Swimming lessons

Baby has been going for swimming class since she was 8 months old.  She enjoyed it very much at first but then now towards the end of the second term, she is suddenly afraid of water and refused to do all that she was doing earlier.  Although she didn't cry but she just grabbed to my swimsuit and refused to do anything. 

The swimming lessons are in a specialised heated pool with controlled chlorine usage and salted water.  Something like that.  The lessons are designed for babies, infant, toddler.  Either the mom or the dad has to be in the pool with the child.

Baby was progressing well and even kicking her legs happily at the beginning of Term 2.  Then I missed 1 lesson and the next 2 lessons she refused to do anything.   The instructor said it's because I missed a lesson and that Baby is at the time when she knows what she likes and dislikes.

But I find her behaviour is also attributed to 1 child in the class.  He is about 2 years old and has been kicking a big fuss and would cry from the start of the class to the end.  And when I said cry, it means he screamed throughout the class for that half an hour class.  And it's loud and pitiful.

The exasperated father would try his very best to calm the child but the boy has no qualms of stopping.  The moment he reaches the pool she screams even before going in.  Once inside the pool he screamed even though the father was carrying him closely.  The boy would refused anything and screamed the whole time.  Even the instructor have no idea what to do with them.  The mother would be standing outside the pool and watching and I can see she feels helpless too.

I feel for the parents.  I really do.  If I were in their shoes, I would also be exasperated and helpless.  But I can't help but feeling his screaming is affecting other kids as well, especially those younger.  Those bigger ones care no less.  But smaller ones like Baby and another baby, as parents we find it hard to coax our kids.

Well, this is a group class and not a one-to-one lesson so I guess I just have to cope with it.  Next week will be the final lesson for term 2 and I don't think I would continue.

Maybe when she is older, I might sign her up again.  But I think now enough is enough.

Initially I read the benefits of swimming in an early stage and want her to learn as survival skill as both me and her father can't swim.  Also I was intrigued by the underwater photograph that the school has arranged after don't know how many terms.

Baby was improving as well.  From being water resistant to being able to immerse in the water and learn how to hold her breath and kick her legs.

I believe there are few factors that attributed to it and I can't blame that 1 kid but I did highlight it to the instructor and she kept silent.  Oh well.  I don't mean to hurt but I honestly feel in my humble opinion, the boy is probably more comfortable with the mother in the water than with the father. 

Yes, I did missed a lesson due to some stupid whole day conference that is compulsory to attend and it falls on a Saturday. The instructor allowed us to have an advance class as replacement that means swimming on both days, Saturday and Sunday.  Unfortunately I missed that class on Sunday as baby was too tired and I didn't want to push it.  The time was also her nap time.

I thought the instructor would allow us to join the session after the absent class meaning the Sunday after the conference,  but she doesn't allow it.  Not sure how they come up with such system but then again, it's their business, their rule.

I was annoyed at first that I missed because of the conference and then missed because Baby was too tired from back-to-back appointments and then annoyed that the instructor didn't allow us to join the class after the missed class and said only advance not after and that if I insisted, I might need to pay extra.

Anyway, few factors I feel contributed to Baby sudden lack of interest.

1. We missed 1 week lesson.
2. Her class is the first class of the day and the water is too cold as they just started the heated water. She would shiver the whole time.
3. The crying boy affected Baby as she would be watching him cry.

These are just my theory.  I must say Baby did benefit from the class and she is not afraid of water on her face unlike my nephew who can't stand the tiniest bit of water on his face.  So I could wash her hair without issue and she loves bath time.

I would have love to continue but I think it's wasting my money if she continue to cling on me and refuses to do anything else.  I tried.  She tried.  Instructor also tried.