Hello candy!
I'm a swimming instructor. Some adults really struggle to get their feet up! because their bran tells them they are going to fall on the floor!
You need to learn how to float first. The basis of all swimmng is floating. Women are better at this than men because of fat in boobs and bum!
Have you tried floating on your back with a noodle ? The noodle will be place around your back and hold on to the ends.At first you don't fully have to lie back, you can almost sit in a seated position with your feet raised, gradually raiding your pelvis till you are leaning back. Your instructor can stand behind you, do you can lean on her for support.
Practice floating on your front by placing noodle around your tummy , under your arms and hold in to the wall, gradually lift on leg up, then another. You have to engage your tummy muscles for this. Eventually stretching your arms out so you are lay on your front in a straight line, with your chin as close to the water as you can.
Do you have excess to a pool with large steps? Not the metal ones you climb down , these can be a great tool for balancing and leari g how to float. Walking along the steps in shallow water, letting the water boyency push your weight up naturally as that's the feeling you need to feel. Practice star shapes with your legs, practice just lying back relaxing with the noodle.
Leg kicking and arm movement have to come after body position has been leaned otherwise, you end up hop, skipping and scrabbling to the side.
I'm my experience arm bands don't really aid adults, they just get in the bloody way, but by all means try them!
Have you manages to kick your legs with instructor? Did you kick up and down or breaststroke style ?
Well done by the way!!!!!