Swimmers I need your help

[joenali]

OK, I used to teach swimming lessons for years. My SS is 8, and is not very comfortable in the water and it drives me crazy. I don't think he needs to be the next Michael Phelps but I would like him to know enough to have fun and be safe in the water.

We have been to the pool every day since we came to DH's families' house. I've tried teaching him a little here and there and it seems to "work" here and there, but he HATES putting his face under, HATES blowing bubbles and the weirdest (IMO) of all he HATES getting water in his mouth. So much so that he gagged today and threw up a little in the water when water got in his mouth. I've tried to show him that getting water in your mouth is ok, won't make you sick, blah, blah, blah. But it keeps heppening.

I know I/we need to sign him up for lessons, but his mother is also very uncomfortable in the water, so I think there is some projecting there. His mother has also told him that he might be allergic to the chlorine, which totally disagree with. THis is her diagnosis, not a doctors. Sometimes he gets a runny nose after swimming, but I think it's because he gets so much water up his nose if he goes under.


Any clever ideas to help him with just being more comfortable in the water? How about the gagging issue? I know it 's hard for a kids when their parent is trying to teach them how to swim and it's best if I just let another person do it, but we are here for another week and will be going to the pool almost every day.

[livinitup]

Advice as a swim instructor - chill out. You're right that his issues and anxiety are not water -related. And you're not helping, you're too invested. Sorry

Group swim lesson will help. Dramatically. For this week, make it fun, with little to no pressure.

Even your "showing" him how okay it is - is working against your goal. STOP it.

[Susie]

If she's got him convinced he's allergic to chlorine (lol), maybe a calm beach at a lake might be good? No chlorine there.

FWIW, my nose often runs after I swim. No apparent reason.

It's tough to teach your own though. There's such an added layer of pressure/frustration. Having someone else do it might help. It's not a reflection on your ability to teach in general, you just may be too close to the situation.

[IIOY]

I cannot believe the mother told him he might be allergic to chlorine. Way to plant a reason not to swim in his already-adverse head.

Get independent lessons. My son would only calm down and swim when he had a class with other kids his age. He'd get so busy having fun with them and watching them go through the motions that his anxiety disappeared.

Also, FWIW, sometimes my son sneezes like mad for a couple hours after swimming. He's not allergic; it's just a function of getting the water up into his sinuses and it's not unusual.

[smithsmile]

I echo what PP posters said about doing swim lessons. Is he going to camp this summer that has them available?

But for now, definitely just try and keep it fun. I know it will be frustrating, but kids sense that and it may make it worse for him.

Hopefully showing how fun the water is will lessen his anxiety about swimming. Good luck!

[pinkplasticdoll]

He definitely needs swim lessons from someone other than a parent or family member, it usually doesn't help situations and actually pushes kids further away from being comfortable. It won't be a bad investment because they usually teach basic safety measures and even though he is older he could still get into a sticky situation int he water, panic and then not be able to help himself.