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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

What age did you stop your child's swiming lessons?

34 replies

dontdillydally · 07/03/2011 16:27

just wondering as my DD hates going I have to drag her there wasc Sat morning.

She is level 6 and can confidentially swim

I wanted her to finish all levels so that she has some kind of achievement but think to put her in the next level where Ive heard its all about lots of swimming rather than techniques would push her over the edge!

BTW she is 7.5yrs

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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RubberDuck · 07/03/2011 16:29

I offered to let ds stop after his 25m badge (that's about the length of the pool) as that's good enough to save his life if needs be. As it was, by the time he got it he'd just started to really enjoy swimming so he's kept it up.

I think age is harder to go by as their abilities vary so much. Ds1 is 9 btw.

RoundOrangeHead · 07/03/2011 16:30

yes, about the same age for my dc

having to force them and pay for the privilege was too much

PrettyCandles · 07/03/2011 16:31

I would take her out, and enrol her once or twice a year in an intensive course to keep up her skills and advance them in a different way. Things like snorkelling, synchronised swimming, or a summer 'camp' run by a local pool. Also go swimming as a family.

The levels are meaningless unless she is driven by achieving awards.

RoundOrangeHead · 07/03/2011 16:34

that's what we are doing prettycandles, it's definately more productive

Runoutofideas · 07/03/2011 16:34

I have just given up (hopefully temporarily) with dd who has just turned 6. She can swim a width, possibly a length at a push, but she was hating the lessons so much and I couldn't be dealing with the tears and tantrums. I am trying to keep taking her myself to keep the practice up, without the pressure of lessons, with a view to starting lessons again once she fancies the idea. To me, it is important that the children learn to swim, but not to keep going to the extent that everyone is miserable about it!

Original poster

dontdillydally · 07/03/2011 16:39

ummm good to have some feedback I just dont want her to think she can "pull out" of everything.

She can swim 2 lengths front, back, etc...

OP posts:

PixieOnaLeaf · 07/03/2011 16:41

This reply has been deleted

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RoundOrangeHead · 07/03/2011 16:45

I don't think there is anything wrong with having a break, especially as she sounds like a competent swimmer

maybe explain that lessons will resume when she's a bit older

exexpat · 07/03/2011 16:57

DS stopped after a couple of years' lessons when he was 8 and still struggling to swim more than a length in a decent crawl - hated the lessons, big group, boring teacher etc. He had to do lessons with school off and on in yr5/6 but didn't make much progress - again big groups, useless teachers. Started again when he was 11 in a very small group (2-4 people) and lovely friendly teacher, and could swim 200m within weeks.

DD started when she was four and decided to take a break at age 7 when she could already swim at least 600m but wasn't interested in club swimming, races etc.

TalkinPeace2 · 07/03/2011 17:19

Mine have never done swimming lessons.
I take them swimming twice a week. I race them. DH races them.
They play with friends.
They are both very good swimmers who were in the top group in year 4 swimming.
And they LOVE being in the water for fun and for exercise.

Bluebell99 · 07/03/2011 17:25

My children are currently doing stage 8, my son did Rookies as well for a couple of terms. But I think I am going to stop maybe this term. They both can swim really well, much better than me. I might look into a swimming club instead. Added to that for last five weeks someone has pooed in the pool and it is getting rediculous, and it is really unhygienic.

Themumsnot · 07/03/2011 17:29

DD1 stopped when she could do 200 metres. DD2 carried on for a couple of years after that because she enjoyed it, but stopped when she was 10 and it started to be about competing in galas which she wasn't interested in doing.
DD3 is 8 and can just about manage 25m, but she is going to carry on until I feel she is really confident to cope in an emergency, which atm she is not.
We sail as a family so it is necessary.

somersetmum · 07/03/2011 17:32

I never started them for either of them. We have taken them swimming regularly from babies, and they have learnt water confidence and then how to swim from playing and having fun with dh and me.

TalkinPeace2 · 07/03/2011 17:47

themumsnot
how often do you swim with her?

I chat to the swimming coaches at my pool and they are always amazed by parents who pay for swimming lessons for their DCs but then never swim with their kids
if its a chore, the kids will not thrive

DD can do a mile non stop (she is 12)
DS around 1/4 mile
each can do 15 metres underwater and excellent handstands

loonyrationalist · 07/03/2011 17:50

She can swim. She is not enjoying the lessons. I'd stop sending her tbh. Maybe take her on your own instead to keep up with her skills.

Pagwatch · 07/03/2011 17:55

Dd is 8 and still has lessons.
She isn't doing levels, she is working on strokes and diving etc. So improving skills but for her, not for a badge.

She has lessons because she loves it , and also has lessons and swim squad at school.
She can swim 12 lengths easily, It helps her asthma and it is good exercise.

Talkinpeace

Perhaps next time you are chatting with the coaches about the parents who pay for lessons but don't take the child swimming you will get one of them to suspend their amazement and figure out how I can take dd swimming with severely disabled ds2 in tow. That would be a great help. Rather than just assuming they can't be arsesd.

Themumsnot · 07/03/2011 18:04

Talkinpeace - we take them swimming a lot. DD1 and DD2 learnt easily. DD3 just isn't getting it.

PoppetUK · 07/03/2011 18:11

Add us pagwatch to the amazement stats - And of course how you take 3 children in the UK under 8 swimming when health and safety gets in the way!. Blanket rules aren't always helpful. I love the other part about making it fun but my kids aren't even allowed to jump in the deep end at our local pool so we've had to find another pool further away from home and the slide only allows single riders so no toddlers on laps (big water parks abroad were far more relaxed). Coming from an environment where 50% of my friends had pools it's all very reserved here and drives me up the wall! Sorry vent over with.

PoppetUK · 07/03/2011 18:11

meaning it's not so amazing is it!

TalkinPeace2 · 07/03/2011 19:08

Pagwatch,
I would hope they would say nothing so snide about you - it's the yummie mummies who are on their phones at the side of the pool ignoring the kids
same as they do in the play area, same as they do most of the time ; that get the coaches' goat.
I'm lucky, its a private club and lots of Mums help each other out at swimming time.

desertgirl · 07/03/2011 19:16

Talkinpeace, isn't it also possible that the parents don't swim, or don't swim well? I mess about in the water with my kids, who are still young - but as they get older and better at swimming, I wouldn't be able to 'race them' etc as you do. And absolutely I will be paying for lessons if necessary (they already swim weekly at school/nursery; we live in a hot place). I want them to be a lot more at ease in the water than I am (especially given where we live, and the prevalence of pools etc)

RubberDuck · 07/03/2011 19:19

Heh, I don't go swimming with them because a) I don't enjoy swimming and b) I can't see properly without wearing glasses and because of a) I am not going to spent £££ for prescription goggles for myself.

The kids are not me. Ds1 likes swimming, ds2 doesn't. Neither seem to be affected either way by my lack of swimming. It's not a requirement (for me) that they love it. My requirement is that they learn just enough to be safe. It's okay to pull out of things you don't enjoy and invest your time in things you do enjoy. I don't expect my kids to enjoy the same things I do, just pleasantly surprised if they do :)

doutzen · 07/03/2011 19:20

I took her out of her swimming lessons when she could swim.

Hulababy · 07/03/2011 19:32

DD is 8y and she passed her stage 5 badge about a yar ago and has passed her 100m and 200m at that time, straight after one another (300m) - could have done more but we left it to late to arrive so she ran out of time. Her swimming lessons stopped last October time as the pool had to close for refurbishments and is only just due to reopen. However we have decided not to go back I think. She does swimming with school once a week for one term a year.

She can swimming fine but isn't that bothered abut going back and she alreeay does so much in her spare time.

Hulababy · 07/03/2011 19:34

Talkingpeace - I rarely take D swimmin either. I don't enjoy it at all and DD is already a more competent and confident swimmer than I am anyway. I took her when she was a baby, and when she first started lessons - infact I was the one who got her to finally swim unaided and oto swim her first length. But it really isn't an enjoyable thing for me to go and do.

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