[photo, July 2006, waterbabies swim class]Dylan started swimming lessons on Monday, and I was expecting him to be somewhat excited about them (or at least not hate them) but after two nights...he pretty much hates them. Last night he screamed and cried and refused to get into the water at all. Tonight, Matt was able to come with and Dylan did get in the pool (there was some bribery involved), but he looked miserable the entire time and started crying again at the end.
The question is...do we go back for tomorrow night? Matt says absolutely not. Dylan's not having fun, it's an inconvenience for us all for something he doesn't even like (I have to find a sitter for Ella if Matt's working), and we're possibly traumitizing him. I tend to be a little on the suck-it-up-kid side of parenting, and I figure he might get over it and actually learn something, and I feel like he should go because we paid $40 for the lessons.
The thing about Dylan is that's it's not actually the water he dislikes (he "swims" all the time on vacation and at the pool at my parents' condo), but he is very uncomfortable with the entire swimming lesson situation. It's loud, there are a few other kids upset and crying, he doesn't know the people around him, and we're not in the water with him. Matt says he can actually remember having the same feelings about swimming lessons as a kid. I happen to have fairly happy memories of swimming lessons, so I just figured this was a rite of passage.
I guess I'm leaning towards not taking him back, but that's not my natural instinct...what do you think?
that's a tough one - it's up to you and matt (and dylan, I think) what is best. i'm sure he's just uncomfortable with the "lessons" and the whole scene, as opposed to swimming somewhere he's familiar... but i can see your side too. he won't end up hating swimming either way, so maybe try to talk to him or talk to the leaders there about how to get him more excited about it...??? good luck! if it ends up not working out, there's always next year...
ReplyDeleteWhat did you guys decide? I'm sorry to hear that he didn't like it! This year Madisyn was still young enough to be in the class with parents (so we took both kids), so we haven't braved the child only lessons yet.
ReplyDeleteI know this is after the fact, but we're more like you... figuring that they'll learn if they have to tough it out. :)
We went back on Wednesday, but it went terrible again (3rd time), so we didn't go back Thursday. I think he's just worked himself up too much about it that it's not worth it to keep trying. He does fine in the pool with us helping him for the time being, and there's always next year!
ReplyDeleteHe's 3! I would quit. I would wait until he's 5 or 6 to push it- by then he'll be more used to doing things by himself and listening to a teacher. Then the only new variable will be the pool, and he'll be able to handle it. Plus he'll have more pool time under his belt. You could always have Uncle Dave toss him off the dock at the Homestead!
ReplyDelete-Laurel