What level swimming classes do you think you DC should get to before you let them give up?

[MilkRunningOutAgain]

My DD is not that keen on swimming at the moment, but I do want her to be confident before she gives it up, it being a life skill. There aren't many pools locally so we are stuck with one I don't really like where the teachers seem extremely strict and which has horrible facilities, doors falling off changing rooms, showers don't work etc. , at the moment it isn't really working for her. She goes every week without much complaint but doesn't really make much effort and seems to take a long time to progress to the next level, she just doesn't seem to be noticed much. I think the main reason she doesn't moan is that we always visit the play park next to the pool, and she loves that. The alternative is 45minutes drive away, though it is much nicer, with warm clean changing rooms etc. no idea whether the teachers are more encouraging. But this would take up most of Saturday mornings, so isn't something I'm keen to do.

Anyway, I'm hoping the end is in sight as she can now swim a length reliably, thanks to her school, which has a small pool, getting some lovely swimming teachers in over the summer term and giving all pupils 2 lessons a week. DD is now level 4 and can swim quite confidently, she has not learnt proper breathing techniques and is just starting on the different strokes. What level did your DCs get to before you thought they were good, confident swimmers?

That's impressive Hersetta. Stage 8 at 7 - wow!!! I'll be glad to get my two to the end of stage 7.

Thanks. She is the youngest in her class by a few years. She has always been a fish though - She had her 25m front and back before she was 4. Sadly I don't think her brother will be quite the same!

Just make sure that they can swim without drowning. Just be weary of swimming shoulders as well (seeing as your daughter doesn't seem to care much about swimming now she probably won't care that she cannot do it well as she gets older but having broad shoulders can really destroy a young girls confidence, like pretty much anything else during puberty and you really don't want her to have any unecessary hangups).

We said 200m, both had to stop swimming for medical reasons so didn't swim for a couple of years but can both do 500m easily enough and are water confident.

Having broad shoulders can destroy confidence???

The broad shoulders only come after years and years of competitive swimming with hours of intensive training 6 days a week. Hardly going to get them through working up the grades one lesson a week
I swam competitively and have quite normal sized shoulders.

DS1 and DS2 gave up lessons after they completed Stage 7. DS1 doesn't really like swimming so hasn't continued with it, apart from in school. DS2 however swims once or twice a week outside school. He didn't want to do the competitive levels and they don't do rookie lifeguard here anymore.

DD has just finished Stage 7 and has signed straight back up for Stage 8 as she wants to do the competitive levels. She has spent half the summer practising tumble turns. But this isn't really a life skill!

Neither of my dc have ever had a lesson in their lives. They're both confident swimmers who learnt socially from regular family swimming sessions and then, later, going swimming with their friends. I'd never make them do anything they didn't enjoy.