Swimming lessons for toddlers....... to do or not?

Good luck. She does call a spade a spade and she does have a go at some of the older students but mainly because they have been going for a while and technique is important if they are going to swim in a gala which they train for.

I guess she is like a typical kid person. Not that great with Adults, much like so many paeds and teachers.

Thanks Julz. I am going to take her back tomorrow and see how that goes. Will then make a decision afterwards based on that.

My sister decided not to take her youngest (24 months) after he screamed waay to much before he even got near the water. And her daughter (5years) eventually did go in. She actually enjoyed it

I think my biggest problem is that I am not comfortable with the teacher herself and that makes everything seem alot worse for me. As I said, she was not very pleasant with any of us at all. Actually, she was a bit rude and sarcastic. So, obviously, I am a bit reluctant to hand Emily and all control of her over to someone who makes me uncomfortable.

At the end of the day, we all have our own parenting styles and I guess it only makes sense to choose teachers for your child who use a similar approach to you.

She was not mean to Emily, just to some of the other children there (and to us adults!!) So, I think I will continue taking her for the 8 lessons, but if she does anything with Emily that I am not comfortable with, we will leave immediately.

She has two daugthers that teach. Daryn anne only on a saturday. You are welcome to actually come through and watch Dylan on Saturday at 9 30 if you like. Sometimes it helps to see the results and to see how the kids enjoy it.

Dylan really did cry for 8 lessons and it stressed me soooooo much. I also found that Dylan acts up more if I am there or if both mom and dad are there.

Again please join us on Saturday if you like to see how far we have come.

I guess I am one of those tougher parents who sleep trained (not leaving a kid to scream though ) and took the night bottle away and now the dummy so yes Dylan may need therapy one day, but I was over protected and look how well I turned out. Three years of therapy and still going strong.

All you can do is trust your instincts. If you are not happy cut your losses and move on. x

Thanks Julz. I was looking forward to your response because I know that you have been there as well.

Is Darryn Anne Lindsay's daughter?? Her daughter was there teaching yesterday as well.

Soooooooo confused about what to do - this parenting business is TOUGH!!!!

Here is her facebook page with some videos that parents have sent in. One of Dylan too after about 9 weeks of lessons.

Dylan goes to Lindsays swim school in Bothasig. He swims with Daryn Anne who is amazing (she teaches on a saturday). Dylan used to go during the week and I often would sit through classes with Lindsay herself. She is really firm with the kids, but I do feel she actually loves them and she gets results.

It really depends on you and how important it is to you that your child swims and how you feel about your child having to do things that they are not too keen on to start with. I have seen classes where parents swim with the kids and the kids have a ball, but they are not always swimming after 4 classes which Dylan was.

One thing is certain, both lindsay and Daryn anne have said that if they feel the child hates it they may not proceed with the classes unless the parent insists. We knew that Dylan is a water baby, he just didn't want to be with a stranger, but got over it. Daryn anne would hold dylan so nicely and talk to him for quite a while so it wasn't as if he was flung into the water on the first visit.

It seriously isn't as if they drop the child in water straight away and make it swim! They do however get the child used to putting the head under water quite soon and I have sat through many classes with many kids at this school and have really not felt that there is something to be concerned about.

The whole thing about teaching a child water safetly is so that the child will know what to do if it were to fall into water. That is what they teach and then from there they go onto proper swimming.

In 8 weeks Dylan was jumping off that high section into the deep end and swimming to the corner.

I think I am a fairly careful parent when it comes to choosing where Dylan goes and both his daymom and current daycare said it was a good swim school.

There is another in Edgemead. Suanne I think. She phoned me after Daryn Anne couldn't teach anymore and I she said that LIndsay isn't registered etc etc. I am not too keen on schools that knock others and thankfully Daryn Anne called to say she would teach on a Saturday.

If you don't feel comfortable then change schools. Listen to your instinct, but all of my friends kids were taught by LIndsay and none of them hated it. My friends Autistic child also goes there and is loving it.

Thanks ladies. I appreciate the responses.

Someone else just mentioned that not taking her back might now also have negative effects because she misses the later lessons where she would actually be comfortable and she is now left with the traumatising memory

Not sure what to do. I really wish I had asked to watch some lessons first before we started.