5 yrs old hates swimming lessons

AnotherJoe

Money_maker wrote: »

Swimming could be a lifesaver.

Common myth. Far more people who can swim drown, than those who can't.

Three lessons a week for someone who hates it sounds tortuous, stop trying to replicate what mum did with the children. Better to go somewhere he can just play and get comfortable in the water without it being half an hour of misery (and three times a week is even worse).

So what if you've paid the lessons, that's a sunk cost, that moneys gone. I second seven-day-weekend, get her to take him to the pool and just play. Once he's comfortable in the water he'll learn easily.

badmemory

Personally I would save the forcing for going to school & learning to read. After all a child who doesn't like water is unlikely to walk so close to the edge of a canal that they fall in, but a child who can't read a word like bleach can be in big trouble.


Did you try just covering his ears? What was the response?

Red-Squirrel_2

badmemory wrote: »

After all a child who doesn't like water is unlikely to walk so close to the edge of a canal that they fall in, but a child who can't read a word like bleach can be in big trouble.

I think that really minimises the risk of drowning and isn’t at all realistic.

Rubik

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Three lessons a week for someone who hates it sounds tortuous, stop trying to replicate what mum did with the children. Better to go somewhere he can just play and get comfortable in the water without it being half an hour of misery (and three times a week is even worse).

So what if you've paid the lessons, that's a sunk cost, that moneys gone. I second seven-day-weekend, get her to take him to the pool and just play. Once he's comfortable in the water he'll learn easily.

^^^^ this, a hundred times.

Continuing to make [force] him to attend the lessons when so very clearly hates then is counter-productive. He will learn to associate swimming and water with his distress (if he hasn't already done so).

IMO, making him go is abusive.

Just because one parent enjoyed swimming doesn't mean a child will.

HelpfulHetty

It seems a bit odd that your daughter has block booked a load of new lessons under the circumstances. Can we have an update on how he's got on?

Tammer

Hi,

My own is experience is that my son did not like swimming lessons but was semi-ok to do them until the block finished. We didn't renew as he wasn't enjoying it at all.

I feel that it's important that kids learn to swim - we go on holidays with pools etc and near rivers and lochs / lakes / the sea so want him to be able to swim a little.

I decided I would take him to the pool once a week. I brought some rubber ducks and would play games with him - get him to rescue the duck etc. and see if he can get it when I hold it underwater.

Over time he got his confidence in the water and can now do a length of the pool, as long as he's following me. He still has a long way to go but he is still really reluctant to go to swimming lessons and I've not wanted to put him off swimming as he likes it when he goes with me, his mum or with one of us and a pal.

PasturesNew

Having had a start - with the mother's background/history it'd be much better to just spend the money on having fun water-based playtimes. It's not like she's unable or uncomfortable being in the water.

TomokoAdhami

You shouldn't force him to take swimming lessons. I think as parents; we are applying aggressive strategies to teach them something. Why don't you swim and enjoy in front of him? Parents should teach their kids with practical actions instead of putting pressure on kids.

Ignore the age limits to learn swimming because everyone wants to make his/her kids strong enough.

Frugalgirl

The lifeguard at my local pool told me that children undergo a change around 4 years old. Before that they know how to breathe under water but after they unlearn it and don't know how to do it. Maybe that has happened.

Red-Squirrel_2

Frugalgirl wrote: »

The lifeguard at my local pool told me that children undergo a change around 4 years old. Before that they know how to breathe under water but after they unlearn it and don't know how to do it. Maybe that has happened.

If that's really what he told you its a bit alarming that a lifeguard thinks young children can actually breathe underwater! :eek:

Hopefully what he was talking about was the 'diving reflex' that babies have that means they instinctively hold their breath and lower their heart rate when submerged in water, but this is only true up until about 6 months old.