My 6 year old daughter has a fear of swimming!?

Question

Okay, my daughter will put her face in the shower, and put her face in the kiddie pool but is reluctant to put her entire head in the pool where her swimming lessons are. We do not have easy access to a pool. I first put her in lessons when she was 4 and that was twice a week. This time she is going 5 days a week. Her lessons are through the American Red Cross. I must admit, I have the same fear of water but she has no clue about it. My husband is an average swimmer. She needs to learn how to swim. Anybody who has gone through this, what did you do? Are private lessons better?

Answer 1

im 23 and afraid of swimming its normal

Answer 2

I agree with not hanging around for lessons.  There's some kind of mommy factor that makes it worse for them....it adds more pressure.  Peek through the window where she can't see you or something. But yes, DONT force it...it will just make it worse.  I have told my kids that swimming lessons are not negotiable.  They absolutely have to learn how to swim and jump off the diving board too.  Other sports are up to them, but swimming can save their lives.  

Try using swim caps, goggles, nose plugs, buy her a new pretty towel or swimsuit....anything to get her interested in it.  Maybe take her down a level so she isn't pressured so much....the swim instructor would know.  I personally think private lessons might put too much pressure on her...whereas in a class with other kids she may feel that she blends into the crowd a little more.

Answer 3

talk to her swim instructor.

Answer 4

i learned how to swim when i was 12 dont let that happen to your daughter yeah mmayby privet lessons and go out in the pool with her during the lessons.

Answer 5

I can't swim and I am almost 17 I can go out on one of those mesh floaties but I can't swim I can also walk to the middle of the pool with no floaties 4 feet of water 5 feet of me....lol

Answer 6

when i was younger i was just like her! My parents were sort of like you and your husband my mom didnt really like the water but never showed that to me and my dad was an ok swimmer. I tried group swimming lessons and still didnt learn when i got private lessons i was swimming in deep water and loving it in about 2 or 3 weeks. I would say go for private lessons for me it made me feel safer maybe it will do that for your daughter as well.

hope i helped

Answer 7

my daughter hated her swimming lessons, too, when we forced her to take them.  So we just relaxed and just went to the pool and play in the water on her own.  She would cry on the drive to the lessons and it was tense for all of us!!  DON'T FORCE THE LESSONS!!  Now my teenage daughter has leaned to swim on her own as she grew up...we just let her enjoy the water and by hanging out with her friends at the pool, she became comfortable in the water...her friends helped her, too, and this made her WANT to learn how!  Now she's quite the swimmer!!!  good luck and just chill out on the lessons!!

Answer 8

When I was little I had the same fear, my swimming teacher just told me to look the other way, and then dunked me! She was a lifeguard, and we did private lessons.

I know it sounds harsh, but now I love the water. My mother rewarded me for it by getting me a barbie. I was six when it happened, and she alwayse stayed with me to watch me learn. It was comforting for me to have her there. I was so proud when I actually acomplished going all the way under water. It was years ago.

Answer 9

I have 3 children.  My oldest is now 8 and he did the same thing around 5 years old.  I didn't learn how to swim until I was 18 and can now swim only well enough to save my life (if I'm lucky)  So the kids learning to swim is a really big deal to me!!  My advice to you is stick with the red cross swim lessons and I don't know where you live but in BC Canada we there are 10 sessions for each set.  I found the everyday lessons for 2 weeks were the best.  He made a lot more progress in these lessons than in the twice a week sets.  I did also do 5 private lessons but they were once a week for 5 weeks and pretty much a waste of our money.   If you could do them closer together it might be okay.  He lost his confidence during the week while he was away and had to gain it all over again at each lesson.  He had to do a lot of sets of lessons though before he became comfortable in the water.  Once he did that he loved it.  It was like night and day when it happened.  He was in swimming lessons and complained for about 1/2 of them then one day just got it and hasn't been a problem since.  This past school year we put him in the local swim club and he now can swim laps of the pool.  My next son was no problem.   He is currently 5 and has no fear of anything.  My youngest is a 3 year old girl and she is doing exactly the same as my oldest and I plan to just keep trying!!  I have noticed though, all the kids do better when they think I am not watching.  Good luck and hang in there she will get it.

Also have you tried some goggles??

Answer 10

I suggest you not stick around and watch while she is taking lessons.  I believe this is a sort of "trust" issue, and without mom there overseeing what she does she will have to place trust in the instructor.  Try it for about a week see if it works.

Answer 11

I would try private lessons with a female that she is comfortable with.

And tell her when she is in taht pool with the instructor nothing can happen to her because theya re such good swimmers and are watchign her carefully.  Ask her what scares her about it

Answer 12

I would get her some private lessons with an understanding instructor. She does not need to put her entire head in the pool to learn to swim - she can swim on her back or do breaststroke. She won't become a great swimmer that way, but at least she will be safe.

I hate putting my head underwater too and never did get the hang of freestyle. But I'm a perfectly adequate swimmer as far as not drowning goes :)