Swimming lessons if child can't touch the bottom

[susan198130]

I've had to change my children's swimming lessons as the pool where they were going has closed. There's a different pool that I can take them to for their lessons, but I have a feeling that my youngest (he's nearly 5) won't be able to touch the bottom. He's been having lessons since July, but he definitely can't swim. I'm just wondering, do you think this would work? How do they teach them to swim if a child can't touch the bottom? The lessons will be 2:1, so one instructor for my 2 children. I'm just wondering how this would work when the instructor is working with my other child.

They'll use a noodle float or similar.

Mine has never been able to touch the bottom. I think it’s better. They hold the side then the instructors hands and push off the wall. It makes getting horizontal easier I think.

Nobody expects them to be able to touch bottom. The children use a noodle or a board - don't worry the teacher is within hand's distance all the time. They don't wander off , they are always right next to the kids.

Thanks. We have their first lesson today. I'm worried he'll panic about not being able to touch the bottom. It was my son who just made me think about checking the depth, because he was panicking a bit that he won't be able to touch the bottom. I just don't want him to become scared of the water. I'll see how it goes.

I switched my eldest to a pool where she couldn't touch the bottom and it made such a difference. She stopped relying on being able to put her feet down.

Hope it goes well. Shouldn't be a problem, specially with that ratio. We went to lessons in a deep pool for a while, they used arm rings or pool noodles and gradually took them away as kids became more confident.

Thanks. It turned out he could touch the bottom so was fine. It says it's 1m deep, but it must be a bit shallower than that.