Westy, it IS our local one and I've just rang them and the woman has told me to basically suck it up and that it takes 4 weeks for them to settle into a swim class. Ugh. I'm so annoyed right now.
Thats crap. Sure it is a new experience & most kids probably do take that few weeks to settle in. BUT She took your DD & dunked her in with out letting her be comfy first. No way is DD going to go along next time & think, "OH I remember this, it was great fun"
I would post pone the lessons for a few months & just keep up with your own water play together.
You need to reintroduce her slowly at her own pace.
IMO professional Swimming lessons so young have no real benefit. You can build water confidence & safety through your own common sense & you can do it at a pace that suits both you & your child that way.
I can't believe they took DD off of you and just dunked her in her first lesson. WT??? I wouldn't go back either.
Our swim centre actually tells us NOT to put them under in their first lesson because all they'll remember is the trauma and it makes it harder to settle in. And the instructor never takes a child from their parent. DD's first lesson was her first time in a pool and she clung to me the whole time. The instructor went with it and we did the activities she felt comfortable with. By the end of the lesson she was quite happy to be in the water and I was satisfied with that for a first lesson. The instructor uses a doll to show us what to do and also tells us to watch other parents to see how to do it.
Actually, I'm really peeved on your behalf. It ****s me no end that its so accepted to treat babies as if they aren't people. Why are they any less deserving of our respect? If the instructor did that to an older child or another adult, it would be assault.
I hope your DD feels better after her nap. She must be exhausted.
I would be demanding to speak to the Centre Mgr. How dare they take the baby from you and dunk her that is SO bad - forcing little ones to do something and expect them just to get use to it.
If you have no luck then get Hubby to ring them I often find that dealing with a dad is far more intimidating. If they tell you to suck it up again I would say something about getting in contact with the local paper as they love stories like this ....... nothing like bad publicity for a business.
Mann I would be so livid I would be spitting vemon down the phone line
I rang DH and his simple no BS response was "F**k the money, you're not taking her back, no way, we'll do it ourselves".
I feel horrible for her being put through that when it doesn't seem to be the norm. Poor wee sausage. I'm going to take her swimming on Monday - just the two of us, to make sure she's not completely traumatised. I hope this hasn't done any damage. DD is very sensitive and aware of her surroundings so fingers crossed she'll be ok - she loves swimming with me!
We started DD at 4 months (we live near the beach and have a pool so wanted to start asap) and she hated it. She screamed for about 85% in the first lesson and it was only by lesson 4 that she was going okay. Thankfully DH took her because I don't think I could have coped. Anyway, he used to just get out of the pool and sit on the side and watch the other kids with her if she really chucked a spack. Anyway it all went fine until recently when she doesn't want to leave him again. It's seperation anxiety, I am 100% sure so he doesn't make her, he just gets the instructor to tell him what to do every second time or demonstrate with another child. So one time she goes to the instructor and one time she stays with DH. Apparently she is coping but not overly happy but recovers well so we're perservering.
FWIW - my DD was put under water in her first lesson too?
Im always in two minds about them, mostly because when we take our kids to the pool or beach there is always one kid more than the two of us (Dh and I) and for peace of mind I would rather they wear them (esp Ds2 being autistic he doesnt understand risks and consequences). My supervisors at work really hate floaties, they encourage us to encourage parents NOT to use them because they give kids a false sense of security and interferes with them learning to swim/float. And they honestly do.
BUT safety is also important. So we have our boys wear swim VESTS. Definately do not use arm floaties, gosh they are a nightmare (and I can always tell when I get a new kid who obviously thinks they can swim because they wear arm floaties!). It really worries me when I get new kids who tell me "Oh I can swim all by myself, my mum/dad/nanna/whoever says Im a great swimmer!" and I say "Ok then, show me your awesome swimming".............................and then the kid sinks to the bottom. Because they can swim WITH floaties. Its false security and mindsets like that that make them think they dont NEED to be safe around water because they can swim. We all know thats bullpoopy, even people who can swim can get into trouble (but it definately greatly lessens the risk of drowning).
So if your keen on a floatation device get a vest not arm floaties. And always spend equal time in AND out of the vest. We swim our 4 and 3yo's in the vest for 10min then the rest of the time out of it because they can swim well enough to get to the side of the pool safely and keep afloat. Our 2yo gets the vest for more time because he cannot swim well as yet but we do try to take him out of it towards the end and I run through his drills (and he jumps in and out of the pool lol).
Also another great idea for kids over 18mths who cant really swim is for them to use a noodle. We use them as part of our drills at work, the kids aged between 2-7 that cannot swim for extended periods on their own use them to practice kicking, paddle arms and bubbles. You sit their arms over the noodle so they can freely move them and get them to kick their legs, paddle their arms and blow bubbles. They get freedom of movement but they are supported in the water. Obviously you should never leave them unsupervised to do this because they can fall off but that goes without saying
All kids scream esp if they are new to water/lessons. Even my youngest did (and still does sometimes). Alot of kids can be fine until they hit around 18mths then their stubborness kicks in and they decide they call the shots, so the screaming and fighting starts all over again. The key is consistency. Keep going, eventually they will settle (again). Most babies hate being on their back. But floating is an essential safety skill to learn. It can be the difference between life and death in a drowning indicent. Better a screaming kid on top of the pool during lessons than a not screaming kid on the bottom of a pool.
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