Opting out of swimming unit in PE

[Anonymous]

OP, here is a long hair silicone swim cap.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGGNNHM/ref=twister_B00GZK3Q5A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, here is a long hair silicone swim cap.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGGNNHM/ref=twister_B00GZK3Q5A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

OP's not looking for solutions. OP's looking for validation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 9 year old putting a rubber swim cap over thick long hair would be almost impossible. In addition, hair still often gets wet under rubber swim caps - if she is putting her head under as I assume she is.

Swim instructors regularly put swim caps on kids in seconds. The kids just line up and it gets done in a flash . That’s a non issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you’re making the right decision OP. If it makes her that uncomfortable and affects her for the rest of the day, it’s not worth dealing with the hassle. I don’t get why people think children should trudge through every uncomfortable thing they dislike doing because that’s how it’s always been done and they prefer not to make waves when there are easier options available. Sometimes they have to suck it up and do it, and maybe it builds character, but sometimes we don’t need to unnecessarily inconvenience ourselves and there are lessons to be learned in that too.

Thanks, this is exactly my feeling, why do children have to do something uncomfortable which provides no benefit just "because." I make her do plenty of other things she doesn't like to do because I see a benefit to them.

Because there sometimes is a benefit to doing something just because. You listen to your teachers. Grades matter. You're there to work as a unit (a class) and you need to participate. You may end up learning something new. You may end up helping others who could learn form you. You can't look at the world and sit there complaining about things you don't like; sometimes it is important to change your attitude rather than changing something else. The teacher directly said he expects the kids to perform the unit to the best of their ability. She is a child. Her teacher has asked her to do an ENTIRE UNIT of study and she does not want to do it for vanity and special snowflake reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you’re making the right decision OP. If it makes her that uncomfortable and affects her for the rest of the day, it’s not worth dealing with the hassle. I don’t get why people think children should trudge through every uncomfortable thing they dislike doing because that’s how it’s always been done and they prefer not to make waves when there are easier options available. Sometimes they have to suck it up and do it, and maybe it builds character, but sometimes we don’t need to unnecessarily inconvenience ourselves and there are lessons to be learned in that too.

Thanks, this is exactly my feeling, why do children have to do something uncomfortable which provides no benefit just "because." I make her do plenty of other things she doesn't like to do because I see a benefit to them.

What? You are a terrible parent, OP. Makes her uncomfortable?? Again, OP, there are swim caps. But even if a little of her hair gets wet she should be able to manage fine. If not — get her a hair cut!! You are raising an entitled wuss.

Are you one of those crazy moms that use the blow dryer at the pool to dry their DD’s hair until every last hair is dry? For 30 + minutes?
Have you noticed how most people don’t do that but everyone still manages to function just fine? Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Why is this thread still going? Some entitled lady from Asia is on here? There is no changing her mind. She just thought other stuck up Mommies would validate her fake reasons.

[Anonymous]

Is Op living in Florida or California? Even the private schools here do not have swimming units much less in elemenatary school or middle school.

[Anonymous]

I had this situation in my private school. We all complained. We all swam. We all laughed about it at our 20 year reunion recently.

I would not support her in this unless she’s having serious anxiety (like throwing up before school every PE day). If this is the extent of adversity she is facing in life, the experience of dealing with and coming out the side it is a net benefit that it seems you want to deny her.

P.s. I have ridiculously thick curly hair. I haven’t found a swim cap that keeps it all dry. I’d recommend braids which she can squeeze out, and an extra shirt in her bag (or sweater to wear when hair is wet) if she wants to change into something dry later. Or offer to cut her hair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are being absurd and ridiculous.
And I don’t believe that you take her swimming a lot if you are ‘opting her out’ at school. You take her swimming all the time but she doesn’t have a swim cap?? Really?

Why does she have hair so long that she can’t get it into a swim cap for gym class? What is wrong with you?? Sounds like you don’t think much of basically handicapping your daughter.

We live near a pool and swim all the time, but she has plenty of time to let her hair dry after. I don't want to handicap my daughter due to letting her have long hair, that is exactly why I feel a little conflicted and asked this question on DCUM. But, should she have to cut her hair short so she can get it reasonably dry in the 10 minute changing time they have for PE swim for six weeks?

What would happen if she went to class with wet hair?

She would be cold because her shirt would be wet and the classroom is heavily airconditioned. Not the end of the world, but also uncessesry.

I am 30 and have long thick hair, and I actually tense my shoulders when my wet hair makes me cold. It took me forever to connect that to my headaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Really? You think that "Please excuse Larla from the swimming unit. She has long hair and can't learn to put on a swim cap. Also, I hope that this will not affect her grade." will go over well?

OP here, more or less this, though the reasons for not wanting her to swim are more complex than this and I could give two hoots about her fourth grade PE grade so I am not about to get into negotiations over it.

If they're the ones mentioned on this thread, no they are not.

[Anonymous]

I swim all the time for working out and my hair never stays dry under my cap. I think that this is one of those situations where yes your daughter may not like it and it may not be her most favorite activity ever but we all have to do things we don’t like sometimes. It’s not a dangerous or unsafe situation.

At my high school we all had to swim for a few months in freshman year gym class. We complained soo much and “hated it.” Now as adults when we have remembered it while reminiscing it’s a fun memory of being a kid at school. I think you’re making way too big a deal of this!

Also maybe time for a haircut if the hair is causing this much stress??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9 year old DD's class has jut started their annual swimming unit in PE. The whole PE period is about 40 minutes. My DD has long, thick hair and it is quite uncomfortable for her to change into her swim suit, swim in the water (which is really quite cold) and get dried off (especially her hair) within this time period. She always says she doesn't have time to get dried off properly and is uncomfortable for the rest of the day. We swim a lot, including doing laps and practicing strokes, outside of school so I really don't see much of a benefit to her participating in the swimming at school. I let the school know, and both the classroom and PE teacher seemed less than pleased. Her PE grade will be lowered, which I don't care a lot about, but am just wondering if I am being unreasonable.

Even if you are being unreasonable, I wouldn't look to DCUM for validation. If you feel avoiding swim class is the best solution, then go for it and be confident in your decision.

My own 2 cents is that it is good for kids to learn to make do in this type of situation (it is not life-threatening, emotionally damaging, etc. Personally, I hated (HATED) this type of class in school in later elementary years and high school ... I loved sports but hated sitting sweaty in my clothes for the rest of the day. It sucked, but I got really good exercise, learned some amazing skills, and learned to make do with what I had as well as get creative for staying comfortable the rest of the day (sometimes worked, sometimes not). That said, I did opt out of the swim-class term because of my anxieties and sat in study hall instead; I missed out on a lot of fun and am still a crappy swimmer.

[Anonymous]

OP, I read the first page and skipped to the end. I presume this thread is full of other parents telling you that having her skip is "not fair" and that she needs to "learn responsibility" yada yada ya. I think you should let her skip, and if the school lowers her grade for PE, so what? I mean, really, who the f cares.

DCUM has yet to learn that sometimes the emperor has no clothes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP, thanks for the frank feedback (can trust DCUM to not mince words). Stupid question- does a swim cap keep their hair dry? If so I'll see if I can get one (we live overseas and attend a private school aimed at international students, not everything is readily available).

Yes, that is what it's for. (Unless you're a competitive swimmer, in which case it's to remove drag from your hair, while also keeping your hair dry.)

My DD is a competitive swimmer. Swim caps do not keep hair dry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rubber swim caps can actually be pretty hard for kid to get on by themselves. I understand what OP means as my DD also has long thick hair and it will stay wet and get her clothes wet. Towel drying and the putting in a bun helps some.

OP here, thanks for understanding. When she did swim I put her hair in a bun, but towel drying on her own is hard. To get it reasonably dry (eg not dripping wet) when we swim outside of school she wears it in a turbie twist for about 20 minutes. Without doing this, her hair is getting her neck and the back of her shirt wet for the rest of the day. I know this is not a huge deal, just seems unnecessary given that they only end up swimming for about 20 minutes by the time they get to the pool, change, etc. It is not like she doesn't get plenty of other opportunities to swim, and when we do my husband is great about making sure she does laps and practices different strokes. So the added benefit of swimming at school doesn't seem worth the drawbacks.

You are so high maintenance that I laughed out loud in reading your post. I can't believe how much time you have spent thinking about this. Ugly American comes to mind.