Swimming - how do you show them that under water is fun?

[Lucky13]

DD 3 seems to love swimming and has been going to lessons for a while now. She seems to be progressing well, but will under no circumstances put her face in or head back in the water.

We have tried practising in the bath and all sorts of things at the pool, but she refuses.

She wears goggles, but keeps taking them off and letting the water in her eyes, which she says stings.

Does anyone have any suggestions of fun games or tips that I can try?

I am probably pushing too much now, but I've tried the gently and loads of praise attempt for so long now. Maybe I should just give up on the swimming lessons for now?

Will she jump in?

I dunked the children every time they went in the water from birth onwards so they had never not done it iyswim.

I also got the coloured weighted sticks that you can throw into the water for the dcs to dive for as soon as they were able...'first one to get a stick wins'

Yes she will jump in and yes she has been dunked from birth, not regularly, but always cried if I did (even though i gave her the countdown and the happy face etc etc :(
She only jumps in where she knows she won't go completely under.

She goes for rings under the water, but only up to her nose or hooks them with her foot! On her worst days, she just says 'you try Mummy and I'll watch you'

She sees me under water and the other children and just looks more frightened. I think I have just made her worse

Oh , then leave it a bit.
Sometimes we can convey an anxiety about these things when we don't mean too.

Will she be likely to swim with anyone in the near future? Sometimes a different person over seeing things helps or if she is swimming with peers.

My dds swimming piled on at an astonishing rate when we went on holiday and she wanted to do what her brothers were doing. And my nephew wouldn't jump in until he went swimming with his cousins and my dh.

Sometimes a change shifts their perception iyswim.

are you trying to get her to do it in a pool she cannot stand in?
i think that is quite a big leap of faith for anyone.

if so, try again in a toddler pool she can stand up in easily. that worked for mine and for a few friends who were having the same issue.

Pagwatch - you might be right, I will ask DH to see if he can take her.

She is swimming with her peers, half of them do it and the others refuse too. I might see if I can find other friends who are more keen on the water to tag along with outside of lessons.

amidaiwish - no it's a toddler pool and she can stand up.

I was helping a friend's child learn to swim and he was hysterical at the thought of getting his face wet, let alone going under water. We spent one whole session in the shower singing " Singing in the rain" abd "Rain drops keep falling on my head" and any other rain songs we could think of. Breakthrough !

in DD's swimming lesson they play "can you wash your shoulders" then face then ears with plastic cups. The sensation of water around ears can be really strange for a child so we do "the wipers on the bus go swish....." whilst holding the child and gently swishing them side to side to allow them to feel water around their ears whilst being held.

It's really hard for a child to put their head backwards in the water because they have to trust they will float. We look out for fairies/ spiders etc on the swimming pool ceiling and then try to splash them with our feet... Ditto mermaids/ fish in the water to put face in.

Prob one of the best things is finding a friend with DC same age who is not afraid to put face in water and letting them play together in the pool.

Whatever you do it must be FUN and you can't show any stress!

She's 3. Unless you're aiming for her to swim the channel any time soon don't rush. She'll get there! You say yourself half can and half can't. She's just in the half that can;t at the moment.

My son's attitude to water (aged 3) completely changed when we spent a week abroad with pretty much nothing to do but swim in the seas or pool. he went from being okay-ish about trying with several floation aids, to being a water loving dare devil. So - go on holiday!!!