Are you worried that your 6 yr-old can't swim and won't take their feet off the bottom?

[roisin]

Are you worried that your 6 yr-old can't swim and won't take their feet off the bottom?

Don't be!

We took ds1 swimming loads when he was tiny, and he had regular lessons from age 5. But until he was 6.5 he simply wouldn't take his feet off the bottom.

He's 9 now and has just passed the highest of the basic ASA swimming levels (Level 12), including racing starts for all 4 strokes, tumble turns, etc., etc! He has great style, speed and stamina, and is a far better swimmer than I ever was.

He's not going to be an amazing club swimmer or anything, but I am very proud of his achievement. And it just goes to show that being a slow starter isn't necessarily a problem, as long as you persevere and keep trying.

That's great to hear, roisin!

My ds1 is 6 and can't swim that well and as you can imagine there is a lot of pressure over here to be a good swimmer ; school swimming lessons every day for 2 weeks solid of the year from reception, all his peers in swimming lessons etc. He is happy splashing about doing doggy paddle and under water swimmig for a few yards and I am loathe to push him further, he's only 6 ffs.

Good to hear about your boy.

thanks suzy

i only started to swim properly when i was 8

thanks for this, I started lessons with DS1 aged 5 about 4 months ago, he hated it, the teacher was useless, she shoved floats on them, put them in the water and shouted 'ok everyone swim to the otherside' durr they can't swim that's why they are here!! With a 5 month old baby ot became too much for both tears in the car park before the class etc, he loves the water, when he can touch the bottom and in class they couldn't. We are going to try again in the September term and not in a class where the fat shouty teacher was!