Opting out of swimming unit in PE

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

You want her to “opt out” of approved curriculum so she won’t be rushed and uncomfortable?

That’s not how it works. Perhaps you should consider homeschool so she can decide what she would like to go and not do.

[Anonymous]

Can you get her a swim cap?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you get her a swim cap?

I went to an all girls' school and we were required to wear swim caps.

[Anonymous]

I think you are being unreasonable given the reasons you listed. Just get her a swim cap. She should be doing what the other children are asked to do without special exemptions unless it is for serious concerns like medical issues, not because she swims other places and her hair gets wet. She should put in the same effort to get a good grade in PE that she does elsewhere in her studies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you get her a swim cap?

This.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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).

[Anonymous]

I wish all schools offeree swimming, its really good exercise. Your daughter should not be allowed to opt out. But her a swim hat. My DD is AA and wore a swim hat for lessons.

[Anonymous]

OP we bought ours on Amazon.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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!

[Anonymous]

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 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.

[Anonymous]

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.