Toddler hates the pool/water

[hm4912]

My baby (2 years old) hasn’t ever been too keen on baths but the past 3 months she has grown to enjoy them. She doesn’t enjoy showers either. She’s been in a small paddling pool at home and enjoyed that. We’re currently on holiday in Turkey and she will not go in the pool and screams the place down if we try and encourage her to go in or dip her legs in. Sounds awful but we’re feeling a bit deflated watching all the other kids enjoy the pool with their parents! Is there anything we can do to encourage her or has anyone’s kid been the same and eventually grown to enjoy it?

How many times have you taken her swimming in her life OP?

If there's a beach, take her for a paddle. Even if it is just on wet sand or she dips a toe in the water it will be an improvement.

Not sure if you'll be able to find one but a small inflatable padding pool next to your lounger on the pool side might be less intimidating then the big pool

We had a similar holiday when DS2 was this age. It wasn’t so fun. On the last day he decided he loved water and kept randomly flinging himself into the pool.
I’d suggest trying the splash pad, ignoring any screaming and don’t try to hard.
Maybe do some other activities and take toys to the pool so you can take turns.
Is there a kids club to give you both a break?

Thing is an outdoor pool is freezing compared to lovely warm weather. Especially if she’s not been swimming much I can see why she’s not keen! You could try buying a wetsuit but it doesn’t help with the initial ‘oooooooh’ from the cold! I’d suggest looking for other activities to do.

Is it warm, is there a shallow kiddie pool? I fear your expectations are too high. Does she need to go swimming ?

If she is 2, I would try reverse psychology.

At this point you need to just accept it and move on. That's how you'll have a nice holiday.

Do other things and let her interact with the water in a way she is comfortable. If you can find a plastic bowl/inflatable pool you can fill that and let her play by the side. Or maybe you get on the pool and she throws stuff in for you to retrieve/fill a bucket for her and let her tip it in etc.

At home, take her swimming to a nice warm pool with a shallow kids area and get her used to the water that way.

See if you can find something else she enjoys like pouring water back and forth between buckets? We too DD on holiday at 2 years and she refused to get in both the pool and the sea for most of the trip until the last day when she suddenly decided she liked the sea again. Spent most of the trip playing with a bucket and some small toys on the beach. She normally loved swimming but possibly didn’t like being in a strange place out of the usual routine.

I'd scream too if you forced me into a pool.

Ha! First time we took my DD on a seaside holiday, she was terrified of the waves. The next year we tried Center Parcs. She refused to go in the pool until the last day and then screamed her head off when it was time to come out 🤷‍♀️

You talk about baths, showers and paddling pools but no mention of how she is when you take her swimming? Did you just assume she would like a swimming pool on holiday? Or do you take them every week and know they usually love it?

The judgey posts on here are faintly amusing. I’ve known a few people who took their baby swimming and the baby hated it so they stopped: it’s fair enough. Sometimes being on holiday is hard as you picture it a certain way and it just isn’t.

I think there are so many variables on holiday with toddlers. Just keep encouraging and not forcing (not suggesting you were!)

Yes some babies hate water, but the people you know probably didn't expect their swimming hating baby to suddenly love swimming on holiday?

My DDs have always loved the water, but they’ve been doing swimming since they were babies. I appreciate this isn’t an option for everyone though.

I had one like this.

he also hated sand.