Should I continue sending them to swimming lessons?

[craftynclothy]

Have had a totally disastrous lesson today and I'm on the brink of just giving up with them.

DD1 is 6. A few weeks ago she would swim half a length unaided but has regressed and today has totally refused to even try unaided.

DD2 is 4. She has totally and utterly refused to attempt putting even her chin in the water. Today she was given armband disc things and screamed the pool down until the instructor gave her a woggle as well.

They've been having private (1 instructor to the 2 of them) lessons for 7 months now. It's bloody expensive and I'm getting a bit fed up that they aren't really much further on than when they started. They seemed to make good progress when they started using a shark fin but it seems to have just levelled off.

Perhaps give them a break for a while. Try again after a few months. Would they be better in a bigger class where they would have to get on with it?

I don't think they'd manage in a bigger class. Tbh I sent them for private lessons because I couldn't find a class that would take them (they all wanted them to be willing to jump in/be splashed/put face in and they wouldn't/won't do those).

They may be better in separate classes in larger groups. Sounds like they are both making each other more nervous.
If they could see others in a group doing it it may help them. Dd 5 has a very nervous swimmer in her class but he does get on with it as the instructor cannot focus solely on him and he also sees the others doing it which helps a little.

X post , not all classes would expect children to be able to do that when they start.

I'd keep going with the lessons but what I used to do was take them to a children's pool once a week, where the water came to their knees, and they could play and laugh and splash and build their confidence a bit.

They then got so they loved the water, so much so that one made county times before he gave up in favour of football and DD has regional times

We do try to take them in between lessons. Dd1 even went to a swimming party at the weekend, which I thought would encourage her to swim but it hasn't.

I know it sounds really awful but I keep thinking of what that money could be spent on.

I would give up for now. my ds2 hung on to me for grim death when he was little, then he went with school and something stuck, and when they had a swimming gala with cubs he was launching himself in the deep end of our local pool approx 12ft deep, I however was having kittens imagining him not getting out and sinking to the bottom

7 months, and your kids are not willing to jump into the water? I think your teacher is failing. Give it a rest for a bit, or try a different teacher. There is no real need for kids to learn swimming quite so young. 6 is a good age to start, but unless a child really wants to do it it appears to be a waste of time with a 4 year old.

Perhaps your 6 year old would just get on with it if surrounded by other 6 year olds who were just getting on with it.

Get them into separate classes with other kids. Find a class that does not demand them to be able to jump in, put face in water etc. It is very very common for a 4 year old not to want to do that, and is also common for a 6 year old. Your current teacher is failing them but it is probably hard as they are most likely feeding off each other- the 4 year old is probably kicking off because the 6year old is, the 6 year old thinks why push myself when the 4 year old won't. You are wasting your money with the private lessons.

stop the lessons and go to your local pool on some Saturdays just to have fun.

restart lessons in the Spring if they are enthusiastic.

as swimming is a life skill you want them to not hate it - and the stop-step back-restart strategy seem to work well

good luck

Whatever else you do, either stop altogether or look for other lessons, at the moment you are paying for something that isn't working. So I would stop.

stop taking them, take them more yourselves its a waste of money

Stop the current lessons, and try to find lessons with a small teacher to pupil ratio. Find out how they teach them before the lesson starts. At the same time try to take them as often as you are able to put the fun back into swimming.

My DD1 always loved swimming, I started her at 3 years old, did the same for DD2 who hated it. I stopped the lessons and have now started the, again at age 4. It was important they learned as early as possible as we visit my family in Cornwall frequently and I want them to have at least some water sense.

Additionally, school starts lessons in Spring of reception year, and I needed DD2 to at least not be terrified of getting into the pool by this time.

It may be very important to the OP that her children learn to swim early, perhaps they live near the sea, or a river.

I think they're probably setting each other off.
I know that if dd1 looked panicked at something then dd2 wouldn't even try it, even if she'd loved doing it the week before.

Give them a break for a bit.

I hadn't taken my dd1 (3.11) swimming since April this year. She did ok, but refused to put her head under water. We're just on holiday, and she's been diving her head under, swimming a few feet, and diving down to the bottom of the pool.

I do think the break helped us.

long distance

friends' DD was the same.

it's worth taking a break OP, you can always restart!

Good luck!

Have emailed and cancelled them today.

We can take them to the pool fairly regularly (my gym membership lets me take them free) and the lessons expensive. I just wasn't sure if my idea of saving the money was clouding my judgement.

good decision.

keep up the fun part and enjoy the water for the sake of it!