5yo won’t put face in water

[foreverchangingnappies]

Just after a little advice! My almost 5yo has been doing swim lessons for a year now and loves them. He’s getting good at kicking legs/digging arms with a float or noodle, but he just will not put his face under which is holding him back! The rest of the class seem so far ahead even though they’ve been doing lessons for less time!

He’ll happily blow bubbles and put his nose in, but refuses to put his face in fully (even though he has goggles on). He hates being splashed in general, and the shower is a no go as water will run down his face which he doesn’t like. He won’t jump in the pool as he doesn’t want his face to go under. I did a few 1:1 lessons which he loved, but it still didn’t help this issue and I can’t afford them long term.

Any tips on what to try? I don’t think he’s far away from actually swimming a little, if he can get past putting his face under as he can do everything else! I don’t want to stop lessons as I think that’ll undo any progress we’ve made and he does enjoy them!

I may be expecting too much as he’s still young but can’t help but think after a year of lessons that he’d at least put his face/head under the water!

My kids are teenagers now so maybe I’m forgetting parts of it but…why does it matter? I swim and never put my face under the water, I hate it. Is it a very necessary thing?

@AmyDuPlantierwithout his face in he can’t get in the right position to swim and just sinks! Im hoping once he can swim he can then have his face out if he wants it, just he can’t get in the right position without it if that makes sense

I think it depends on whether you want to do any kind of competitive swimming. Having his head out of the water will slow him down. Otherwise, can he learn to swim back crawl which would solve the problem of getting about in the water and also enable him to float on his back, as well as keeping his face dry. Just until he gets up the nerve to put his face in.

Play splashing games with him in the water?

My LO didn’t put her face in for ages then after being in the pool everyday on holidays, she picked up the confidence to do it.

Don’t rush him. When I was a child I hated putting my head under and hated swimming lessons. I did it in my own time one summer holiday when we were swimming every day.

Thanks all. We go away in a few weeks and will be around the pool a lot for a week so hopefully that will be a big help! He’s a nervous boy anyway in general, it’s just worried me as his swim teacher has basically said he won’t progress any further until he will put his face in!

My goal is for him to be good enough to get himself out of trouble. No competitive swimming (unless he wants to when he’s older)

Ill try to relax about it and hopefully our holiday will help and that over time he will overcome it

My Dgs was the same he grew out of it.....took me a long time to put my face under the water and I'm still not overjoyed to do it at 60+ but I swim without a problem
He doesn't need to immerse his face to swim and his confidence will grow in time let him grow at his own pace not yours.

my 6yo hated putting her head in the water until she was nearly 6. We kept on with the lessons and swimming pool on holiday without making it a point of stress and eventually she put her head in the water and loved it. She’s a very strong swimmer now and once she decided she could put her head in the water she’s moved up a swimming level almost every term.

Aw, this reminds me of DS2(now 44!) school report where the games teacher wrote '.... would be a better swimmer if he put his head in the water'

As your son enjoys his lessons I'd just let him be for now

My almost 5yo has had swimming lessons for 18 months and being comfortable with her face in the water and jumping in is a new thing same with ears in the water. She used to swim in her back sat up straight to avoid it. A few weeks ago something changed and now she's doing it all except head under water to get sinkers. Patience and not pressuring but offering opportunities to gain confidence seems to have helped

Thanks all! I will just be patient and hopefully it’ll come in time! He’s made such progress since he first started, and I need to stop comparing him to his peers as they are all a lot more confident than him

I just picked up this thread because I was looking for advice on exactly the same thing (also with my 5yr old) I took her out of her lessons last spring because she suddenly went from enjoying them to not wanting to get in at all (as in, it was either peel her off me and chuck her in or go home, so i chose the latter)

Aw, this made me chuckle!

I remember when DS2 was about six and on his school report under Sport it said '... would be a better swimmer if he occasionally put his face in the water'.

He's now nearly 44 😊