HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Sept 5, 2014 10:37:03 GMT -5
It's now or never IMO. Children NEED to learn how to swim. His aversion will not get better with time.
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justme
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Post by justme on Sept 5, 2014 10:37:14 GMT -5
Just push him in. Sink or swim baby! At least that's what my dad says to do. But mom had us in the water early (where we were young enough that she'd blow in our face just before dunking us under water so we would breath in under water) so I don't think either of us were ever afraid of the water for him to actually employ that method. I think there's photos of me around 2 just jumping in the water with just my underwear on - apparently I wanted to go in so bad I didn't want to bother with changing into a suit lol.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 10:38:40 GMT -5
... Yeah, here he is this summer on trip number 1256 down that slide. But try to carry him in the big pool ... So he gets himself into the water but doesn't want to have someone else carry him into it? No. He'll go in pools that are less than a couple feet deep. The kids areas at the water park were fine, but he won't go in water over his head even if you're holding him.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Sept 5, 2014 10:41:03 GMT -5
So he gets himself into the water but doesn't want to have someone else carry him into it? No. He'll go in pools that are less than a couple feet deep. The kids areas at the water park were fine, but he won't go in water over his head even if you're holding him. Do you let him go into water over his head without someone holding him?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 10:43:57 GMT -5
No. He'll go in pools that are less than a couple feet deep. The kids areas at the water park were fine, but he won't go in water over his head even if you're holding him. Do you let him go into water over his head without someone holding him? Well, since he won't even go in WITH someone holding him. No. Not sure what that means? But, for swimming lessons he will have to go in without someone. They hold onto the gutter at the side of the pool.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Sept 5, 2014 10:53:19 GMT -5
Do you let him go into water over his head without someone holding him? Well, since he won't even go in WITH someone holding him. No. Not sure what that means? But, for swimming lessons he will have to go in without someone. They hold onto the gutter at the side of the pool. He did fine, according to you, prior to all the "shit". How did all the "shit" effect him regarding trust? Will he do better with a swim instructor having a group of kids ease into the pool and hold themselves up on the side?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 10:57:59 GMT -5
Well, since he won't even go in WITH someone holding him. No. Not sure what that means? But, for swimming lessons he will have to go in without someone. They hold onto the gutter at the side of the pool. He did fine, according to you, prior to all the "shit". How did all the "shit" effect him regarding trust? Will he do better with a swim instructor having a group of kids ease into the pool and hold themselves up on the side? I don't know. I can't imagine what we went through didn't effect him, but as far as swimming and not being sure of the pool, I think he just forgot. A year and a half is a long time when you're 4.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Sept 5, 2014 12:33:24 GMT -5
Do you let him go into water over his head without someone holding him? Well, since he won't even go in WITH someone holding him. No. Not sure what that means? But, for swimming lessons he will have to go in without someone. They hold onto the gutter at the side of the pool. Did he try any of the water slides that end in the deeper pools? My 6 year old loves them but a couple of times she's gone under with an open mouth.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 12:39:53 GMT -5
Well, since he won't even go in WITH someone holding him. No. Not sure what that means? But, for swimming lessons he will have to go in without someone. They hold onto the gutter at the side of the pool. Did he try any of the water slides that end in the deeper pools? My 6 year old loves them but a couple of times she's gone under with an open mouth. At Jellystone they wouldn't let him go on the big slide. Well, he COULD, he was tall enough, but they said we couldn't have anyone at the bottom catching him. If he couldn't get to the side on his own he couldn't go. His Dad caught him at the bottom of the one in our town a couple times and he loved it, but again, lifeguard stepped in and said, no catching. I'm not sure if he went totally under either of those times or not. I don't think so. I think his Dad got him before that happened.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 14:01:20 GMT -5
My oldest is 6 years old and doesn't like to put his face in the water, although is overall swimming skills are pretty good (kicking, floating, treading water). That may be all he needs. I was given group lessons when I was maybe 8 or 9, but I lack any decent gross motor co-ordination and can't process multiple instructions (do this with your right foot, this with your left hand, shift your weight) at the same time. I developed a couple of awful-looking strokes all by myself, one a sidestroke (that I never use now) and an all-purpose breast stroke. I don't put my head in the water in either of them. It's no biggie for me to swim half a mile and I'm 61. I taught myself to dive when I was 50 so I wouldn't look like a total idiot starting out in the water in the local annual corporate athletic competition. I still couldn't make myself use diving blocks- they look like you'd slide right off of them- so I dove from the end of the lane, which was also permitted.
Some of us will never be Michael Phelps or Rebecca Soni but we still know enough to stay afloat!
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Nazgul Girl
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Post by Nazgul Girl on Sept 5, 2014 17:00:57 GMT -5
Okay, here's what my Mom and Dad did. We lived on a lake, so we had to learn how to swim. We would go in the shallow end of the community pool, or the lake in front of our house with a life jacket on, and Dad would put his arms around us in a loose O without really fully clasping us, and walk back and forth while we valiantly flailed and learned the " dogpaddle." We also talked about dogs and how well they swam while we were working at it.
Then, the lifejacket came off, and he still walked back and forth with us with his arms loosely clasped around us, while we slowly swam.
Then, he stopped putting his arms around us, but walked back and forth " right beside you " and demonstrated how quickly he could " save " us in case we got in trouble. For going across the width of the pool, or back and forth in front of our lot on the lake, we started to go get one dime every time we made it.
Then, he stood between the goal posts ( each end of where we were supposed to swim to ), and if we made it back and forth without help at the pool, we were to get a shiny quarter. ( Emphasis on the SHINY ). This part took awhile, but we all made it.
Mom and Dad probably got us to swim pretty well for about $ 5 each, plus the price of some swim lessons in the community pool. It took a couple of weeks of hard parental work, and worked pretty well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 17:05:01 GMT -5
My oldest is 6 years old and doesn't like to put his face in the water, although is overall swimming skills are pretty good (kicking, floating, treading water). That may be all he needs. I was given group lessons when I was maybe 8 or 9, but I lack any decent gross motor co-ordination and can't process multiple instructions (do this with your right foot, this with your left hand, shift your weight) at the same time. I developed a couple of awful-looking strokes all by myself, one a sidestroke (that I never use now) and an all-purpose breast stroke. I don't put my head in the water in either of them. It's no biggie for me to swim half a mile and I'm 61. I taught myself to dive when I was 50 so I wouldn't look like a total idiot starting out in the water in the local annual corporate athletic competition. I still couldn't make myself use diving blocks- they look like you'd slide right off of them- so I dove from the end of the lane, which was also permitted.
Some of us will never be Michael Phelps or Rebecca Soni but we still know enough to stay afloat!
do you get a crick in your neck doing a half mile swim with your head out of the water?
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Sept 5, 2014 18:59:48 GMT -5
If it is allowed at the pool, maybe a life vest that would hold him up for several outings would let him get comfortable in the pool.
A child does not realize they can float in 3 feet of water or 300 feet of water. The depth doesn't matter.
The instructors should be able to handle a timid child if they are told in advance.
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on Sept 5, 2014 19:50:45 GMT -5
The first two sessions of swim lessons my DD took she never did get the top of her head wet. They would try and get her to lay back to float and her head was perpendicular to the water. Her tummy and toes were pointing to the ceiling just like they told her and her head too. She finally got there and even swam on swim team for several summers before dance took over her life.
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wmpeon
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Post by wmpeon on Sept 5, 2014 20:06:21 GMT -5
This is pretty enlightening, I didn't realize how common it is for kids to be afraid of the water. When I was a kid, I was terrified of the water, and I was the only kid in my class to fail beginning swimming. At the time, everyone acted quite shocked, since it was so easy, you see. The instructor took me into the deep end on a paddle board once. Each time she started to let go of the board, I would go into hysterics. I was made to feel pathetic, because why was I "acting" so afraid of the water?
It wasn't until I was an adult, that I realized why I was so freaked out about getting submerged and being unable to touch bottom. The week of my 5th birthday, I nearly drowned in a public pool.
You can't force someone to get over their fear. They have to be ready to work towards the goal of overcoming it themselves.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 21:05:59 GMT -5
Not sure what to do. Opinions are split down the middle between just sign him up and give it some more time. I do have to decide pretty quick though. Next session starts Monday and I have to get his brother signed up this weekend.
That's another one I think I need to kick in the butt. I think I should push him to join the swim team or go to stroke clinics. He's been at Level 6 lessons for the past 2 years or so. Sometimes he passes, sometimes not. But there is no higher level in this learn to swim series. I don't know that he's really learning anything new in these classes. I mainly do it as a forced exercise thing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 21:06:09 GMT -5
do you get a crick in your neck doing a half mile swim with your head out of the water? Oops - forgot. I do a decent backstroke, too, which I do to give my neck muscles a break. OTOH, I tried to teach myself the butterfly and just couldn't time my strokes to let me get a breath when I needed it. There are some thing I just cannot do!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 7:35:07 GMT -5
do you get a crick in your neck doing a half mile swim with your head out of the water? Oops - forgot. I do a decent backstroke, too, which I do to give my neck muscles a break. OTOH, I tried to teach myself the butterfly and just couldn't time my strokes to let me get a breath when I needed it. There are some thing I just cannot do! so just put your head in the water and do freestyle....if you tried to learn fly you obviously put your head in the water for that.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 6, 2014 17:18:31 GMT -5
It's now or never IMO. Children NEED to learn how to swim. His aversion will not get better with time. As a small kid, I was afraid of going into the water. The choices at the time for me were either ponds or lakes. I simply did not want to go in. But I eventually became less afraid as time went on. I became an excellent swimmer having gotten my junior and senior lifeguard certificates and was a lifeguard one summer during high school. I was the same way about diving into water. First quite afraid to do so but then once I discovered it would not kill me, I turned into an excellent diver, even complex dives off of three-meter springboards. Maybe it was the perceived darkness and murkiness of the pond and lake waters. Not being able to see what I was stepping into. I do not know-it was more than 60 years ago. But I learned how to swim and dive in swimming pools where the water was clear. For some kids, it just might take a little more time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 19:43:36 GMT -5
Well, I signed him up for lessons, AND I joined the Y. It saved me $60 on the activity fees I had to pay today, so maybe I'll break even in a year and I can use the pool with the kids during open swim.
Older son starts Monday night and younger son is next Saturday...at 8:15 in the morning. Ugh! LOL
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sapphire12
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Post by sapphire12 on Sept 10, 2014 20:36:19 GMT -5
Good luck MPL!
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 10, 2014 22:07:44 GMT -5
It's time to sign up for swim lessons again, but my 4 year old is terrified of water deeper than 18 inches or so. He loves water parks with kid pools, but refuses to go in the deep water. I took him to a couple sessions of lessons when he was 2 which were parent/child and I was with him. That went fine, but they don't have those after age 3. Now he's expected to just get in the water (with water wings) and hold the side. I don't even think I could get him to go in with someone holding him anymore. He wouldn't do it this summer. I really think I'll be wasting $50 signing him up. He'll just stand by the side and cling to my leg. I'm seriously considering sucking it up and paying for a membership to the Y since it's a lot cheaper now that I'm single and making a point to taking both kids to the open swim a couple times a week. Maybe he would be enticed to go in if his brother was and there was no kiddie pool options. With all the stuff they do at the Y the $15/lesson/activity/camp discount would be nice too. By the time older son was 4 he was already a little fishy. He'd jump off the diving board and be able to make it to the side of the pool to get out. Younger son's Dad likes to boat on the river and is not the best swimmer himself. It makes me nervous to think DS may be out with him next summer with no swimming skills. Any tricks? Should I just sign him up for lessons and hope the teacher can convince him? I can't get my kid in the pool, either.
He's 30.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Sept 10, 2014 23:26:16 GMT -5
When my niece was pretty young she would swim from one side of the pool to the other but not go in deep water. Her older brother was fine so I started tossing quarters in the pool between them a little deeper each time. Later I stood in the deep end and when she dived in I got her and pushed her towards the edge. I said my nephew's name a few times and a man at the pool tossed quarters in too since he had the same first name, kids made out like bandits. Quarters at the bottom of the pool gets their face wet if they like money.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2014 8:17:55 GMT -5
When we were at the Y on Monday for his brother's lesson, he really seemed interested. He was acting enthusiastic about it, but I could tell he was really nervous and watching everything going on. He was asking me questions about the ladder and where he would hold on and who would help him. I hope he's as brave on Saturday. One plus. The pool is only 3' on that end. Not 4' like I though. He's about 43" tall, so he can technically touch, although I think it would be up to his chin.
On another note, I think I convinced older son to join the swim team. When he found out that he didn't actually have to compete unless he wanted to he was a lot more cool with the idea.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Sept 11, 2014 10:22:12 GMT -5
When we were at the Y on Monday for his brother's lesson, he really seemed interested. He was acting enthusiastic about it, but I could tell he was really nervous and watching everything going on. He was asking me questions about the ladder and where he would hold on and who would help him. I hope he's as brave on Saturday. One plus. The pool is only 3' on that end. Not 4' like I though. He's about 43" tall, so he can technically touch, although I think it would be up to his chin. On another note, I think I convinced older son to join the swim team. When he found out that he didn't actually have to compete unless he wanted to he was a lot more cool with the idea. Awesome! I remember when DD was taking swim lessons. Early Sat. mornings. I'd take her and sit in the bleachers with my mug of coffee and a few magazines and read or chat with the other parents. The smell of chlorine still brings back to memories. It was one of the few times I allowed myself to "shut down" when she was young. Good times!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 9:44:41 GMT -5
He did it!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 9:46:44 GMT -5
I have no idea why that picture is posting sideways...
Anyhow, he clung to the teacher like a spider monkey for the first 20 minutes, but near the end she was able to get him to hang onto the wall by himself. She was pretty impressive. She could work with other kids on their front floats and back floats assisting them across the pool while my son was attached to her.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2014 11:25:55 GMT -5
Awwww....bummer. The Y just called and their recirculation pump broke in the small pool so no lessons until further notice. He was so excited about what he accomplished Saturday that I wanted to get him back in there ASAP. Plus, this also means we have to start picking grapes with the scouts 2 hours earlier on Saturday.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Sept 18, 2014 11:29:19 GMT -5
Bummer, but way cool about him going in!!!
I missed it the first time. Keep reminding him about how awesome he was and how you can't wait to see his next lesson! Tell him in no time he'll be swimming better then big bro!
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on Sept 18, 2014 11:35:01 GMT -5
My oldest DS was petrified of the water at that age too. He liked to play, but not go anywhere near over his head. We tried the Y, no luck. Last year we found an instructor (she is amazing) who gave lessons at an outside pool (summer only). he did 2 sessions last year and was jumping off the diving board (instructor caught him) and swimming to the edge. This year, he did 3 sessions over the summer and now jumps off the diving board (no help) and swims to the edge. He actually runs on the diving board and jumps - no fear. We were so proud of him. He is 8. Took a long time to get him to this point.
DS#2 is stubborn. He won't jump off the diving board without the instructor catching him. She gives him a push and he swam to the edge. He has to do more lessons next summer.
My older DS now wants to learn how to dive so we will sign him up again next summer as well.
My only advice, be persistent. This is a life lesson they had to learn. They need to know how to swim. (in our opinion) Good luck!
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