Opting out of swimming unit in PE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On swim days put her hair in French braids or a crown braid to make it easier to wear a swim cap or dry afterward. She could even wear the turbie twist to her next class for a while if necessary. Or she could have a hand towel she puts around her neck tin catch the water from her hair.

New poster. She might not be allowed to wear the turbie twist into the next class if the school is strict about uniform policies (and this is overseas, so I'm betting there's a uniform involved--we have relatives overseas and some schools can be quite strict about uniform code). I'd say combine a couple of suggestions already made here, OP:

Get a couple of different swim cap styles/materials to try. You might have to order them online pronto. It's easy enough to get swim caps in Britain at least; I'm not sure where you're located.

Then also have her hair in a French braid or other close-to-the-scalp style on swim days so she does not have to gather up her hair and try to shove it under the cap herself, which willl probably not work well. I would not use a bun unless it's a very flat bun; most buns are going to push the cap up enough that her hair will get wet anyway.

OP, she cannot be the only girl for whom long, thick hair is an issue when it comes to this swimming unit in PE, so ask around. Ask other parents, especially those who have had older kids at this school. And I wouldn't hesitate to ask the PE teacher for a recommendation about swim caps/drying hair/etc. -- the teacher may know exactly where to get them in your area, or where to get them online in your country. Most issues like this are ones that teachers have seen before, so use that knowledge!

If you can't find a swim cap in time or it just doesn't work, have her go in French braids or other tight up-style anyway and swim in that. It will be easier than dealing with her long hair wet. She will be chilly but the water shouldn't stream off her head as much as if she swims with it down or in a loose style.

I would not try to opt her out of swimming using the argument she already swims outside school. That doesn't really wash (lots of kids have to do in school activities they also do outside school), and I also would think she'd feel odd sitting out of PE when everyone else is participating. No need to make her stand out like that. She'll want to share the experience with her friends -- even when the experience is being a bit damp and chilly during the next class sometimes!

OP here, thanks for these thoughts. We are at an American school in quest- an Asian county without strict uniform policies. She doesn't feel odd or like she stands out by sitting out of swimming during PE, it was her request.

That is not a reasonable request - send her to swimming class with the rest of the kids.
You don’t sit out of swim class because of your hair!!

[Anonymous]

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).

Rubber swim caps keep your hair dry but I’d be shocked if a 9 year old could get it on by herself over long, thick hair. The ones that are more common and easier to put on are the same fabric as swim suits and do not keep the hair dry. You’d most certainly need one of the teachers to agree to help get the rubber swim cap on her. (And that will only work if she isn’t super sensitive—they pull at the hair and can hurt until they are on just right. (At 9, I also would have refused to be he only kid in class wearing a rubber swim cap.)

I support you, OP. 40 min in the middle of the day is an unreasonable amount of time for a swim class. Especially in the winter. My own hair would be soaked and dripping for hours.

[Anonymous]

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).

Get two of them. Get the silicone kind.

And stop putting so much emphasis on this girls’ hair - who cares if it gets a little wet? She will survive.

[Anonymous]

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.)

[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).

Get two of them. Get the silicone kind.

And stop putting so much emphasis on this girls’ hair - who cares if it gets a little wet? She will survive.

yes of course she will survive, and I don't emphasize her hair. It is just that it make her uncomfortable and doesn't seem to be worth it given that the actual amount of time they get to swim- 20 minutes or so and then she will be uncomfortable for the whole afternoon, twice a week.

[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).

Rubber swim caps keep your hair dry but I’d be shocked if a 9 year old could get it on by herself over long, thick hair. The ones that are more common and easier to put on are the same fabric as swim suits and do not keep the hair dry. You’d most certainly need one of the teachers to agree to help get the rubber swim cap on her. (And that will only work if she isn’t super sensitive—they pull at the hair and can hurt until they are on just right. (At 9, I also would have refused to be he only kid in class wearing a rubber swim cap.)

I support you, OP. 40 min in the middle of the day is an unreasonable amount of time for a swim class. Especially in the winter. My own hair would be soaked and dripping for hours.

OP here- thanks for these thoughts. It just seems unnecessary to me, as you say she will have dripping hair for hours and I'd rather she is comfortable and able to focus for her afternoon classes rather than swimming for 20 minutes or so.

[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).

Get two of them. Get the silicone kind.

And stop putting so much emphasis on this girls’ hair - who cares if it gets a little wet? She will survive.

This. Silicone is the key. The latex ones are difficult but the silicone she should be able to do - it does help to have an extra hand so if a friend holds the front for two seconds while she pulls it over it should not be hard.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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).

Rubber swim caps keep your hair dry but I’d be shocked if a 9 year old could get it on by herself over long, thick hair. The ones that are more common and easier to put on are the same fabric as swim suits and do not keep the hair dry. You’d most certainly need one of the teachers to agree to help get the rubber swim cap on her. (And that will only work if she isn’t super sensitive—they pull at the hair and can hurt until they are on just right. (At 9, I also would have refused to be he only kid in class wearing a rubber swim cap.)

I support you, OP. 40 min in the middle of the day is an unreasonable amount of time for a swim class. Especially in the winter. My own hair would be soaked and dripping for hours.

OP here- thanks for these thoughts. It just seems unnecessary to me, as you say she will have dripping hair for hours and I'd rather she is comfortable and able to focus for her afternoon classes rather than swimming for 20 minutes or so.

You are emphasizing that swimming is "unnecessary" to you but you also need to consider the messages that you are sending to your daughter. That she, unlike all the other girls with long hair, gets to opt out and not participate in a school activity. That PE isn't important. That it's ok to lose class credit/points if you just don't feel like participating for some personal reason. Is that really what you want your daughter to think when the flip side is that she has to deal with a swim cap or spend a portion of her day with wet hair?

[Anonymous]

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'd be uncomfortable, which would be terrible, and so she should be allowed to vary the curriculum. Because no 9 yo should be mildly uncomfortable.

FFS, OP, can't you see how ridiculous this is?

[Anonymous]

My 6 year old (was 5 for last swim team season) can put the cap on by herself. She prefers a high bun so the cap has room to get tight under it. Practice at home a few times & she’ll figure it out quicker. At our current school, the kindergarteners have swim class weekly. It’s suggested they wear their suit to school under their clothing so just have to change out of the at the end. This would give your daughter more time to work in the cap.

[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.

You've made up your mind, OP. No point in continuing on this thread.