Should I stop DS's swimming lessons?

[BikeRunSki]

DS is 2.4 and has been going to weekly baby swimming sessions at our local pool since he was 7 weeks old. He started in the under 1s and is now in under 3s.

They are pretty informal sessions but are organised and are run by a fabulous instructor, who does little games and exercises which I can really see how they introduce you to swimming.

DS is now really confident in the water, fearless on the baby slide, loves to "rocket" off the side, climb out (unaided) and jump in and can "swim" of a fashion in deep water with armbands. He is also head and shoulders taller than the baby pool is deep and can walk around quite happily without having to take his feet off the ground.

Recently, in swimming classes he has been disruptive, only wanting to do what he wants (mostly rockets) and has no need to "swim" as he can touch the bottom. Every other child in the class joins in properly! He also wants to climb out and go on the slide a lot (which is not part of the lesson!) - the slide used to be moved away during lessons, but is now bolted to the floor. I spend an awful lot of time fetching him back into the lesson. The instructor is very patient and takes it in his stride - he is a dad and has probably seen it all before.

I am thinking that DS is just a bit bored. Should I stop his lessons and just go swimming for fun until he is old enough for proper swimming lessons?

Not learning to swim is not an option!

Are you in the pool with him or is he on his own.
My dd went through a similar thing around that age - were in parent and child swimming she had a break (had to because I had dd2 and had no-one to look after dd2 during class) Anyway we stopped lessons but went occasionally just for fun and then when she was 3 she started in the pre-school group where she went on her own and was fine.I think it was the break, a change and a little bit of maturity that helped

I am in the pool with him Scrappy. He is too young for instruction without me.

I think you are right. In the next age group class, the children are in the pool by themselves. I think he has got everything out of the class he is in for now.

I think the key at that age is consistency and confidence - it sounds like he has loads of confidence so maybe just taking him swimming once a week on his own practising the stuff you do in class and if you feel he's ready put him in the next class at 3.

when i was training to teach kids to swim years ago you came across things like this all the time so try not to worry about it.

id probably say if your lil 1 is bored then stop the lessons and take him swimming as fun time in the normal pool so he can play with you.
then when hes old enough to start the lessons where you dont have to be in the pool with him enrol him in those. kids are more likely to listen to the teacher without you in the pool with them because its more of a lesson than a play thing.

iv taught non of my children to swim because they prefer fun time with mum in the pool rather than a lesson. as soon as i put them in for lessons with the teacher and me not in the pool they listened.
you have done a great job of making sure your child is not afraid of water , this will make the process to swimming lessons much easier.

you go and have fun with your child in the pool and so al the daft things together in the water like rockets and let the teachers do the lessons on teaching him to swim when hes old enough.
im not sure what age the lessons start at your pool without parents but here its 4.
good luck and enjoy xx

Thanks ladies, good advice. Thinking about it, I'd act up a lot if someone kept making me do something I could already do and stopped me having fun. I'll speak to the lovely instructor next week. Will be sad not to see him anymore!

I'd stop lessons and start again in a preschool one when he is 3