Swimming classes - not happy

[Anonymous]

Progress is so very slow for 5 yr old who has been going for 2.5 yrs and they are $28/class! I am not allowed to swim or would teach.

DH travels during the week but maybe could try for 30-45 mins on the weekend. Anyone else tried to train their child themselves, did it work? Any videos etc that helped? How long did it take?

[Anonymous]

That’s not unusual. Try private lessons if you want more progress, but some kids just aren’t ready yet at 5.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? Where does he take lessons now? Why not try a different place?

[Anonymous]

Yes of course. We tossed our kid from the pool towards the wall - he swims a bit, gets his face in and soon starts jumping into the water himself.
Your kid just has to start swimming - swim instructors aren’t allowed to toss your kid in the water, they have to be more gentle.

Why aren’t you allowed in the pool?

[Anonymous]

We tried a bunch of different places for classes and had the same experience. DD is a great learner in school, but swimming didn't click until she was 6.5. Where are you located, OP? Maybe you can get recs.

[Anonymous]

Lessons before 5 or 6 for most kids are supposed to be fun, with some skills thrown in so they get comfortable putting their face in the water.

Around 5 or 6 most kids will take off and really learn to swim. My son though has been a slow learner and is now showing a lot of progress at just barely 9 (he’s not athletic at all, and I’m fine with that but he must learn how to swim).

Patience. You can definitely try different pools, but if the cost is bothering you and you live in DC, try the parks and rec pools. $10 for 8 lessons.

[Anonymous]

OP- Is she putting her face in the water or going underwater yet? What can she do so far?

[Anonymous]

switch swim schools. If your child is interested in swimming, he/she should be progressing. Our school doesn't allow parents in the water either but that hasn't been a problem. Ratio is always 3 to 1 which has worked out well. 4 year old learned to swim within 3 months and is now going underwater and learning various strokes.

[Anonymous]

Try county classes. They're very cheap and will get your child where they need to be.

[Anonymous]

Most children aren't ready to swim until four or five, but the classes you are getting aren't doing the job. Find another class/teacher.

[Anonymous]

Most group swim classes are useless, with kids holding onto the side or sitting out for most of each lesson. Four private lessons with a good teacher at age six should have a youngster floating with face in water. Strokes come more slowly. The main thing is comfort with floating face down, then coming up for breath.

[Anonymous]

If you plan on doing summer camp this summer you could choose one that offers daily swimming. You should see great improvement if DC gets to swim daily and many include lessons in the swim sessions

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? Perswim at Gallaudet is wonderful and not very expensive. It's sat and sun so what is taught is reinforced for two days in a row. In our class there are about 4 instructors for 10 kids and they break them into groups so the ratios are small and the kids are with other kids like them.

[Anonymous]

My kids made zero progress with group lessons or with DH or me. Hired a neighborhood college student home for the summer (lifeguard, swim team coach) to spend half an hour, once a week. After 2 weeks the kid was paddling short distances. 2 more weeks and happily swimming the width of the pool. Same experience with second kid.

It's more expensive per lesson than the group lessons, but they learn so much faster that it's actually less costly overall (at least it was for us).

[Anonymous]

OP. Great ideas. We are in Burke. Any summer swim camps that we could do next year (this year we’ve already paid for summer camps).

Yes, took a year and a half but is able to jump, floating has always been easy on back, able to put head under water.

Also what do you all think, will it be detrimental to take out from the class now and restart with a summer camp and/or private instructor in a years time?

$120/ month for technically 5 mins a week is too much.