Swim lessons and poop accidents - 4.5 yr old!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again, after seeing the responses that came in while I was typing the last one -

I really don't think DD is traumatized to the point she's sh*TTing herself in terror. She's past the point of survival skills - she can jump in and swim the length of the pool switching from her back to front, turning to breathe. The classes are hard (now she's trying to pick up rings while swimming), but not traumatic. (I agree that they may have been traumatic when she was 1.5, although she always seemed to handle them much better than my older child did). Also, she likes these classes - she doesn't fuss or fight about getting in the pool, she's eager to participate, she's proud of her accomplishments. No doubt, though, the classes are tough and probably causing a physical stress reaction which leads to the pooping.

The class is TOO TOUGH if it is triggering a physical reaction - and diarrhea is not normal but rather a sign that something is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Stop the swim lessons. You can't have her in the pool if there's a likelihood that she will poop. They will need to clear the pool the rest of the day if this happens.

Exercise alone can be enough to cause some kids to poop. Find another activity for her this summer.

[Anonymous]

Okay so where is your pool? Please do tell us. This is so not cool.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. I'm trying to look at this from a perspective of how I would feel if an activity was making me crap myself. I probably wouldn't like to put on a diaper just so I could participate in that activity; I would probably enjoy doing something else that didn't make me soil myself. Might be helpful to put yourself in your daughter's situation.

[Anonymous]

OP is going to continue to make excuses as to why her daughter should continue these classes.

OP, it doesn't matter that she likes them. What matters is that you are creating an unhygienic situation for everyone else at the pool. Yes, you think you've caught before it got in the water, but you yourself said you're not sure. This is absolutely disgusting and if I knew which pool you attended, I'd tell the lifeguards.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP-- is the pooping in the pool water? If so then I would take her out of the intense classes if it is causing accidents.

[Anonymous]

So, how long until OP asks to delete this thread?

[Anonymous]

OP do you know if she swallows water during the lesson? In the past if I swallow pool water I have also gotten diarrhea. I'm sure all the chemicals or possibly something else in the water caused it.

At 4.5 she's old enough to say I'm scared please don't make me do the class and it doesn't sound like her DD has not said this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Intense exercise, including swimming and running, has been known to get all systems moving. I know adults who have had fecal incontinence during a race, for example.

The question others have raised, some not so nicely, is why you continue to put your child in such an intensive situation that it's leading to this level of incontinence. If she's now had this same intense "survival" class three years in a row and still can't swim, it sounds like you need to find a different type of lesson.

The solution is not a large swim diaper. The solution is to stop doing this class. That seems like a no-brainer.

I really don't want to sound heartless and I completely understand your responses, but as I just said above I really don't believe she is terrified or that these lessons are traumatic. I now wish I had not brought up the survival class detail, but I thought it would was relevant as to why we had her in this class at age 1.5. I think PP's point about intense exercise causing systems to move is probably spot-on. We've already seen that with DD - she also poops every single time we go to a trampoline park or bouncy house place, and usually when playing in the yard and riding bikes. She's a frequent pooper anyway - like 2-4 times/day at a minimum. So maybe this is just a result of an intense 30 min. swim session. I swear, I'm not torturing my child or placing her in near-drowning situations. We moved to the South, though, where almost every home has a private pool in the back yard and it's imperative that she develop strong swimming skills as a safety precaution.

[Anonymous]

Is through Weaquatics.com?

[Anonymous]

1. Withdraw from the class
2. Take her to the doctor
3. If/when you go back to the pool, make her poop beforehand and don't go back to this class.

I agree that swimming is a necessary life skill, but you can teach her how to swim without this type of class. You need to make swimming fun for her.

[Anonymous]

OP, it's fine that intense exercise causes your daughter to poop. What's not ok is that it may happen in the pool. That is extremely unhygienic and you're putting other people at risk by continuing this. If you want to continue the lessons, do it in your own pool where you won't affect the general public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is through Weaquatics.com?

Yes, very similar to this program, except the instructor provides the classes in home pools.


I'm not going to ask that the thread be deleted! I think the responses are valid, though I feel like I oversold the concern about pooping IN the pool and what I'd really like feedback on is whether other children have an urgent poop/diarrhea reaction to swim lessons. I'm in agreement with all of you that pooping in a pool is terrible.

[Anonymous]

I actually don't think 2-4 times a day is normal for a 4yo to be pooping?

Mine is on the opposite end of the spectrum and goes about once every 3 days. 4 times a day and I would think my kid was sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't think 2-4 times a day is normal for a 4yo to be pooping?

Mine is on the opposite end of the spectrum and goes about once every 3 days. 4 times a day and I would think my kid was sick.

OP, yes we've taken her a pediatrician and pediatric gastro to check on this, as well, but according to the doctors and the tests she is normal and just poops a lot (as does DH, by the way, so genetics?). Anyway, we're keeping an eye on this as I am worried there is actually something going on that may manifest itself later, but that's a separate issue from this thread.