When did you stop swim lessons?

[Popsicle82646]

DS 7 wants to stop swim lessons, he doesn't look forward to going anymore.

He is able to swim, and is stage 4 currently just over half way through at 65 %.
They seem to be going over everything he's already learnt ie dolphin and frog strokes etc.

When did you stop your child's swim lessons? Once it had achieved the goal of being able to swim and get out of any dangerous situation? Or when they had perfected every stroke and got upto gala swim competition level?
Not sure whether to carry on or not.

Thanks ☺️

This is exactly my point of view

I enjoy swimming lengths so happy to take them once they are at that stage

I disagree that swimming is a middle class con. I'm a former club swimmer, so probably biased, but swimming has so many benefits from basic survival (and I agree with PPs that 25m wouldn't cut it) through to fitness and mental health. I don't expect DC to follow in my footsteps but they will be in lessons until they are competent across the 4 main strokes, can breath properly (it makes such a difference and helps build aerobic fitness), tread water, float etc. I would encourage them to go on to do life savers as this is a great skill to have and can provide flexible employment opportunities alongside studying should that be needed further down the line.

OP - maybe look at a different swim school that might better engage your DC.

Kept going, but they enjoyed the lessons.

I would make sure they were at least swimming several lengths. Just making it to 25 meters, then stopping, risks them taking a break and not safely swimming a length without relying on pushing off the bottom of the pool.

When the next stage of swimming is competitive swimming club, that is where my kids stopped or went to the club.

DS1 broke his arm just after he had completed his mile badge aged around ten. We called it a day.
I said DS2 could also stop when he completed his mile badge. He subsequently did so aged seven so I reluctantly kept my word and he stopped then too.
Both excellent swimmers now aged 19 and 21.

Eldest at level 8 (age 11) as she’s not speedy enough for competition and doesn’t want to do it anyway, but I wanted her to have stamina and good technique. She did a swimathon (1 mile) and that was enough.

Youngest is more resistant to sport generally so I’ll probably let her stop at level 6/7 or 1km in a decent time.

He will continue going to lessons with school until end of year 6 anyway- so you could stop and just do that. A lot of people stop when they know their child is safe in the water.

Personally DD1 is 13 and still goes but she is very keen on it and a really swimmer.

DD2 is 9 (yr 5) and wanted to stop after the summer hols but we encouraged her to keep going more because it's good exercise and she doesn't do any other sport- so she agreed. She does enjoy swimming and is good at it, she seems happy going to lessons so I'm glad we encouraged her to stay.

@Button28384738 not everyone dose swimming lessons at school. My DDs school don’t. They ensure the children can do the basic 25m and water safety by the end of year 6 but they may not take the children till year 6, assess them and tick the box for the children that have been swimming privately only keeping up lessons for those who failed to meet the requirements.

They went through a phase of taking the little ones for a term each year, but then changed it again. Who knows what they will do this year.

I'll encourage it for as long as possible (until they're self-funding adults). My kids know that I'll only fund other water sports activities if they're working on their swimming. Luckily they do also enjoy swimming for its own sake and luckily our local pool is great value for kids swimming, which helps enormously. This sort of local provision is far too rare but should be the norm.

He will continue going to lessons with school until end of year 6 anyway- so you could stop and just do that.

Eh?
Most dc don't get taken by school year after year until they leave Primary.

My DC2 7 hates swimming but it's a non negotiable so I have said when they get to stage 6 and can comfortably swim lengths the whole lesson then they can stop.

DC2 stopped at age 6 when in stage 3. They became a lifeguard at 17.

DC1 stopped swimming lessons at 18 when it was time to go to uni! (And became a lifeguard at 16)

I am in NZ. Our local pool sets their own levels. To graduate from "swim school" you have to swim 200m freestyle and backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 25m butterfly. My kids will be strongly encouraged to tough it out til the end. Judging by the drop in numbers, I think a lot of parents stop lessons at level 4 (25m free and back).

End of year 6 , was swimming in galas and had reached the end of the lessons . Most of the his friends in the group also stopped at this natural transition point. Year 7 and 8 continued to take swimming weekly to do lengths for fitness and stamina.

Your DC is a beginner. It is a huge advantage in life to be a strong swimmer.

Age 13, Not sure of 'level' as was a swimming club rather than lessons,. Could do all the strokes well, including butterfly. Started to prioritise other sports so something had to give.

Still powers up and down the pool with head in the water and proper breathing technique whenever we go. I wouldn't stop at a given length or age, but when technique has been mastered and likely to stick into adulthood. Great for safety but also holidays and confidence with watersports.

Looking right ahead you want them confident enough to encourage their own children in time - it's a life-skill.

I'm a swimming teacher stage 4 is not a compete swimmer. Many kids who just about do a length but can't do several will tire very easily and lack the stamia and strength to swim distance. Technique is important if you have poor breathing you'll get breathless or poor body position then that's when your more likely to go under. I see many children in school swimming who are very weak swimmers who parents say they can swim.

DD (8) is in stage 6 and I have no intention of stopping her lessons any time soon. DS is about to move up to stage 4 and I can’t imagine him being anywhere near safe if he fell into open water. I’d definitely continue longer than the end of stage 4.

My Ds loved it so did all the stages and lifeguards too .

however my minimum was 50 metres . Reason been that is the minimum to be able to do lots of other activities including inflatable session at our local pool . They tested then each week

When they could actually swim a length of the pool on their own

I mean that is the point of swimming lessons

You don't want them to be squinty, splashy swimmers when adults. It isn't a good look on holiday and won't do them any favours.

They might need to rescue their own kids one day, so I'd keep going until they are fully confident and competent and capable of swimming fully clothed in open water.

When they got to level 8.

Obviously once they've learnt how to swim you can go swimming without lessons where they learn to swim more confidently

You hardly need to pay for more lessons for that

Withdraw after 2 lessons when her screams prevented any of the other kids from hearing what the swim instructor was saying 🤣