prep child for swimming lessons?

Any on how to help the first attempt at swimming lessons go well? My
daughter is 3.5 (4 in June) and I have her signed up to start on
Monday.

She is a very outgoing kid socially, but fairly cautious and she
worries a lot. She adores some classes she has been in (eg music) and
participates a ton, but a soccer class we started recently hasn't gone
as well. She loves kicking the ball around at home, but doesn't like
the soccer class because the coach smells sweaty. (!).

Anyway, she likes going swimming and jumping into the pool, but we do
it rarely (not that warm around here). The last opportunity to go
swimming was a couple weeks ago. Her grandma took her (she is very
comfortable with grandma) but she refused to go in, which surprised
me.

My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?

Thanks,

Jan

Hi -

Make sure the water isn't too cold, the instructors are nice, and no one
forces her to do anything she finds scary. Baby steps are FINE. If she
starts to cry, take her away at once and try again in a few months. If
you force her to take lessons when she's unhappy you could keep her
scared of the water for years.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

"Jan" wrote in message

My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

I always take the low key approach and it works well with my ds (who is your
dd's age). I think if you overhype something then they tend to get anxious
about it (IME, anyway). I wouldn't even go too early. Maybe a few minutes
early just to get her used to the locker room/pool area. I certainly
wouldn't go in the pool before, you might have a heck of a time getting out.
Also, if it were my son, I know he'd expect me to sit in that pool with him
for that 45 minutes every week after and with a 1 year old in tow you might
not want to set that precedent, lol.

Certainly, if she's having a hard time *during* class, then that's a
different story. But I'd start out pretty low key.
--
JennP.

mom to Matthew 10/11/00
EDD #2 10/24/04
remove "no........spam" to reply

(Beth Kevles) wrote:

Make sure the water isn't too cold, the instructors are nice, and no one
forces her to do anything she finds scary. Baby steps are FINE. If she
starts to cry, take her away at once and try again in a few months. If
you force her to take lessons when she's unhappy you could keep her
scared of the water for years.


The water too cold is a big thing with some kids and some don't care.
I've had children who really could swim pretty well fail the beginning
swim test because the water was cold and they didn't want to immerse
in it enough to swim. If the water is too cold, there's not much that
can be done, except try later in the summer. It's unlikely that they
will heat the water just for you. You might try to find a pool where
they do hydrotherapy - cold water is bad for arthritis etc. too so
they have to have the water warm for the old folks.

Some kids get scared easier than others. Some will not put their
faces in the water for ages. The guards at the pool across the street
used to use ds as a demo person in swim lessons for kids of 8 or 10
when he was 4 and was jumping off the high dive. But DD#1 didn't
really learn to swim reliably until I taught her the breast stroke at
about age 9 or 10 so she could breathe forward and/or keep her head up
if she wanted to. Once she could do that, she didn't need to do it
anymore.

DD#2 OTOH jumped into the water fully clothed at about age 3 to
demonstrate to her sister (who was taking a swim lesson) that SHE
could put her face in the water. DD#2's dd is about the same.

At about age 5 or 6, I was told to walk out as far as I could swim and
jump in and swim to the shallow end. I couldn't swim at all, but
because everyone else was doing it, I walked out about 2/3rds of the
way down the pool, and jumped in and then had to be pulled out with
the shepherd's crook to keep me from drowning. Did not faze me.

My little sister OTOH was never really comfortable in the water. I
used to play games with her, like trying to talk under water. I don't
know if I just liked making up games, or if I knew instinctively that
she needed to relax.

And as weird as it sounds, some kids seem to do better if they are
forced to do something. I used to teach with a guy who would throw
the kids in the deep end (he gave them the chance to jump first and if
they wouldn't go voluntarily, he'd push them) at the beginning of
beginner swimming to 'break their fear of the water'. And this was
winter so the water was cold too.

There were some kids who made themselves sick with fear, and there
were some who just loved the lessons and their parents swore by his
method instead of at him as I would have done had my kids been in his
classes. I didn't follow up on any of these kids as I got out of the
situation ASAP, so it's possible that there were long lasting traumas
developed even in the ones who appeared to do well, but it wasn't
evident to me.

I can compare it to horseback riding, which my children also did -
dd#1 loved it and never - no matter if she fell off in the briar
bushes or the horse stepped on her foot or what - was afraid of
horses. DD#3 is about the same. But dd#2 and also ds to a certain
extent WERE afraid and dd#2 quit several times before she got to the
point that she really loved riding and horses.


grandma Rosalie

Jan wrote in :

Any on how to help the first attempt at swimming lessons go well? My
daughter is 3.5 (4 in June) and I have her signed up to start on
Monday.

[snip]
My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?

Personally, I wouldn't go too early. Take lots of things for the 1yo
to do, or maybe even find a friend to look after him for the first
lesson.

--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

"Jan" wrote in message
m...
Any on how to help the first attempt at swimming lessons go well? My
daughter is 3.5 (4 in June) and I have her signed up to start on
Monday.

She is a very outgoing kid socially, but fairly cautious and she
worries a lot. She adores some classes she has been in (eg music) and
participates a ton, but a soccer class we started recently hasn't gone
as well. She loves kicking the ball around at home, but doesn't like
the soccer class because the coach smells sweaty. (!).

Anyway, she likes going swimming and jumping into the pool, but we do
it rarely (not that warm around here). The last opportunity to go
swimming was a couple weeks ago. Her grandma took her (she is very
comfortable with grandma) but she refused to go in, which surprised
me.

My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?

Thanks,

Jan

My eldest DD (will be 3 in August) started swimming lessons in February, for
the first term/semester it was parent participation, but she has just been
moved up into the class where I don't have to swim with her... She doesn't
have a problem with the water being too cold, but she is very skinny and so
by the end of the lesson is shivering and has blue lips etc and wants to get
out.. The lesson is only 30 mins long.. To help with this, she now wears
her swimmers (which are an all-in-one - with long sleeves to protect from
sun) with another rash shirt in the same swimming material over the top..
This has helped her want to be interested in the lesson longer... I also
found that if she swims too long before the lesson that adds to her being
cold, even with a warm shower just before the lesson is due to start...

I have found that the teachers are very understanding of each childs ability
and needs... Emily doesn't like her head to go under the water and so they
just do it to her once during the lesson, where the other kids may do it 5
times... She is also nervous and becomes anxious when the teacher lets go
of her, so they do it for her closer to the edge, so she doesn't start
crying and just sink... She is getting better...

I also bought goggles for her to help with putting her head under the water
and she is getting better....


Kelly in Oz
Mummy to Emily 32mths and Isabella 17mths

On Fri, 07 May 2004 19:57:24 GMT, Rosalie B.
wrote:

Make sure the water isn't too cold, the instructors are nice, and no one
forces her to do anything she finds scary. Baby steps are FINE. If she
starts to cry, take her away at once and try again in a few months. If
you force her to take lessons when she's unhappy you could keep her
scared of the water for years.


The water too cold is a big thing with some kids and some don't care.
I've had children who really could swim pretty well fail the beginning
swim test because the water was cold and they didn't want to immerse
in it enough to swim. If the water is too cold, there's not much that
can be done, except try later in the summer. It's unlikely that they
will heat the water just for you. You might try to find a pool where
they do hydrotherapy - cold water is bad for arthritis etc. too so
they have to have the water warm for the old folks.

The YMCAs heat the water for the beginning swimming classes for
toddlers and preschoolers in many cases. It does depend on the
particular program.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

"Dave {Reply Address in.sig}" wrote:

In message , Jan wrote:

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?

Not for your older child, but one tip is to put the younger one in a
swimming class now. Kit ha been going to swimming lessons snice he was six
weeks old and although he has off days, generally enjoys swimming.

Fortunately or unfortunately, swim classes for very young ones are not
always available. And good ones are IMHO even rarer.

grandma Rosalie

(Jan) wrote in message om...


My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?


Thanks for the ideas. I wanted to go early because she has a tendancy
to watch for a while and *then* want to start just as the thing is
ending.

She worried all day about going. She was worried the other kids would
already know how to swim. I reassured about this, but still. I told
her shd did not have to to anything she didn't want, but she did have
to go, and she did have to wear her swim suit (the latter because
again, she changes her mind at the last minute and then we aren't
ready to go in).

We left my younger daughter with grandma. We got there 30 minutes
early, and there is no one in the pool. It's not open for general swim
then and there was nothing else scheduled I guess.

We met the teacher and watched her swim around. We sat and looked at
the pool. We went to the bathroom twice.

The other kids showed up right on time, and my daughter eagerly went
in with them. Participated fully in everything except putting her face
in. Got out, said boy was that fun. Said she can't wait until
Wednesday (that's today -- the next lesson).

Told her dad and grandma how much fun she had, how she did everything,
and how she gets to go back on Wednesday. Same thing Tues night.

Fast forward to Wed morning, has a knock-down drag out temper tantrum
about going to school. Screaming crying, etc. Then starts in crying
about how she does not want to go to swimming lessons after school
today.

I reminded her about how she was nervous before, but said she had fun
after. Reiterated how she does not have to do anything she doesn't
want. She doesn't even have to go in. Sigh.

-Jan

My son has been doing the same thing for the last few weeks. I recently
bought him a cap gun & he loves it. I've kept the caps & doled them out
sparingly until last night's swim lesson.

I told him that every time he did something the teacher asked him to do, I'd
give him another cap. This boy was amazing! Before, he whined, complained,
and refused to participate in all the previous lessons. Last night, he did
everything asked, did it with a smile and begged to get to go first (like
all the little girls in the class always do!).

I was so pleased I almost burst. He earned 15 caps & he was pleased, too.

Find something she loves and USE it




"Jan" wrote in message
...
(Jan) wrote in message
om...


My plan for Monday is to not do a big deal about it, just say we are
going to swimming class today. I am planning to go 35-45 minutes early
and hang out around the pool and/or go in depending on what she wants.

It is not a parent participation class, and I will have my 1-year-old
with me as well. Any tips so as make this a positive experience?


Thanks for the ideas. I wanted to go early because she has a tendancy
to watch for a while and *then* want to start just as the thing is
ending.

She worried all day about going. She was worried the other kids would
already know how to swim. I reassured about this, but still. I told
her shd did not have to to anything she didn't want, but she did have
to go, and she did have to wear her swim suit (the latter because
again, she changes her mind at the last minute and then we aren't
ready to go in).

We left my younger daughter with grandma. We got there 30 minutes
early, and there is no one in the pool. It's not open for general swim
then and there was nothing else scheduled I guess.

We met the teacher and watched her swim around. We sat and looked at
the pool. We went to the bathroom twice.

The other kids showed up right on time, and my daughter eagerly went
in with them. Participated fully in everything except putting her face
in. Got out, said boy was that fun. Said she can't wait until
Wednesday (that's today -- the next lesson).

Told her dad and grandma how much fun she had, how she did everything,
and how she gets to go back on Wednesday. Same thing Tues night.

Fast forward to Wed morning, has a knock-down drag out temper tantrum
about going to school. Screaming crying, etc. Then starts in crying
about how she does not want to go to swimming lessons after school
today.

I reminded her about how she was nervous before, but said she had fun
after. Reiterated how she does not have to do anything she doesn't
want. She doesn't even have to go in. Sigh.

-Jan