Swimming lessons - gazing into the abyss

[Carrotsurprise]

My god, how many years does this go on for? My DD started swimming lessons at the start of year 1 now she'll probably be moving up to stage 3 at the end of term. It runs for 50!!!!! weeks of the year. Every bloody Monday evening all year bloody round. And I'm on maternity leave! When I go back to work we'll have the juggling a toddler making sure one person gets home for him and the other goes to swimming. Then one day it'll be time for him to start lessons. Every Monday evening except Christmas, for like ten years? Right? Are swimming lessons really non-negotiable??

I'd really like Emily Oster to run the data on this, because I wonder if it's a bit like potty training, ie it takes longer the earlier you stay, so I'm wondering what the sweet spot is.

Anyway, yes, it's a bit soul destroying. I don't think it's bullshit at all that it's a life skill, although only up to a point of being able to swim maybe 50m or so, float rather than growth straight away etc. Butterfly is definitely not a lifeskill!

Mine do a weeks intensive course each holidays - they are early starts but it’s for 5 days in a row, never ever would I be wanting to go once a week forever!! Their swimming comes on amazingly in one week!!!

My daughter goes to lessons in the local leisure centre and they have the same ridiculous list of items to tick off. She's 7 and can swim 800m backstroke and probably 200m in the other strokes. She's never been "moved up" once without me having to go speak to the swim lead and prompt him to ask the instructor to assess her.

I'm sure that makes me "that parent" but I'm paying good money for the lessons and if she's getting nothing out of it as she's at too low a level you're damn right I'm going to complain.

A lot of families stop the swimming lessons once they’re satisfied that their children can swim a reasonable distance. No need to carry it on for ever unless they have competitive swimming as a hobby.

Oh brings it all back - I remember juggling a newborn and swimming lessons at witching hour, stresssssss!

It's non negotiable that your kids (ALL kids!) learn how to swim.

It is negotiable that they have swimming lessons.

All of mine are excellent swimmers and have only had the lessons they had at school (10 x 30 minute lessons each year).

I took mine swimming as often as possible, especially when they were little, and taught them myself. Learning the basics of how to swim is mostly about being confident in the water - knowing that you will float if you relax etc., so all of that can be incorporated into a fun swim session for the whole family, starting as young as possible.

Have fun with it!

I honestly don’t see the issue? I have three children all in swimming lessons.
They also do tennis, football, golf, rugby and cricket

Why does it take forever and a day in the UK though? Is this cultural? Has it always been like that?

My brother and I had swimming lessons when I was about 6 and that was it, same for everyone else I know. I don’t know a single person who had consecutive years of swimming lessons, unless you’re looking at competitive swimming.

Ten years?! We did two years and called it a day as DD’s school also provided weekly swimming lessons during PE time.

By that point she was able to confidently swim 50m in all strokes, as well as having basic lifesaving skills which in my eyes was enough.

Surely once a child can swim, you don't need to carry on unless they really want to.

for information I learnt to swim last year aged 55. I can't front crawl because I can't breathe properly, but I can breast stroke. Thing is I never learnt as a kid because my parents didn't really swim and there was no money for lessons, but I survived...in fact about 30 years ago I jumped into a swimming pool in France fully dressed and pulled a drowning kid out...then realised that my wife who'd told me to get him can swim absolutely miles!

It does seem to go on forever I agree!

I completely agree, it's an essential life skill. I have sadly seen children who have severe brain damage from drowning and others who didn't make it. It's also a real good motor skill like riding a bike.

Mine started lessons at 6 & 4yo. Later than I would have liked due to covid. Eldest completed 7 stages in 4 years. Youngest has taken a bit longer. We paused hers as ahe wasnt enjoying them. We did a lot of family swims. I think starting lessons at 6yo was the sweet spot for us.

Youngest did spend about 5 months in group lessons needing to perfect butterfly which was ridiculous though.

Forever! I did my online shopping once he was big enough to be left and me sit in the gallery.
Swimming is vital, especially for us as we live at the seaside.
DS stayed for all 10 stages, he's a great swimmer and very sanctimonious (at 17) about people who don't respect the sea!

My dd learnt to dive, swim underwater and loads of different strokes in a glorious two weeks in Turkey!
Much more preferable 😂

Agreed it’s an absolute pita but you don’t necessarily have to go every week? Ours also runs all year and we tend to skip weeks in the school holidays or if someone is ill. Yes you lose a bit of money but it’s good for the sanity if you can afford it. My two seemed to be stuck in particular stages for about a year and then suddenly they both moved up two stages each very quickly. They’re now finally in stages where they are being challenged and it’s great and so lovely to see them really thriving in it now

As a non-swimmer from a family of non-swimmers - too poor to pay for lessons, didn’t ever go to the swimming pool as a child or on holiday etc - it’s important for me for the kids to have swimming lessons as neither me or DH have the swimming skills ourselves to teach them ourselves. So even though it is an inconvenience to spend 3 hours every Sunday at swimming, for us it’s worth it.

Swim England does have a lot to answer for tbf and I’m convinced it’s cynical money making ploy because why else would they be teaching butterfly or even more weirdly handstands before making sure the kids can swim a length or tread water properly. Someone needs to overhaul it and go back to the necessary basics.

That's batshit. Both my DC had about 15 lessons each, then they swam a length (unaided) and got a certificate for it. Then they were officially swimmers. (At 5!)

(This was over 20 years ago though.)

I am in my 70's and still can't swim.

This would be good to know! I'm sure I read something about needing the right body fat percentage for buoyancy, I have a scrawny 4 year old and thinking about how to do it and juggle with school starting.

I remember doing week long lessons in the holidays and could swim 25m after the first week, that appeals more to me than weeks/years on end.

Mine both started at 6 weeks and went through til they were about 9/10. By the time they finished they could swim over a mile in an hour and do a bit of junior life saving type stuff. It’s a life skill, but also good for fitness.

that said though, I do not miss the hours of sitting on the side of a boiling hot swimming pool week in week out!

I didn’t have lessons as a child other than at school, and I’ve always regretted it as I love the water and love swimming in the sea, but am not a strong swimmer (yes, I could have lessons as an adult but busy job and kids makes it hard!).

I want my children to reach a level where they are safe, but beyond that where they are confident so that they can access swimming for fitness and recreation when older, but also so they can do water sports if they want to.

I waited until they were 4 as I think younger than that is a total waste of time. My 7yo is on the final level at our swim school - swimming 50m in all strokes - and I will probably stop when he completes it. 4yo has just started and is doggy paddling!

Wait until they want to race... join a proper club... swim multiple times a week... then become a grumpy teen and decide they do t like it any more.

I’ve been taking mine to swimming lessons for a total of 9 years. I’m very much over it.

One lot of parents shout encouragement to their kids and watch every move. They have not been there 9 years…

9 years?! WTF?

Something is very wrong if someone is still having swimming lessons after 9 years!

I think these places are just profiteering off these swimming courses. It doesn't take years to learn how to swim (unless you are massively struggling with it).

I never signed my children up to swimming lessons. Just took them ourselves.

Surely once your child learns the basics and can swim some widths or lengths, you don't need to continue with the lessons? If they want to swim competitively, then sign them up to a club.

Many people who do drown in rivers, lakes, quarries and the sea can swim, it's the currents, or temperatures etc. that drown them. Having weekly swimming lessons in a pool is unlikely to teach you how to try to survive a fast current in a river, or get out of a riptide safely.