Is 6:1 3 y/o too much?

[Catterpillarsflipflops]

My little girl is 3. She's joined the local leisure centre swimming lessons. She loves fun swimming but I thought it was time for lessons.

She's getting bored though as there is 1 instructor in the water with 6 children. Am I being unreasonable to think this ratio of children is too high with such small children?

I can't really afford the fancy mum and baby £16 a lesson jobbies & I've got 3 children now (1 y/o twins too) so I can't fun swim on my own with them and DH can't swim at the moment so this is my best option but it doesn't feel right.

Well it sounds like the best solution for now given ratios and finances.

That's the ratio recommended by Swim England. It's about water confidence at first. With the right teacher it should be fine.

I wouldn’t be keen on that ratio. My children attend a swim school with a maximum six children in level one, with two adults in the pool with them. And they won’t take preschoolers, so they’re all a bit older too.

That said I wouldn’t pay for group swimming lessons for a three year old full stop - I think in a lot of cases they’re too young to get much out of it and even some of the four year olds I watch are pretty poor at engaging and following the instructions.

If your daughter isn’t enjoying it then just stop and try again in a year or two. Maybe if your DH can’t swim he could look after your twins while you take her swimming for fun occasionally.