My older sons love the water. They are 10 and 12 and have been swimming since they were about 5. They took swim lessons and are fish, now. Then, there is my baby. He is 6. Right now, we are doing free water-safety classes at the YMCA that include 30 minutes in the water. We went one night, Monday, and he hates it. Prior to this, he told me he wanted to take swim lessons this summer, but after last night, I am thinking about scrubbing the whole idea. Maybe he just won't be a swimmer. That makes me a bit nervous as I believe swimming is a necessary life skill, but I do not know whether to push or not. I have been working with Dono in the water since he was a baby. Suggestions?
In our home swimming lessons is not an option. You don't have to like it but you need to learn no ifs,ands, or buts about it. He is plenty old enough to know and understand that you don't have to enjoy everything. Just like school swimming is something he must learn.
Maybe do swimming lessons first and then the water safety class. There might be something being done in the class that scares him.
I too believe swimming is a necessary life skill. I was devastated to read about the teenage cousins who drowned in N.C. in a culvert because no one, not one, of their relatives could swim, so no one jumped in to save them. By the time passing strangers jumped in, it was too late.
Please keep at it, even if you have to offer an ice cream as an incentive (which is what I had to do and now my 7yo jumps into 12 feet of water).
The teachers at the Y are very knowledgeable about dealing with kids like this. I'd just tell him to buck up, it's just for a few weeks. He may not enjoy it like most kids but the knowledge is very important.
I would give it one more night before I threw in the towel. Sometimes it takes kids a couple of times with a group in a new setting before the really feel comfortable.
Definitely don't give up on the idea of him ever enjoying swim lessons. Maybe it's the group or the teacher, maybe it's the setting, maybe the structure is not what he expected. If this doesn't work out, try again later (maybe next fall or next summer). Just please don't give up on the idea of swim lessons all together.
Ask your son if he wants to take swim lessons. If he says no, then don't push it this year. I suggest that as the summer progresses he may change his mind and want to take lessons if he doesn't want to do it now.
