DD Terrified in Swimming Lessons - advice please?

[WizzyWoo]

I'd really like people's advice on this one please. DD just turned 4yo, normally happy, confident. Put her in Ducklings (beginners) swimming lessons and she loved it. For her birthday present, my sister paid for Class 1 lessons since tutor suggested she moved up.

First 2 weeks, she loved it and was really proud about swimming across pool with long float all by herself. Week 3 and one of the girls had a slight wobble and for the next 3 weeks screamed hysterically while her mother shouted "it's ok, my angel, mummy won't let you drown" repeatedly. Each week, other kids in class became more withdrawn until by week 6, they were clinging on to the side refusing to let go and only going across the pool when escorted by tutor.

2 weeks ago, DD flatly refused to get in the pool, screaming about being scared. I took her home and rang the manager who agreed to let DD go back to Ducklings to try to get her confidence up. Last week I took her to Ducklings and it was an epic disaster. DD screamed hysterically all the way through and even when I was smiling until my face ached and praising her constantly, she seemed petrified.

I don't know what to do. The last thing I want is for DD to upset all the other kids in Ducklings the way the screaming child in Class 1 upset DD. Part of me wants to give it up as a bad idea as it's obviously really distressing her. The other part of me wants her to learn and wonders if it'll pass - also the expense my sister went to in arranging these lessons. I've looked into public swimming times to just get her to splash about but they don't fit in at all with work or reasonable hours for a child at nursery to attend.

So my questions are these:

1. Should I stop the lessons and take her to a swimming pool to splash about instead (and if so, how to get around my sister's gift of lessons being wasted)

2. Should I carry on going to the lessons and hope for the best (and if so, any ideas how on earth to stop her having a meltdown in the water?)

Any advice would be really gratefully received!

I would persevere for a couple more weeks. It will hopefully become routine for her, to the point where she begins to look forward to it when you talk about it.

My DD was scared to begin with, then loved it, then went through another phase of screaming and being petrified, but I persisted as had paid for the course, and after about 3 more weeks she was back to normal again. Well, maybe still a little bit more reserved, in that she wanted me next to her at all times, but def less screaming than before.

Can you talk to the Duckling swimming teacher (the one who recommended her moving up)?

She knows you and DD, and may have seen some of the disruptive behaviour from the other girl and the impact it's had on the classmates. She may well have advice on what to do for the best - eg just swimming alongside the class, swooping her class1 fee to the Ducklings and persisting there, ordinary Duckling class for a couple of weeks then back to a (calmer) class1?

I would go back and let her sit on the side with her feet in the water and that she doesn't have to get in. The following week tell her she must get in but can stay close to the side and the following week she must participate. But during the week/weekend take her swimming to a fun pool with floats, slide or whatever is close to you. Hopefully it will give her back some control over what she is doing and gain back her confidence. Or ask if you can transfer the balance of the cost of swimming lessons to some one to one lessons.

Ds1 was terrified of water and we wasted a lot of money on group swimming lessons. He has just started one to one sessions and the progress has been fantastic

DS1 took a similar dislike to swimming lessons, having loved them for ages. We stopped going for a few weeks, and took him to a different pool at the weeknd for a fun splash about, no pushing him to swim. After a few weeks of this he was happy in the water again.

Agree with the idea of a few one-to-one lessons. It would be a different atmosphere and she could take things at her own pace.