Swim Lessons - Solon, OH

You could fill up a small pool or a tub with water and lay some toys/rocks/something fun on the bottom. Then give him a pair of goggles or a diving mask and ask him (and maybe show)to put them on and hold his breath. Then he can lower his face in the water and play with toys on the bottom of the pool. Maybe you can even take him to a nearby creek (Big Darby is pretty clean, if you are around Columbus) and let him explore under water environments that way. I think they may even have some programs for kids. This can help getting rid of his fear of water. I remember being very afraid of water when I was little, especially having my face touch it, let alone getting my head under water. One summer we spent a month by the sea and I taught myself swimming (i was 10). I would put on goggles and walk around shallow places and look at the rocks and weeds and little fish and crabs, and then before long i was straightening my legs and pulling forward by grabbing onto rocks, and then eventually swimming. Love water ever since.

Krista,

Stop the struggle, and definitely do NOT keep taking him to "instructors" who force him under water when he does not want to go! That can be very traumatic to someone who is not ready, and violates his trust that these people will keep him safe when he is already nervous or frightened. Forget the formal lessons, and stop threatening him with "you can't do this and that if you don't learn," and let him just have fun. People learn in their own time, and he will learn but let it be a gentle process.

Best wishes,
K.

Allow your son to go at his own pace, do not force swimming on him, he will come to terms with his fear on his own if you allow him to swim in the neighbors pool, take him fishing, don't put fear into the picture.
You can not force children to be in the water when there has been a tramautic experience. Stop taking him, let him adjust on his own and then rediscuss at a later date.
Assure him mommy understands his fear and wants to help him get through it, but lessons aren't always the best option.

It sounds like he's ok with the swimming, just not the dunking right? I can't imagine why any instructor would dunk a kid under water! Good heavens! Talk about traumatizing! I would have a word with the instructor (a very STRONG word) and make sure that he/she knows that your son is NOT to be dunked under water..UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! Perhaps if your little guy KNOWS that he doesn't have to go under water, he'll want to continue his lessons. Good luck! :)

this may sound cruel to a lot of people, but we just kept at it with our kids. They hated having their heads dunked and we had to take them to the pool on our own and bribe them if they would dunk just once. We had wonderful swim teachers, but they screamed all the same. We just had to be where they couldn't see us. Eventually, they did well. It probably would have helped more if we had had friends with kids who swam at the time, but we didn't. They eventually got over their fears and now can swim adequately.

I would vote to keep him in lessons. I have a 4 1/2 year old boy and he has taken swim lessons for the last three years and each time it has gotten a bit easier. The first year he freaked out when other kids kicked and he got wet, now he goes underwater no problem! I also have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who had a very difficult time with lessons this year, an instructer thing I think. It just takes time. And if your son goes in other people's pools without problems I would say continue with the lessons, it is VERY important that children learn how to swim... especially if they enjoy sports where water is involved.
Good luck!

Hi Krista,

I'm with Shaun C. I think it is cruel to dunk a kid underwater without his/her permission! I'd come up crying too.

I would try to find an instructor who would agree to no dunking, then tell your child that that will be the case, and then reiterate it in the presence of both your child and the instructor, so that everyone knows you're all on the same page. If instructor dunks, after saying s/he wouldn't, complain to superviser.

Good luck!

K. Z.

Krista,
A good instructor will never dunk a child unless the child is ready to do so. A good instructor will ease into it, letting the child get used to blowing bubbles, then putting the face in the water, before going all the way under.

My children were both terrified to put their heads under water, so I never forced the issue. But I did tell them that if they wanted to go to the pool, they had to learn to swim. (Because I cannot swim well at all, and if I had to jump in to save them, we'd drown together, because I'd never let them go alone.) So, I hired a private instructor to come to our neighborhood pool once a week, and she worked with them slowly, but firmly, and got them to do things I never thought I'd see. They've each had 15 lessons now, and have gone from crying because someone splashed water in their face to swimming underwater (the dolphin is what they call it). My 6 yo is a level 3 and my 10 yo is a level 4.

So, my recommendation is that if you can afford it, hire a private instructor. It is SO worth the money, and I finally have a little peace of mind at the pool.

Good luck! J.

we ended up doing private classes with our daughter because we were not happy with the amount of time she had with an instructor. It was not much more to have a private lessons at our YMCA with an licenced instructor for 30 minutes. This allowed her to build trust in her instructor and allowed the insturcotr to know my daughters strengths and weaknesses. It was a win-win! She excelled beautifully and it was always fun for her. I do not mind spending the extra money on this because I am passionate about teaching a child to swim but then we also spend our summers on a lake. Once they fear the class (and rightly so) it is a battle and making him swim out of fear or punishing him for his fear is never a winning situation.

At age 5, I would think he would still be find just learning from mom & dad, but by the time he is getting invitations to swim parties, he had better know how to swim, so if you're concerned, I would spring for a little extra to have a couple private lessons. Explain to the instructor the trauma your son has suffered at past swim lessons (I personally always hated being dunked, too - what are these teachers thinking?), and get a promise that he won't have to go through anything like that. I would also talk to the instructors of the group-classes you have signed him up for and let them know that they are turning some kids off of swimming. They may not ever realize how stressful being out of control like that can be for a little kid.

If you want your son to learn to swim for safety reasons I would look into a course like ISR (Infant Swimming Resource). It teaches self rescue for children ages 6 months to 6 years old. It would only be the instructor and your child in the water for 10 minutes a day. They can be a bit pricey, but well worth it if your children are around water a lot. Their website is www.infantswim.com.

If you just want him to have fun, I wouldn't push the issue. It is fine to urge him to try a new pool or new instructor, but just let him do what he is comfortable with when it comes to going under.

My son just started liking swimming lessons this year. He's 6y/o. He might have done well last year but by the time he was getting comfortable with going under it was the end of the season.
Personally, I would go off the kid/risk factors. My son doesn't take baths b/c he is afraid he will go under water. He would never ever get into a pool by himself without me first holding him with his life jacket on because he fears the water being over his head. We don't have a pool and neither do any of the neighbors within a 8 acher radius. Both the grandparents have pools but they are all ones he can touch in, and he has never once tried to get close to one without an adult with him. I felt safe letting him go until he was ready, although accidents in water still totally scare me to death. Near drownings are really horrible cases :(
My neice on the other hand is two and has absolutely NO fear of the water what so ever. She LOVES her baths and LOVES to go under water as much as she can. She has multiple times been found in the baby pool in the backyard in the time my sister has gone into the bathroom to pee. On vacation last year she walked into the deep end without swimmes or a life jacket on (in her PJ's) b/c she wasn't ready to be done swimming-THANK GOD my brothers were right there b/c her parents surely weren't! She went way under both times (since it was the 8ft. end) and LAUGHED when she came back up. I would have her in swim lessons no mater how much I had to pay if she were my child just because you can't watch her enough and the chances of something happening to her are far greater. They live in a development where lots of people have big pools also.
So, now that my answer has been so long, I would really say it depends on the child, the risk factors and such. If you do take him, stress to not just dunk him. My sons teacher now lets ALL the kids work at their own pace. Teach blowing bubbles in the water, not going all the way under. Start with just the lips in the water, then nose and lips then eyes and lips. This can be done in the bath or baby pool, and is the proper way to go under so you don't get water in your nose and mouth while under! :)
Best of Luck!

I just wanted to second what Rebecca said. If my son had been shoved underwater by a stranger trying to "teach" him swimming, I know that I'd never get him near any pool again. Exactly how does dunking an unsuspecting child underwater teach them swimming? Let him know that swimming is fun and take him fishing or on the paddle boats. Get a life jacket. He'll have fun and that's the most important thing.

hi krista...
my lil boy (age 5 now) taught himself how to swim when he was 4...we have a 4' pool.. i was scared to let him take off his life jacket, but he wanted to be a big boy..and sure enuff, in a couple days.he was swimming..now he does summersaults, swims very well uder water, stays uder alil too long for my liking :). but i would let him learn on his own, go his own pace, specially if he is gettin nervous/scared in lessons. 1 thing tho, my lil boy can not swim in deep water yet..is scared to try if he can't touch the ground..so let him learn on his own, to get comfortable, then maybe next yr, do lessons. GL :)

I would still take him but not let them force him to do anything. Even if he sits next to the pool he is getting used to that pool. You don't want him to be afraid to try new things and maybe watching the other kids he will see there is nothing to be afraid of. Also talk to him on the way to this pool and tell him that we will go today to watch. Then if you follow through may be he will be ready somewhere down the line.

Hi Krista - I used am a certified swim instructor with the YMCA. While I no longer am able to teach lessons do to my job hours. I do keep up. That said. Yes you should keep your child in lessons, however, you should talk to the instructor (s) he has now and inform him they should not dunk your child as it takes you back to the beginning of lessons if they blow you off or say anything that makes you think that they will not listen to you then find another place for lessons. I do suggest the YMCA. Not because I worked there but because they have lessons that are grouped by ages - there are classes for the younger children and there are different levels. They also do not believe in a child being forced to put his face under water until the child is ready. They will do it when they want to - your child has been frightened so he does not want to.... So yes keep with it. But If these instructors do not wish to treat you and your child with the proper respect and be patient with your child then go else where. Now if you are not a member of they you can still get lessons they cost more for non members. However, if you want to be a member and are not sure of the amount a membership costs ask for "scholarship" papers. You fill it out and then your membership is based on what you can pay and the United Way or other items takes care of the rest. I am not saying you can't but just in case many people do not realize this and with the economy the way it is we all need all the help we can get. Good luck - and perhaps think of a reward for your child for when he puts his face in the water. Praise and rewards are a wonderful thing when you are learning to swim!

I would have him practice blowing bubbles in the bath tub, spend time practicing the hand motions of swiming out of the water like a dance to the beat of his favorite song, and I would finish out the lessons be sure they know he doesn't have to go under if he doesn't want to use a sticker chart with him (like every lesson you go to and not cry or fight to stay home you get a sticker and once he gets so many he gets a treat like for my kid it might be a trip to the chidren's museum since we are pass holders or something we can do free or cheaply that he enjoys). If this doesn't work give him a break and try again in 6 months or maybe even next summer.

I would definately keep him in the lessons - swimming is such a survival skill, and as he gets older, his friends will want him to go swimming with them, and it could turn into a self-esteem issue if he doesn't have those skills. I did have trouble with both of my boys, getting them to put their heads underwater, and i found that as soon as i got them a pair of goggles, they were more than happy to put their face in - at walmart you can get a pair for less than $10.

i also found taking them to a pool that has a graded entry (where they can just walk to a spot where they feel comfortable) did wonders too - my youngest started swimming on his own last summer when i took him to a pool like that.

Good luck & hang in there - it won't always be as bad as it is now, and he will thank you down the road for forcing him to learn to swim :)

HUGS!
~T.

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