Swimming lessons???

[~*heket*~]

Spikee loves the pool and I think that learning to swim might do his asthma the world of good. But the other day I saw toddler swimming lessons in action and was HORRIFIED. All the praise and parental humiliation. Walking around in a circle shouting praise at my son in my arms!?:shrug - NOT for us :rolleyes.

BUT the crunch comes when I confess to being one of the worlds worst swimmers :o How do I teach him to swim without lessons. I mean, obviously it's not hard to get him kicking his legs and wobbling his arms, but I wanted to know if that'll be enough or if there are other things I should teach him.

Did you teach your own kids to swim? Can you detail the process you went through and also their ages at the time of various developments.

[Ayla]

We're going to teach our kids to swim ourselves. I haven't really thought about *how* we'd do it, I imagine just spending lots of time in the water, trying different things, using different things (floaties, kickboards, pool noodles, etc). And making the water fun because I know kiddies can get nervous about it. I think it will get to a point of "mum, look at me!" and doing some new & exciting swimming thing they got the courage up to do themselves :lol

[~*heket*~]

I might get Spikee a kick board!

[GreenGully]

J is only just confident to splash about it the water without me being right near him. And he happily hand onto my shoulders in deeper water now too. He has always been a bit water phobic though. I am just giving him lots of exposure to the pool and ocean and waiting for him to tell me he wants to get lessons, or else he will just teach himself.

[Blossomtime]

I reckon toddler lessons are a waste of money... just nursery rhymes and splashing. Just cuddling and practising getting wet and blowing bubbles are enough.

I've been taking Audrey to the pool every couple of weeks and she finds something new she can do each time. Touching the bottom was a huge confidence boost. ;) I think we'll make it more regular when school's back (and its quiet at the pool.. hehe). I'm pretty sure she'll be swimming by the end of the year. She's not really keen on listening ATM so we're approaching it like everything else. It will just come when she is ready. I asked her if she wanted lessons, but she's pretty happy to continue the way we are going. She realised you don't really get to play or talk to other kids much in lessons, and that's the fun bit :lol

[Asrathiel]

Elizabeth (DSD) had one lot of swimming lessons when she was just three, they were crap. Then her mother said that she was going to teach her, so we didn't investigate lessons any further. Her mother (true to form) hasn't taught her anything, and now at 6 she'll get in the water where she can stand, and go around the edge of a small pool while holding a noodle. While she was here over Xmas, she'd half duck her head under because Zara and I were doing it, which is a big step forward.

Malachi (3.5) has never had any swimming lessons, but I've been a bit slack. Two summers ago, he was at the point of jumping off the side of the pool to me and getting his face slightly splashed. Last summer, he wasn't keen on getting in the water, once I was holding him in there, he'd stay for a few minutes and then get upset and want to get out. This summer, he'll sit on the side and stick his feet in. So he's gone backwards in his water confidence... I'm tossing up trying some gentle swimming lessons to encourage him, but I think I'll just give him time and space.

Zara, on the other hand, is my waterbaby. She loves it! She's 10 months, and I started taking her to the pool as soon as the weather was warm enough. Last time we were at the pool (Saturday) I'd stick her under water and she'd swim through my legs and up to the surface behind me. I don't think she'll ever need lessons, and I don't intend to introduce any 'flotation devices' with her, I think she'll be swimming unaided long before Malachi, and even maybe Elizabeth.

[Ceres]

I have been pondering taking DS to swimming lessons too. We used to go when he was little but dropped out when he got too old for the toddler class because he didn't want to go in without me. But now that he's a bit older I'm thinking it might be worth trying again. I am not a strong swimmer at all so I don't know that I have much to offer him. The thing that annoys me is the teachers praising and so on. Also the time that is wasted in teaching them each particular stroke when really all I want him to do is NOT drown!

[Beau]

I reckon just get them in some water....on a regular basis..... .and watch them learn! If they ask for help, advice, then give it...but otherwise just let them do their thing!

That's how my girls have learnt....:)

[gypsyoak]

ceres - we go to the blue dolphin center at happy valley. they do the praise thing (depending on the teacher), but their general philosophies are really good. it is child centered and they put no pressure on trying to move kids through too quickly. If they master it, they move on to the next class, but they can stay in each one as long as they need.

[Ceres]

That is the exact centre I was looking at gypsyoak!

[~*heket*~]

I saw private lessons today and they left me feeling ILL. The threats, the calling for mummy, OMG it ws positively cruel and abusive.

meanwhile my son taught himself to blow bubbles (without threats of ten more minutes if you don't just do it three times) and he started waving his arms doggy paddle style :eager he's doing very well if I do say so myself ;)

[gypsyoak]

Yay!!!! It is exciting isn't it!!

[~*heket*~]

it's funny how posting about something always makes it happen naturally isn't it :lol

[gypsyoak]

So true!!!

I posted on a forum the other day about increasing protein for my chooks as they weren't laying when I thought they should. Went outside and hey presto!! I 'ad meself in egg!

[~*heket*~]

such thoughtful chooks!

[Currawong]

Hiya, thought I might come in late and say how proud I am of ds1 teaching himself to swim. I take him approx. every three weeks and every time he has improved all by himself. He rejects all suggestions and does things in his own time and it really is beautiful to watch. He's started jumping off the side of the pool into my arms, swims 3 metres or so by himself (with bubble, loves floating on his back (me with one finger underneath him), puts his head underwater and blows bubbles. He can get out of the pool on his own and is learning to tread water. He hated lessons because he hates being told what to do and when to do it and he had a horrible teacher once who ruined going under for a long time for him. He's only realised he can do it recently. He loves it too. No forcing, no empty praising (I can't keep my pride to myself LOL), and no arbitrary games. It's tearworthy, watching my son learn so effectively on his own. So normal, so natural.

[~*heket*~]

That's a great story! Thanx for that :)

We went to the pool today and Spikee is starting to let go of me and just float (with a floatie ofcourse, but he's feeling safe enough to try it yk!) for about two or three seconds at a time. The look of concentration on his face is priceless :lol

Stylish is self teaching diving. She likes critique from me so I give her advice like "straighten your legs and point your toes" and she goes off and tries again and again and again!

I gotta say ... homeschooling is REALLY great coz swimming on week days pretty much guarantees an empty pool :lol

[Currawong]

yay for S & S!

ITA about the pool. We usually go for the hour before lessons start and it's generally empty. Though on the occasions someone else has been there O has picked up ideas from them. We rang on Sunday because we felt like a swim and apparently the pool was full so we left it for another day and went to the beach :D Home education ROCKS!!! (I mean...SWIMS)

[~*heket*~]

:lol

[Ceres]

I just enrolled DS for this term - however I already have a few gripes!
Mandatory swimming caps and goggles - I don't like my chances of getting them on him! And if you miss a lesson you only get one makeup class a term unless you have a doctors cert. We don't go to the doctors! I wonder how many snotty nosed kids end up in the water because their parents don't want to waste the enrollment fee.

[~*heket*~]

:shock

There's a chemist that does medical certs around the corner from us, is there anything like that in your area K?

Say he won't wear the cap or goggles, and stupid head squashing hat, will you get a refund?

[Ceres]

No. I did say there's a fair chance he won't wear either and they said they won't force him but it will be strongly encouraged. We'll see! I'm not aware of any medical cert things not at doctors but I suppose I could bring a pad of them home from work and write my own :lol

[~*heket*~]

you might have to! Keep us posted won't you!

but what does "strongly encouraged" mean? - gulp

[Ceres]

Well! It's like praise central there. Good boy / good girl for EVERYTHING. Do I say something? Ask them not to good boy him? Just suck it up because it's only 1/2 hour per week?

[~*heket*~]

I think that even if you DO say something they won't know how to deal with it (what a KOOKY ONE!) and he's stuck with the other kids who will be praised anyway :lol I dunno. I think it's entirely up to you ;)

[Anarcostar]

Well, we're now going to do the DIY learn to swim as DS1 blankly refuses to go to swim classes without me in the water (not surprised - he is only 3 ... whats with that cut off age anyway ... once they're 3 they have to go in by themselves/ with teacher only/ no parent! WTF!!)

Anyway we tried it for a few classes, with him just playing on the edge of the pool, then trying to encourage him into the water on the step - which he did - then the silly teacher tried to "encourage" him into the water with his hands and pulled him off the step (she was holding him), :slaps
so he did what he often does if someone is trying to exert their control over him -- he bit her - hard!!!

I mentioned to the instructor that he obviously wasn't ready to go into the water with her (the "her" being the emphasis - he has no fear of the water, just strange adults trying to be nice to him and enticing him to move away from his mummy ...... nothing wrong with that if you ask me!). And now all trust is broken with the teacher (and harmed with me :( )

So now its all DIY, which is ok (he already kinda knows how to swim - he had lessons he DID really like until he was 2yrs).

Now how to do it with a 6 month old in arms .........hmmm

[Ceres]

I saw one of the teachers do that to a small child yesterday - it ended up with mother and child leaving in tears. What's with the pressure? Surely putting them in the water when they don't want to go will only make them more afraid of swimming?

[~*heket*~]

We need to start AP swimming lessons FFS. That stuff is horrid. And that mother who left in tears will probably feel like she's a failure for it yk? :bang

[Ceres]

I was silently applauding her for not putting the kid in the water when he was clearly not ok with it.

[~*heket*~]

Yes, indeed! I've seen them screaming while their parents walked out only recently!

[Mama_Kaz]

We just started swimming lessons a couple of months ago and I swear we must have got lucky....these stories are horrible :cry Jaz's instructor is really gentle and doesnt force her to do anything (I wouldnt let her anyway). I have seen some really fucked up parenting though. Talk about pressure. :rolleyes "keep swimming, dont stop doing laps or you can get out of the pool and we will go home. Keep your bum up, its dropping, its DROPPING, straight arms, straight arms" :wtf

I think the mandatory goggles/cap policy is just rude btw. As is the doctors certificate. Who do these people think they are??


On a happy note - after nearly 2 months of lessons Jaz's confidence in the water has gone through the roof. For the first time she actually swam without floaties/kickboard the other day :eager She put her little goggled head under the water, arms out in front, kicked her legs and swam!! I was so freakin proud :lol She was pretty proud of herself too :lol She did this with me the day after her swimming lesson not actually in the swimming lesson :D

[~*heket*~]

How cute :lol

[Sarasvati]

Kira wants to be able to swim "by herself", and so this morning I sent her and Jake off to the pool. The played in the baby pool, and then in the kid's pool (from the sound of it they have 3 pools). They didn't go in the big pool... anyway Jake got some info on classes but I said I'd like it if we (read: he) could help her learn. He is a bit eerg about it as "neither of us are very good swimmers" but you know I pointed out that I've HAD formal lessons... they didn't make me a competent swimmer! I can swim to save my life, and that's my main goal for Kira at this point (and I'm sure all she cares about too).

[~*heket*~]

You can swim to save your life??? :blackeye you're a better swimmer than me :rofl

I've been practising swimming when we all go as a family ;)

[Sarasvati]

I can dog paddle, breaststroke and frogkick, but freestyle almost caused my drowning :lol.

[~*heket*~]

well I would choose to drown before I did freestyle so I know where you're coming from :ol

[GreenGully]

I'm a swimmer (used to train every morning before school from 6am by choice) and I have no clue how to teach J how to swim...So far I have been focussing on helping him gain confidence in the water and helping him to stay calm/recover if he falls over and gets his head wet.

[~*heket*~]

Wow! that's dedicated M :eager