Am I being too pushy with daughters swimming?

[RarePearlTiger]

My daughter is 4 almost 5 and has done swimming lessons since she turned 2, she did waterbabies and then moved to leisure centre lessons at 4. For anyone familiar with the lessons she’s just moved up to stage 4 and has got her 25 metres certificate at the weekend

While I was at work earlier in the week my husband mentioned her swimming, and my MIL made a comment about how kids should be kids and not pushed into ‘competing’. FIL agreed and said it’s unnecessary and every child gets there in the end, there’s no need for such pushy lessons

She does a lesson once a week and I probably take her once every 2 weeks on an evening, sometimes every week. She enjoys swimming, she’s not pushed into anything but swimming lessons for me are not negotiable.

It’s just made me feel like shit but I’m probably being over sensitive

30 years ago and mine were in the pool as soon as they'd had all their baby injections. Both very strong swimmers. Up until the 70's all the rural primary schools in this area had their own outdoor swimming pools..it's a life skill and also a compulsory part of the school PE curriculum. Ignore them.

Oh that's good to know. Thanks for that 👍🏻

I'm wondering... Is it because she's actually skilled at it that they're pondering where it's going?

I know plenty of kids who've done swimming lessons until aged seven and still couldn't swim well. I got mine small group sessions aged eight and got them swimming in two days after a year of school lessons achieved nothing.

Your DD seems to have talent and loves swimming. It may be in a few years she does want to start competing. Could it be your IL were discussing that?

My dad swam all of his life and I can remember him having an op at 81 that normally wouldn’t have been available but the surgeon said what great shape he was in as he still swam every day.
Afterwards, in the recovery, the surgeon said my dad’s heart, general strength and muscles tone had wanted to make him return to swimming. So for me, it’s not just a life skill it’s a lifesaver in so many ways.
What if your daughter shows an aptitude and wants to compete at some point? What’s wrong with that? Someone has to win all of those medals.
If it’s for fun, it’s a wonderful skill and hobby and it also reminds young people that their bodies have a function outside of what they look like.
Your PILs sound awful. Stuck and opinionated. And what does ‘let them be kids’ these days mean anyway? Let them sit on YouTube 10 hours a day?
Keep going, keep swimming and loving the water.

I wonder what they would think would be a more 'worthwhile' way for your daughter to spend some of her time? You need to point out to them in no uncertain terms that not only being 'able' to swim but to do so confidently and well might just save her own or a friends life at some point in the future! 🙄
If they're not convinced by this basic and common sense fact then tell them to FO and keep their opinions to themselves!! 😡

I thought lifeguards were on minimum wage, no?
What made you think that?