Another swimming one... motivation

[Nevertooearlyforcake]

For the last couple of weeks by DD (5) has been really distracted at swimming lessons. This week she was made to apologise to the instructor at the start for her behaviour the previous week but come the lesson, she was just the same, only listening half the time and messing about.

She's currently having 1-1 classes (£££) because she was like this in the class of 6 or so she was previously attending (and now she's at school, it's really the only one I could find that would fit in around school without dominating the weekend). In the old class, the other kids would be paying attention most of the time while DD was floating on her back, clinging to the side, swimming in the opposite direction.

The class is late on on a Friday but I don't think tiredness is the problem. She was really good for the first few weeks and doesn't seem tired when she gets home. Also, being tired definitely wasn't the problem in the old class and she's now behaving the same way she was then.

I know she's young but in the other class she was definitely way more distracted than the other kids or the same age or younger. She has no fear of water. It's not just swimming really, she seems to give up easily when things get a bit tough - not upset, just starts trying to get out of it.

Any tips to help motivate when the value of the end product isn't obvious to the kid?

If she's having private lessons then speak to the teacher. They can add in something really fun at the end (toys, balls, diving, jumping whatever really) and then that's the motivation for paying attention the rest of the time. If your DD is anything like mine then she might need two fun sessions (one in the middle as well) as shorter time periods of concentration may be better. 1-1 lessons can be quite full-on (DD did them at 3.5 for a few months and then again around her 5th birthday due to group lesson 'issues') but the teacher should have some ideas to keep her interested if you speak to them and jointly come up with a plan.

Thanks, that sounds like a really good idea. It's almost a month until the lessons start again which was a bit frustrating, didn't feel a positive place to end the term when she'd been so good for the first few weeks. Will definitely suggest that to the instructor.