4.5yo doesn’t want to take swim lessons

[Anonymous]

Swimming lessons are a non-negotiable in our house. You can stop when you learn how to tread water.

[Anonymous]

My son was terrified of water. We stopped paying for lessons because he would not get in the pool. My husband took him and his brothers to the community pool every Sunday for 2 hours. He was consistent about it. He let them splash and play. At age 6, my nervous son finally put his head under water. That was the turning point. He learned how to swim at the rec center without formal lessons. He is now 13 and he also a competitive swimmer!

[Anonymous]

Agreed with pushing the child to take the swim lessons. Had the same issue with DS after he took a break from swimming when the pandemic first started. Was miserable for a few months until we got back into a routine (and still not DS's favorite thing). On top of that, we had bad experiences with some teachers. Thus, one piece of advice is to try to pick your teacher carefully and switch if you need to. Having a bad teacher set us back and made things even worse. That being said, a routine is important and makes things more palatable. Thus, don't switch just because things are not absolutely perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed with pushing the child to take the swim lessons. Had the same issue with DS after he took a break from swimming when the pandemic first started. Was miserable for a few months until we got back into a routine (and still not DS's favorite thing). On top of that, we had bad experiences with some teachers. Thus, one piece of advice is to try to pick your teacher carefully and switch if you need to. Having a bad teacher set us back and made things even worse. That being said, a routine is important and makes things more palatable. Thus, don't switch just because things are not absolutely perfect.

I'm curious if your kid has actually learned to swim from this approach?

My kids didn't do swim lessons, we just played and had fun and they both swam well before their fourth birthdays. I've never known a kid who learned from something that needed to be forced like that. Miserable kids don't learn.

I agree that swimming is an important life skill, but OP's option of taking her kid to the pool seems far more likely to end up with a kid who can swim well enough to join a summer pre-team, or keep practicing at camp or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Make her go. swimming is non-negotiable. i would be flexible on spring time if the temperature is an issue.

[Anonymous]

Since she's shown a willingness to swim in the past, and she's only 4, I'd sign her up and make her go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She took weekly swim lessons last summer and fall. We stopped for the winter as her baby sister was born in Jan and we wanted to reduce exposure. Now she’s saying she doesn’t want to restart in the spring/summer. Should I make her go, or hold off until she wants to? We do have access to a community pool about 15 min away that we could take her to a couple times a week.

I would hold off until summer. she is young yet and you want her to enjoy i.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since she's shown a willingness to swim in the past, and she's only 4, I'd sign her up and make her go.

You must not have stubborn kids. I signed up my kid and she never got in the water. What would you do..throw her in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since she's shown a willingness to swim in the past, and she's only 4, I'd sign her up and make her go.

You must not have stubborn kids. I signed up my kid and she never got in the water. What would you do..throw her in?

OP: mine will go but she’ll complain and I don’t think she’ll get a lot out of it. She’ll hold onto their hands and “float” but not do it by herself. And I’ll spend $100/month for the pleasure.

I wonder if it’s like musical instruments? They’ll make faster progress if you wait a year or so?

[Anonymous]

See if there’s a friend you can sign her up with. My kids did best when they started learning to swim with a buddy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed with pushing the child to take the swim lessons. Had the same issue with DS after he took a break from swimming when the pandemic first started. Was miserable for a few months until we got back into a routine (and still not DS's favorite thing). On top of that, we had bad experiences with some teachers. Thus, one piece of advice is to try to pick your teacher carefully and switch if you need to. Having a bad teacher set us back and made things even worse. That being said, a routine is important and makes things more palatable. Thus, don't switch just because things are not absolutely perfect.

I'm curious if your kid has actually learned to swim from this approach?

My kids didn't do swim lessons, we just played and had fun and they both swam well before their fourth birthdays. I've never known a kid who learned from something that needed to be forced like that. Miserable kids don't learn.

I agree that swimming is an important life skill, but OP's option of taking her kid to the pool seems far more likely to end up with a kid who can swim well enough to join a summer pre-team, or keep practicing at camp or whatever.

Same here, parents are very comfortable in the water (I may have a different opinion if that is not the case), and we just took the kids swimming. We did it year round, tried for at least once a month in the indoor season, belonged to a summer pool. They were then ready to start pre-team style classes in kindergarten.

I was a youth gymnastics coach and when the youngest kids were miserable, we always sent them home and said “try again in six months”. You don’t want them to come away with a negative feeling about any activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Push her into it. I

I know someone who lost a 5 year old child to a backyard pool drowning.

It happens.

They had a pool and OP doesn't have a pool.

OP, I'd do some lessons and bribe just for basic skills but the more you force it the worse it will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since she's shown a willingness to swim in the past, and she's only 4, I'd sign her up and make her go.

You must not have stubborn kids. I signed up my kid and she never got in the water. What would you do..throw her in?

I did that once to my kid but I know my kid. I wouldn't do that with most kids as it would traumatize them. After that I couldn't get my kid out of the pool. For some kids that's what it takes but its not suggested or a good idea for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Swim lessons once a week never really taught my kids anything and we did so many of them.. Just take her to the pool 3-4 times a week this summer and she will figure it out herself.

[Anonymous]

Goldfish is great for kids.