Swimming lessons - does every child do it?

[middleagedandinarage]

How important does everyone think child swimming lessons are? Does everyone put their children? DD's 6 and 4, both currently go to council run lessons, half an hour once a week. They both hate it, have done since day one, don't hold a carry on when actually in the pool and do as they're asked but it's a fight getting them to go every week and the fight is draining! I've always said it's none negotiable, swimming lessons are a must but are they? Is it worth the fight?

Incidentally mine can swim but are still clear to stay away from water in hot weather and to swim at beaches with flags and life guards when on hoilday.

We used to live near brick ponds - ledges that tapper off very steeply and water is cold they get shock and cramps plus weeds etc - and every few years lad in 20s or younger would die. They've had similar with ponds and canals - often these usually lads can swim a bit in pools but people who drown just misjudge the hazard of the open water. People who can't like FIL tend to be vary wary about water.

My DC have been having lessons since they were both a few months old. DD (10) absolutely loves swimming - is in the pool 3 times a week in various different lessons; DS (6) goes once a week but isn’t super keen. It’s definitely not his sport but it’s non-negotiable for us - he can stop lessons once he’s reached a certain level.
DH was a life guard so it’s super important to us.

I remember doing lessons at school but properly learning with my dad on holidays. It was just more fun so I wanted to do it. My family all called me a water baby as I always wanted to be in the pool but the school never saw that as their lessons were so boring and sucked the joy out of it.

Non negotiable for me. I'd rather they hated swimming lessons than drown in someone's pond.

I taught mine how to swim myself. They were soon better swimmers than I am! I agree that it’s an important life skill but I don’t think that necessarily involves swimming lessons throughout their childhood. Parents these days see paid lessons as compulsory.

I can't swim and I don't want the same thing for my daughter (9 y/o). There was a spell of time when she didn't want to go and I had to bribe her to go with making cup cakes after swimming lessons, giving her a toy of her choice (within a reasonable budget) when she moved up a stage. She completes stage 7 and will move up to stage 8 once there is a space. She loves that she can swim now and it makes it easier during a holiday 😁

Someone has to teach them how to swim. If you don’t then they need lessons. Have you tried teaching them yourself? Both my kids learned to swim by the time they were 4, my son had lessons during a holiday stay and my DD we taught and she had a few lessons after too. If they don’t like it after they learn how then you can stop the formal lessons, but presumably they will be swimming in a pool or sea at some point?

A non negotiable for mine but as it’s Friday nights we make it fun. Have a little sing song in the car, then dinner straight away once home and a movie night where they take in turns picking the movie and snacks (snacks we pick out before swimming). They’re already showered and in pjs by then. They do whinge sometimes but we travel a lot in the holidays so it’s so important they have strong swimming skills for a lot of water based activities

Personally, I think it’s essential for safety and even though we couldn’t really afford it, I put my kids through lessons - if I thought I’d have had success teaching them myself I would have, but no such luck!

There are only a few things I have lovingly yet firmly made my kids do, and swimming lessons was one of them. It’s not forever, just until they can swim adequately.

It’s on the curriculum now so school will take them in year 3/4. My daughter learnt to swim out of school and was very upset when she had to stay behind and do maths while all the others went swimming! My son never wanted to go to private lessons so I just waited, now he swims like a fish and it cost me nothing and he found it more enjoyable to go with all his friends - healthy competition too!

We live practically next to the beach and are there daily so for us it was absolutely non negotiable however, my kids have always preferred us to take them swimming rather than going to their lessons.
In the large council pool, it was very noisy and busy. The changing rooms were always packed a and it wasn't a pleasant experience for anyone. I found an instructor that gave private lessons in a hotel near us for the same price and they were much quieter.

I taught my son, he did have some lessons in school but he was a confident swimmer before.

I think swimming lessons should be an essential part of growing up.

as an ex fire service member of the control room I can’t tell you how many deaths have been caused due to people jumping into rivers, especially when the weather is nice, only to discover they can’t swim or can’t swim strongly enough.

I feel the lessons should be free too.

All 3 of my children have/had them even though my eldest hated them to begin with. I just want them to be safe.

My youngest told me he'd try swimming lessons when he turned six and stuck to his word.

I've chosen a smaller group in a private lesson in a quieter pool than the council run ones.

I've also opted for a lesson that's mid morning on a Saturday rather than after school as I know he'd not be in the right frame of mind to do it after school.

My eldest I needed to wait til he was a bit older and pay for 1:1 as he has Sen.

Maybe you could switch things up op?

Or tell the kids you will go swimming as a family once a week for a year and then start the lessons again in a years time. Explain to them this is the plan so they don't think they're off the hook entirely.

Non negotiable here until they've completed the swim levels. It's essential life skill.

But also humiliating for the kids who go to secondary unable to swim. Ds said those kids just splashed around in circles flapping around whilst everyone else was doing lengths and strokes.

I’d hate it if I couldn’t swim and wanted my kids to learn too. Great form of exercise and fun for them plus I loved going on holiday and jumping in and out of the pool without fear … my kids do too.
Plus … we live near the beach!

My son did 6 months from age 4 but I could see he was struggling with the routine and the other children were a lot bigger than him and understood more.
Council lessons and hard to see progress. Just seemed to be the same thing every week.
decided to pull him out for a while and go back when he’s older and better at following and understanding instructions.

Mine didn’t enjoy it for a while but then continued of their own will to advanced classes until they went to secondary school.

At that age my children would have been like that about swimming lessons. So we didn’t bother and instead used to go regularly as a family when they were younger and they just had fun and got confident in the water. Then when they were 7&9 they started swimming lessons and they progressed really quickly through the stages because they were ready.

non negotiable for me. (I didn’t learn until I was a teen!) eldest stopped before he was 9 and youngest is just in his first level, he’ll be there until he’s in level 3 (lengths).

we did have weeks (now do with youngest) where they don’t want to but see improvement week on week and so did/does the child so I’d not stop unless you find a better time/location that suits better. Is the time odd? Too early/too late or anything that could be affecting them wanting to be there?
I’d explore the reason rather than stop x

Non-negotiable, football club won't save your life swimming might.

You have not said if they can swim yet or how far. Float skills are actually more important than distance because perfectly strong swimmers get caught by tides, cold water shock, etc all the time
Swimming does not save your life.
If they hate it but have learned water safety and can do a couple of lengths I'd say thats enough. If they can't do that yet then just tell them when they can stop so they have something to aim for

For me yes definitely, very important skill to learn. My kids had to do it till they got to a certain level. Here they do swimming in primary 4 as part of PE.

I'd agree with this.

How confident are you in the water@middleagedandinarage

I taught mine myself. They are both decent swimmers but not stroke perfect. They tried one block of six weeks of council lessons when I could eventually get them in.. didn't enjoy them or really progress. Very little swimming or stamina built.

I prefer to take them myself so they can get in 20-30 lengths and dive to the deep end to retrieve things. I feel stamina and deep water confidence will keep them alive better than 5m of perfect butterfly.

Lessons aren't essential but getting in the water regularly is.

DS hated the group council swimming lessons with a passion
We got him private one to one lessons (£15 for half an hour) and he came on in leaps and bounds and enjoyed it too
My nephews went to the same place and had two-to-one lessons with an instructor ( not sure what the charge was for that)