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?

For me it’s a non negotiable. I want them to be able to swim in case they fall
into a river or such.

I do understand it’s hard getting them there when they don’t want to.

Mine have always done the crash courses in the holidays - 5 mornings a week is so much easier than dragging them out 5 weeks in a row 🤣 to be fair they live the crash courses and I think they learn to swim a lot quicker than weekly lessons.

My boys are 7 and 5 and have been doing lessons for the last 2 years. We have been through phases of them not wanting to do it but it is non negotiable for me, it’s a life skill they need in my opinion.

Absolutely a must. We live on an Island and it's a life skill.Do you take them for recreational swimming often?

I wonder why they hate it. Maybe it’s the structure of the lessons or the teacher? Could you maybe try another place for lessons? I’ve tried a few do places and some are a lot better than others.

My child is 6 and tbh I find the swimming lessons and general after school stuff a pain. Sometimes he really doesn’t want to go but he’s fine once he’s there. It’s easier than teaching him to swim myself as I wouldn’t trust myself to take him every week otherwise, and at the end of the day I would hate for him to not be able to swim.

We had to do a half term of private lessons to get into it. Both kids could have the same lesson. Expensive but was more effective for us - the deciding factor was 2 lessons in a row entirely dry and refused to get in and her refusal was disruptive to the rest of class.

Learning to be safe in water... yes.

Endless swimming lessons... no.

I'd take a break, tryy to go regularly as a family and when they have confidence and are ready, try an intensive course.

Mine didn’t have lessons - sounds like a nightmare! We took them swimming for a fun family activity every weekend though and they soon learned. And all our holidays involved pools and the sea too. They are both super confident swimmers these days.

It's very important.

I never learnt to swim and I made sure all my children are capable of being safe in the water.

Edited to say learning to swim/how to stay safe in water is important. Doesn't mean they have to go to swimming lessons. But if you're not going to teach them yourself then yes, they should stay in lessons until they're confident.

Like you've said OP, swimming is a non-negotiable for us. Both our DCs have been in lessons since three years of age. Luckily they both love their teacher and are both very confident so sorry to be of no help.

If they're really hating it are their any other places you can book private lessons? Or go as a family on a weekend?

Change the swimming lessons, look for somewhere else. If you can’t afford both put 6 year old in for a year and then 4 year old afterwards.

its vital they can swim for various reasons

I would suggest switching to doing it as an activity yourself if that's possible. Takes the pressure off and makes it fun.

I didn’t have lessons other than the school ones. I felt it held me back as I had a fear of deep water even though I can swim. At school lessons I was one of few none swimmers, in my teens when my friends went swimming I didn't go, in adulthood I've missed out on activities with friends and family that involved water sports, swimming in the sea, jumping in, water parks etc. Maybe give it a year then try again, my eldest in ND and refused to start lessons until 7 but a year in he loves it.

I consider swimming a basic and absolutely necessary life skill. Living on a planet that is 70% covered by water, it’s also a survival skill. Every person should know how to tread water, do a front and back stroke and be able to float on their back.

Because of covid, mine missed a year of lessons. When they went back a year older (so age 7 and 9) they progresed much faster. I do think they pick it up faster when they are older. I kind of regret the money spent on my youngest's lessons. Regular play swims then lessons from age 7 or 8 would have been enough. They are good swimmers now.

Myself and my two sibs all had swimming lessons as did our kids. Most of us turned out to be strong swimmers but there was a bit of a hump to get over around the age your children are and as PP have said, they might benefit from 1-2-1 sessions. I think group sessions are great but not always the best for improving stroke, etc. I was swimming by the time I was 5 albeit a bit haphazardly!

I think learning to swim is an essential life skill. That doesn't necessarily mean going to swimming lessons - parents who know how to swim can teach children to swim just fine.

My own have gone to swimming lessons since they were babies, but part of that is my wonderful PIL being very keen and taking them. Going swimming is a regular part of life.

My girl did the school ones (3 terms spread over Yr 4 and 5).
We couldn't afford private ones when she was younger. Being able to swim is less of a priority than rent and food .
Edit : we did go regularly to family swim sessions though so not lessons but she was in the water.

Well yes, they have to learn to swim. It’s on the national curriculum because it’s that important, unfortunately the school provision isn’t sufficient to create swimmers though.
It doesn’t have to be group, council lessons if they hate it. Lots of places round here offering small group or 1:1s in warm private pools etc, or teach them yourself.

My dd is going until she's confident in the water and can swim a fair distance. It's been almost 2.5 years so far (minus the year she did in mother and baby lessons). A drag. She doesn't enjoy it either. But in her class of 6 year olds there are only 6 of them who can't swim (her included).

I took mine swimming and taught her, she then had lessons when they did it in primary school. Other than that, no.

We tried DS with lessons when he just turned 4 and it made him hate swimming. He wouldn’t even go for a splash around with me and DH anymore. We took him out of lessons and he enjoyed going with us at the weekend instead.

We restarted lessons when he just turned 7 and he’s so into it now and doing really well. Every child is different. I agree they need to learn but would a break from it help? Or is there a different pool and teacher you could try? We’re using a different one to where we went originally and I much prefer it.

We live by the coast so it was important for us. Youngest was never keen but as an adult, he’s the one that’s always out surfing and kayaking.

Change instructor and see if that helps?

Some kids are more physically able than others. Mine struggled at that age too and hated it. I pulled them out and tried again a couple of years later with a couple of crash courses and a term of sessions and they picked it up really quickly.
Do you take them swimming so they can see it’s fun?

Ours took a while to get used to it but started to enjoy it once they learnt to swim a bit. Definitely non negotiable.