Toddler swimming problems

[Nexus5]

Hi,

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere

I have a 2 and a half year old boy that went for swimming classes when he was young (5/6 months). Everything was going fine but then all of a sudden he really hated it. I.e hated getting into the pool, listening to us during swimming classes. I was told it was a phase but he never got out of it after trying for months. We tried again with another swimming class when he was around 1.5 years old, but again he hated it so took him out.

My theory was that he hated listening to instructions (he can be like this outside the pool too) and decided to take him swimming myself. I decided to keep it simple and enjoyable. He seems to like it, but everytime I go he tries to swallow the water, and then subsequently throws up in or near the pool...

My plan is to take him regularly and then start him up back in a class.

Anyone go any advice on stopping kids from swallowing water? And the bigger problem of swimming anxiety...?

Many Thanks

He is 2 and a half, he isn't going to be michael phelps overnight. Also, I don't understand the bit about him not listening to instructions when he was five months old

I think what you have there is a very young child who doesn't like swimming at the moment.

Forget lessons and classes. Take him occasionally with friends or other relations and if possible other children so he is distracted. Ensure he has plenty of buoyancy so he can keep his head out of the water and relax about this. Make it fun, stop thinking he has to learn to swim. he will be picking up on your tension atm.

He can do lessons when he is quite a bit bigger.

Thanks for your quick responses folks.

My DD hated those swimming classes when she was a baby. She cried when they dunked her, despite reassurances that she would grow to love it, and she was always tired and hungry.

She is 17mo now and in the last month I have been taking her to a 'toddler drop in' swimming session at our nearby council pool, for up to 12 toddlers and their carers. This is an hour between 10,30 and 11.30 where an 'instructor' sings songs and they do actions/splash their feet/play with toys and ignore him. They do not have to follow instructions (because they are all little!) but are given the chance to join in with songs and group splashing about. - My DD does some bits with everyone else, and sometimes she wonders off to the side and plays with the floats and toys that are freely available. The children have all had enough between 20 minutes and 45 minutes and it is fine to go when your child is ready.

It is a lovely, hands off, water confidence approach and we have a really great time whatever we do. Perhaps your son would prefer to do something like this? I didn't even know it existed till I phoned up the leisure centre and asked what was going on, so definitely worth giving them a call. Every week somebody's child isn't really playing ball, but it really doesn't matter it is just there for them to have fun.

Thank you so much. I'll inquire with the local council.

I like what Northernlurker said.

Similar experience - ds hated baby swimming when tiny and a recent attempt at 2.5yo resulted in the same hysterical child. So that's it for us for now. He's still little and we'll try again in a year or so. Interestingly the swimming teacher said she sees quite a lot of toddlers who've been traumatised by the baby dunking practices

Misty9 That's interesting, dd1 was completely traumatised by baby dunking swimming classes (that was more or less all they did!) so much so that at 3.4yrs she is still terrified of swimming. Thought it was just us though.

Sorry no help op.

Interesting to hear that others hated the whole dunking thing. I used to wish every week that I'd never booked that extortionate course as I knew my poor DD would scream and cry and get really upset. Meanwhile everyone else's baby (apparently) loved it!!

Lucky that my daughter doesn't seem to have been traumatised, but I'm not sure why they need to do it at that age. My daughter quite happily dunks herself now (!) but I'm pretty sure she didn't need the early experience!