One to one swimming lessons or group?

[Orinoco]

dd1 has been having swimming lessons for ten months, and I'm getting a bit fed up - she's had five different teachers and yesterday they rang up to say the class was cancelled as they had no teacher! Dd2 has just started lessons, and already we've had a note to say that for three weels there will be no lessons.

So, I've looked into other places, and one not too far away has said that they could start within a few weeks if they had one to one or one to two lessons. But obviously they're more expensive.

Is it worth the extra expense? The individual lesson costs three times the group lesson, but if two of them share it....

how old are they?

5 and 3

I wasn't going to start the 3 year old yet, but she frightens me when we go swimming, she's so leery!

I would think it would be worth it for the 5 yr old because she's at the age where her swimming could really come on

I'm not sure I'd pay over the odds for the 3 yr old because apart from gaining confidence in the water and learning the basics (which she could do in a group), until they're physically more capable, there's not much they can do (although I know there are exceptions to the rule!)

However, if it is a question of them doing a lesson together or not at all, then I'd probably go for it.

I wouldn't bother with the hassle of weekly lessons, especially in this case. Sign them up for an intensive course this summer, in a small group class, and you'll see a huge difference.

thanks both of you. Anyone else got any thoughts?

Sometimes the swim clubs will offer lessons or you could approach them and ask if they knew of anyone. Don't know if dds might be too young though.

Dd started with one-to -one when she was 5 but teacher quit after a year and she sisn't take to the new one.

We didn't do much about it for about 3 years as she could swim okay, but then she started group lessons. She has finished them, gone through all the stages, and is now swimming for a club. She is swiftly rising through the ranks and has the Commonwealth games in sight!( aiming high)

Both systems worked for her at the right time. When she was younger individual was best though.

I would say 3 year olds do benefit from lessons. Ds1 started at 3, was out of his floats and had his 25m badge by the time he was 4. Ds2 has been going since January (he was 3.2 then) and he's gone down from 3 discs to 2 discs and he does a short way without at the end of each lesson.

At such a young age though, I think I'd prefer group lessons - for me, it's not only about the process of learning to swim but the social aspect too, learning in a group etc. All children are different of course, but I know my two enjoy their lessons because they are there with friends and it's fun as well as 'educational' - there are 5 in each class.

Thank you everyone! Now we've just got to sit out the waiting list......

Yes it is SueW! I didn't know TC did swimming lessons for the public - or do you have to be a pupil? Any idea how I find out about them? The one where I've put their names down is H - just up the road from I. I don't know anyone who goes there, but someone who's kids have both gone to playgroup there say they've had the same staff for at least 3 years, so that sounds promising...

Thanks!