...to think that the school should have been more communicative about their swimming requirements?

[mm22bys]

Hi,

DS1 started Reception last week, and today was his first swimming lesson.

Apparently he was very lucky to have been allowed to go!

He has been swimming at this pool for nearly 2 years, and has always worn red swimming shorts. Apparently now they are unacceptable and he has to wear skin tight trunks.

Also he has to wear a swimming cap.

I don't object to these requirements, but what I am objecting to is lack of communciation on the schools part.

We were not even told swimming would be starting today - we got a weekly timetable that shows swimming is on Fridays, so I presumed it would be on today.

We weren't told what he would have to wear (the school has a uniform).

AIBU to think the school should have given us more information other than "please dress your child in gym clothes on swimming days"?

YANBU. Don't schools normally send out lengthy lists of this sort of thing at the start of term?

Ugh, swimming hats. I feel for your DS.

Are you in Belgium? Shorts are verboten in swimming pools in Wallonia and hats compulsory.
The Flems are much more lax.

Word on the street is that it is easier to learn to swim in tight trunks [have been thinking about this]

But he got to go swimming. It would have been unreasonable not to allow him to go swimming because he needed a cap and you hadn't been told about it. But he got to go swimming, and you now know what he needs for next Friday.

"We were not even told swimming would be starting today - we got a weekly timetable that shows swimming is on Fridays, so I presumed it would be on today."

I don't understand - if you got a timetable that showed that there was swimming, then why wouldn't you expect there to be swimming?

I can see that the communication was not perfectly complete, but you'll need to chill a bit. I'm impressed that you got a tiometable for reception!

I don't think I'm uptight (well not about this one anyway!)

He's been having swimming lessons at this pool since he was 2, and the shorts have been fine, they never requested he wear a hat before, and he can swim already (he actually skipped a class level .

I thought I was not being unreasonable to expect some good information as to their requirements. I didn't know I had to be a mind reader , but obviously I need to work on that.

No I an not in Belgium.

Would it not be reasonable then to think that it is the school that has imposed the dress code? You say they have a uniform, were the red shorts that he wore part of that uniform?

As for not being told it was starting on the first Friday back, but having a timetable saying that swimming is every Friday ... errr , not exactly rocket science is it!

I was a swimming teacher and shorts restrict the movement in their legs. Also when they are wet they are heavier. We always told the parents the children had to wear trunks.

When my DC's go with the school loose swim shorts were banned and they had to wear hats and no goggles. This was the rules of the swimming teachers and not the school.
Saturday morning classes with same teachers but never asked for hats until this term and allow loose shorts, however, they do usually advise boys to wear tight shorts.
I know the swim teachers really well and did ask why the rules were different but I can't remember the answer