Swimming lessons for nervous child?

[mockorangey]

Hi, my almost 4 year old started swimming lessons at Easter with Seals swimming school. The lessons are good but he is nervous of the water (mostly splashing, putting his head in etc). He did settle in after a rocky start, and was making progress until he got scared a couple of lessons ago when he put his head under.

Seals is good but I feel like he almost needs an even gentler approach. It almost needs to be a water confidence/play class rather than teaching swimming IYSWIM. Does anyone have any recommendation for a swim school around Cambridge? I'm happy to consider group or individual lessons.

DS1 was a nervous swimmer and started with Seals at about the same age. We had a breakthrough when I took him to Parkside and simply practised jumping in to me, rather than to the teacher.

He's now nearly 11 and will stay in a pool as long as he's allowed (2 hours is not unheard of), and can swim 1km.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, that does help and I have been thinking that we should try practising a few things outside of lessons. He is so stubborn though, that I'm not sure whether he will do anything for me, but we will see! Part of my concern is that he starts school in September, and may be too tired and stressed to contend with an after school swimming lesson. Seals do Saturday swimming lessons too, but they are at 3pm so I am worried he will miss out on birthday parties etc

pull him out of lessons for now, and instead go swimming with him. Just have fun in the water, play with him and enjoy the water. If you have a leisure centre pool with shallow slopes and things even better.

Mine all learnt to swim on holiday, playing in a pool for a week solid. As they play they develop confidence and get braver and braver. Then lessons will teach them technique

Google Little Aqua. Although I don't think they have lessons in the city they do have lessons in Cambourne/ bourn. They are very good with nervous and SEN children

Melbourn swimming pool do water play for preschool aged children and it has been fab for both of my children. My DS did not want to have anything to do with putting his face underwater but happily rounded up ducks and rescued teddies, and eventually was happy to blow bubbles, wash face etc. To be honest looking back I would just leave it until he was older now!

If you don’t mind paying £££, friends of ours rave about Kiera, who used to be with Aweswim on the A505 but is now with Elite. Very small class sizes.

Impington pool is nice. ALL the teachers are lovely. My nervous 4 yr old has been fine there ...

Thanks for these tips. I have pulled him out of swimming lessons and will reassess sometime next year. Those Melbourne water play classes sound ideal, but unfortunately are during school hours so we won't be able to make them. Will check out the other suggestions next year.