To think I'm being ripped off?

[FasterMichelin]

My son was 6 in April and has been attending swimming lessons for almost a year. We chose small groups in a private pool in hopes this would expedite the process although this hasn't happened. It's usually just him and another little boy with one or two instructors.

When he started lessons, he was comfortable in the water but used to swimming with armbands and being held. He now is happy swimming around with a noodle but can't swim at all unaided.

On holiday, he couldn't use the pool slides due to the deep water at the end and I can't help but wonder what we're paying (a lot) of money for!

I've checked in with his swim teacher who has said the next two stages of the swim program he's working towards are aided.

WTF? I thought I was paying for him to learn to swim unaided!

Anyway, I was wondering if this is normal or if, at 6, with a years worth of lessons, if he should be swimming without floats now.

He's strong, agile and listens well. Not worried about the water, if that helps.

AIBU to wonder if this swim program is more about taking ages and making money, than it is about teaching kids to swim? Or am I expecting too much?

No, I pay for weekly 1:2 ratio lessons so THEY can teach him to swim.

We did plenty in the summer but routinely, no, we can't fit it into every week and with younger children it hasn't always been possible.

If they'd have said we need to swim on top each week, I'd had not signed up for the £200/term classes. I'd have just reserved the time to go ourselves.

In my era growing up, most kids didn't swim weekly, that's a huge luxury.

Exactly. I have three kids, and a big family. Weekends are spend doing three clubs, birthday parties, family time, playdates. We don't have time to factor in swimming as a family every week. That's why I'm paying others to do it.

It's good to hear your children progressed well just with lessons. My instinct is telling me to move my son once this term is over, we've paid £800 so far as he's still using noodles and practicing blowing bubbles at 6.5yrs. Hes able of much more, I think they're just either incompetent or ripping me off.

I’ve just gone and checked holiday photos from when my two were six and neither are wearing armbands in the pool at that age. 5, yes, but not at 6 after a year of lessons.

Theres no reason for aided swimming lessons unless theres some issues with the child. The first level in swimming is always diving. Kids need to learn to dive and swim with their face under water to feel comfortable under water. That was level one course for both my kids. If they use a pool noodle they cant even put their head under water. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I guess it depends on the pool. Our lessons are in a pool where the non swimmer area is very shallow so the children are not given swim aids because they can stand if needed. They do use boards and noodles to practice specific parts but most of the lesson is done without. I can imagine if lessons are done in a deeper pool you can just trow the children in so that maybe the reason? However I would expect that after a year they could manage without aids especially in private lessons if the child/children have no big issue generating water...

A year? With lessons and not afraid of water? That’s ridiculous. Mine were swimming by the age of 2 , and 3 for #2, swimming lengths , and underwater, though the staff would make them prove it every time we went and I’d swim beside..I’d say we were the whale and her calf lol. Mine never had lessons. We took them as babies, moved away from the pool a while. When we had access to a pool, we started again. It took a visit to get them to float on their backs. They learned to tread water and practised swimming distance when we’d throw the goggles a couple of feet and they’d have to get them..so they weren’t thinking about sinking and their confidence grew very quickly. They did have armband at first but within a few visits, they were pretty much deflated ..a prop rather than actually doing anything. Soon discarded for comfort.

Your not being unreasonable.
Lessons are alot. My son started In classes at 4.5 and was petrified. Hated the water, splashed on face and it was just horrendous. We struggled to find a teacher or class setting who understood him and then suddenly we got a teacher he clicked with, which then we went for 1-1 lessons with her. He swam 1-1 with her for 2 years and did stages 1-7. We then mutually agreed as his confidence had grown he no longer needed 1-1 and he joined a swim squad. It has been great, in my opinion money well spent and saved us in the long run .

I’m a swim instructor and I would definitely say this isn’t lessons.

At 6 a child has a full knowledge of being able to take their own breath and breathe out their bubbles (breath) in water (helping with breathing when freestyle).

I would recommend moving to a different class and maybe check what they are doing.
before any swim lesson programme you check the child’s ability and confidence. If it’s zero then a non confidence class would be recommended to help gain confidence and build up their movement and buoyancy in the water. Eg getting their faces in, using a table to get them moving through the water, in a glide position and get them floating on their back, at first with assistance to eventually unaided.

also doing bits in between classes is a massive help. Depending on how long the lessons are and how much they are improving but also going swimming and being in the water also depends on them improving too. If they are only in the water 30 mins a week it’s not much but after a year there should be some improvement.

I wish you luck in moving forward.

I’m a swim instructor and I would definitely say this isn’t lessons.
At 6 a child has a full knowledge of being able to take their own breath and breathe out their bubbles (breath) in water (helping with breathing when freestyle).
I would recommend moving to a different class and maybe check what they are doing.
before any swim lesson programme you check the child’s ability and confidence. If it’s zero then a non confidence class would be recommended to help gain confidence and build up their movement and buoyancy in the water. Eg getting their faces in, using a table to get them moving through the water, in a glide position and get them floating on their back, at first with assistance to eventually unaided.
also doing bits in between classes is a massive help. Depending on how long the lessons are and how much they are improving but also going swimming and being in the water also depends on them improving too. If they are only in the water 30 mins a week it’s not much but after a year there should be huge improvement, especially if not scared of the water and getting their face in.
I have two 8yo who swims breast, free style, back and butterfly. 5yo does freestyle. Patience and consistency is needed and maybe a new teacher. Someone who wants the child to succeed and not just ticking boxes.

I wish you luck in moving forward.

My brother and I aged 6 and 7 both learned to swim at a one week free government learn to swim course in the 1970s. He was much better than me even though he was younger but even I learned to swim. We both then went to school swimming club and did our silver personal survival.

It might be better if during a school holiday they had a lesson every day rather than only once a week. I did this with my 4dc and they are all good swimmers.

Definitely this. You should take your child swimming at weekends and in school holidays in a pool or sea.

We were always swimming at every chance and anywhere we went on holiday. On one holiday a girl about 1-2 years older than me who was 9 then took me and DB who was 7 and her younger brother who was also 7 to the local pool without our parents. We were absolutely fine.

I don’t think floats are great either, the shark fin sounds good, we never had that but played pretend sharks with our hands. Fun in the water is key to gaining confidence there.

The only thing I’d change is stroke. I only did front crawl, doggy and backstroke and when I was an adult paid for lessons to improve my stroke overall.

A huge luxury isn’t swimming weekly with your DCs. It’s essential especially if they’re ever in difficulties in water without DPs.

My 6 year old started swimming lessons at the start of the summer holidays (scared of water till a couple months before that), we also joined the pool for 2 months and went swimming 4 times a week during the holidays. He's now very confident with noodle/armbands and has several times discarded his floats in the shallow end and attempted doggy paddle by himself, he makes it a metre or so.
I would expect him to be swimming little unaided by now, but extra swimming at the start really helps as it's all different muscles to what we usually use and 30 minutes a week isn't really long enough to build up.

At 6 after a year of lessons I agree should be able to swim. Harder when kids start lessons at 4, and can’t hold head up. However, we always went an extra time in the week to practise what we’d learned. I felt the lessons were expensive and it made a difference my kids progressed up the levels quicker than those who didn’t go an extra time. During school holiday (no lessons) but we maintained the twice per week. I think just one half an hour a week maybe it’s not so surprising he can’t swim. But if they don’t anticipate he will be swimming soon I’d look around.

My granddaughter is 6 and goes to swimming lessons at the local council pool. She can confidently swim 25 metres unaided on her front and her back. . They follow the Swim England approach.
It sounds as though the private lessons are more about money making

My son’s school did a term of swimming once a week in the summer term. DS couldn’t swim at the start and got his 25m badge unaided at the end. I wouldn’t be happy with a year of paid lessons to not be working towards unaided swimming

This

My parents taught all 4 of my dcs to swim and they were all competent swimmers by the end of a 2 week holiday.

I am a swimming teacher.
What scheme of work is the swim school using?
STA or swim England?
The teachers should be qualified in either, and then perhaps companies write up their own scheme, but it's usually a similar format to STA or SE.

It's not always easy teaching swimming, and it's always hurtful to read about people having such a low opinion of swimming teachers.
Many teachers have little experience and are low paid. I work for a company that charges £60 121 for 30 mins. That's a lot, and I can tell you we don't get anywhere near that amount.
I have many, many years of experience, and I know that we all have something different to offer.

Your child should be further on, so speak with the company. Ask what scheme they follow and why isn't he swimming unaided. It is possible an inexperienced teacher doesn't know how he should be progressing and that the manager has also missed it. It can happen.
Swimming isn't a luxury. It's a life skill, and is non negotiable IMO.
In order to move forward you need to practice. Same goes with reading and practicing times tables.

Good luck 👍.

My daughter is about to turn 3 and is currently using the float discs for swimming, and usually the poolmnoodles for if they are practising floatind or swimming on their backs. I know all children are different and learn at different paces, but at a ratio of 1:2, with child who isn’t very nervous of the water, I would definitely have expected them to have moved your son on to swimming unaided. Even if he wasn’t yet confident to do that, you should be seeing them attempting/being taught it in the lessons even if there is still some use of flotation aids at other points!

My son was with one swimming school for a year and was still in the same group as when he started, and he was still being held up in the water by the instructors. We moved him in June and the difference in just that time has been amazing. He can now swim independently!

The old swimming school obviously worked well for loads of kids but it just wasn't right for my son.

Essential? You're saying it's essential for every family to swim with their children weekly? That's out of touch, sorry.

I know plenty of children who learn to swim with lessons only. That's 30 mins dedicated time 2:1 every week.

If a swimming teacher isn't seeing progression, and doesn't know how to move the child's abilities on, they should be raising this with their manager and seeking help. Not allowing a family to continue paying £200/term and getting nothing from it.

The swimming teacher may be underpaid but that isn't the responsibility of the customer.

I think they follow a variation of STA. I'm quite upset by it really, I feel like I've been hoodwinked. I'll talk to the manager this week with a view that we'll swap at the end of term. At this rate my child would be 10 before they're swimming independently.

Id love to know how. Did they follow any particular steps?

As a (long time).ex-swim teacher - accepting things have changed. You should be able to get your kids swimming the basics on holiday provided you are confident in the water yourself.

Get them out of their depth - but stay within yours. Have them on their tummies hold their hands - kicking their feet head into the water out to breath. Do the same.on their backs - you can put your arm under the arch of the back to supprt rather than holding hands..on the back is then the easiest way to 'set them free' independently.once they have the floating/ balance and legs then add the arms....

But I do absolutely.agree with those saying swimming is a necessity and a life skill - whilst appreciating it's isn't cheap these days.