try blowing a toy across the water. Start with supporting him around his middle and slowly release him a tiny bit while he's side tracked by blowing or reaching for the toy.

I very much doubt they would want to move him up if he won't yet take his feet off the floor and attempt to swim something.

I think you'd need to be clear on how they're holding him back. And also what basis you have for thinking he can actually do this - i.e. does he do it with you outside of lessons?

I wouldn't. If it's anything like our swimming class the Beginner class after they 'graduate' from the toddler class has a lot of children who can't swim at all but are too old to be in with the little ones. So won't make much difference.

Lifeguard here. They won't let him move up if he can't demonstrate he can do it . If they do, the concern will be that he'll hold back the children in the next class up while they are focussing on getting your DS up to standard.

As PPs have said, try practicing with him. I doubt you'll be able to book a 1:1 at age 3. Most swimming teachers will only do that at age 4 because 3 year olds tend not to be good enough at following instructions to benefit properly from a 1:1.

I don't understand how you think the younger children in his class are holding him back. If he can't swim between two adults then he's not ready to move and needs to stay in the class he's currently in.

There’s always going to be someone in the class that’s not as able, and at one point it was likely your own child. They are likely stretching your child in a different way (I.e. asking them to be more precise etc).

Assuming he moves to the age classes that are grouped by ability at 4, just stick with it.

This. When he has passed the stage then they will let him move on.

If he can't do the strokes then he can't move up.

If there is even any doubt whatsoever about whether he can swim a couple of strokes, surely he can't really be being "held back"?!

It’s nothing to do with the other kids. If he could do it, he would.

The "I think he can do it" is doing a lot of work in your OP. Assuming you are also taking him swimming at times, you should know definitively whether he can swim independently or not. If he can't, then he needs to stay in the class he's in until he can. The teacher in the class up will expect children to be that little bit more independent and if he's not, there's a problem.

At our pool, the smaller less competent children have fewer children per instructor. As they progress, the classes have more children. For this exact reason - the children who need to be held onto at all times are more work than the ones who can swim to a lesser or greater extent. DD has just been moved up - now her teacher isn't even in the water with them.

If he could swim a couple of strokes he would regardless of what others around him are doing.

Just take him to the pool and get him to do it out of class.

He's so young. He's not looking at others around him and matching them. He's just not quite ready