To stop 33 month old swimming lessons?

[Melissae]

I’ve been taking ds to our local swimming pool since he was 9 months old and started lessons when he turned 16 months.

He Initially loved the lessons but the last 3 lessons it’s been a nightmare. Doesn’t listen and wants to try to swim off alone. It’s a parent and baby class so I have to hold him. He will not be held and wants to do his own thing. He’s very confident in the water. Today is his lesson and I have anxiety about taking him incase there’s another tantrum like the last lessons. He seems to be the only one who does it.

The fact that he’s confident in the water is great.

I don’t see a problem with stopping lessons for a bit. Keep taking him yourselves for fun, then maybe when he’s older get him in for lessons without you in the pool.

My eldest was just the same. Fine in the pool but hated lessons. We revisited them when he was about 5-6 and he was absolutely fine.

What's he like if you take him swimming separately?

I wish DD would have taken lessons but she refused. She would, however, allow me to teach her, and she's really coming on well at 4

I would stop the lessons or change him from a parent and baby class to a more appropriate group full of kids his own age. He might be finding it under stimulating being in a group with babies when he is 3. Definitely carry on taking him yourself though. My son could swim confidently by 4 because of early swimming lessons but we did ensure he was in age appropriate ones or he got bored then moved him to one to one lessons.

Stop the sessions then. It's not exactly a life decision where advice from total strangers might help. A 3 y/o who can swim, in a parent and baby class where he has to be held? I think I can see the problem here.

The OP didn’t say he could swim, did she? I took it to mean he was trying to but letting him would be dangerous!

Remember these "lessons" are a bit of a gimmick... fun but other necessary in the long run. And over confidence is bad.

Find a pool where he can stand up and have a bit of freedom. Then proper lessons in a year or so.

(Although my DD did similar and we weren't holding them at 3yo... we were encouraging them to let go while they kicked and floated etc?)

Sounds exactly like my son, similar age. He’s absolutely sure he’s fine on his own and just wants to do his own thing, which isn’t quite the point sometimes. I keep going because despise the chaos monster being chaotic, I still really enjoy it and so does he. If either/both aren’t enjoying it, I don’t think it’s particularly worth persevering with structured lessons. You can always go to free swim sessions and give him that bit more freedom. It does sound as though the group is a little young for him perhaps though?

He’s nearly 3, not a baby anymore that you have to count in months. If he’s confident in the water then find him a lesson more suited to his ability. It’s an important life lesson so I’d continue taking him and foster the love of the water.

I think he is probably a bit old for the parent and baby ones. He might be better in lessons without you in the pool. Most places will let you do a trial lesson, so maybe give that a go. And if he doesn't get on with that, maybe wait a few years.
My daughter is a bit older, but where she has her lessons, the little ones have the teacher in the pool with them and they seem really good.

A friend who has been a swim teacher for 20 years told me swimming lessons are pretty pointless before school age. Just take him swimming regularly have fun and leave the lessons until he’s old enough to follow instructions properly.

How does that translate to the fact that some children can swim before school age, though?

And ‘school age’ is very variable too by twelve months so I’d take that with a pinch of salt.

Yeah just stop. If he doesn't like it, why force it. We took DS to baby swimming lessons for a while and it was a nightmare every single time so we stopped. Started again when he was 4, he loves it and is actually learning how to swim. Saved a fortune in the meantime, those things are expensive!

Yabu to call him 33 months, just talk in years it sounds ridiculous.

Maybe he's bored. He's nearly 3 years old. Perhaps it's time to try different things.

Why does anyone ask anything on here then? Seems a relevant question to ask on Mumsnet. I didn’t say he could swim, he tries to swim.

You could take a break and start again when he is 45 months old

Get him armbands, stop the babyish lessons, take him to family swim and let him have fun. I can’t imagine forcing my kids to cling to me when they were 3.

And please stop counting his age in months. He is no longer a baby and you’re treating him like one.

We taught DD to swim at nearly 4 by going on holiday and being in the pool. We cancelled all swimming lessons for the kids and took them on holiday once a year and to the pool ourselves a lot. At the lessons they spent half the time on the side and the other half walking across the pool as they were really tall!

Just take him on your own and let him have fun in the water. Being happy in the water is IMO so much more important than lessons at this sort of age.

Most places do lessons once 3 and go in alone

Give up for 3 mths and start lessons at 3 when goes in pool without you

If in a baby class he is prob bored

33 month old - I think once they get over two it's fine to say almost 3 instead of that, which sounds a bit ridiculous!

I think baby swimming lessons are just a gimmick really. The friends I know whose kids did them are at the same stage of swimming now as their peers (in year 2),so it hasn't given any advantage over those who started lessons in reception. In your position, I would just take your kid swimming for fun..

Yanbu. Stop the lessons and save the money for a few private lessons when he's school age. He'll come on leaps and bounds that way.

So almost 3? No wonder he’s bored in baby lessons. Quit. Sign up for proper lessons once he turns 3 so he can go in the pool without a parent and actually be taught proper swimming.

Both my kids were able to swim across a pool well before school age.

Same but not before 3, I thought they lacked the muscle tone/strength before then?