For snorkle - re DS's swimming issues

[Bozza]

snorkle with DS it is both I think. He has never been confident or adventurous physically. He was never a climber and he could walk before he could pull himself up! He is reasonably physically active and spends hours running around kicking a football, when given the opportunity. But I think he is rather unco-ordinated - his reception teacher brought up the issue of him not being able to skip, for instance, although he has now learnt. And he is getting there with the strokes - they emphasise breast stroke at our pool.

But the confidence is a massive issue. In September I said we would go to a leisure pool if he jumped in 10x. This is into the shallow end for a boy who has been having lessons for 2 1/2 years. He had done 3 by late January. Then all of a sudden he decided to go for it and did 10 all at once. So we went to a leisure pool and he loved it. Today he decided he would put his face into the water in the bath so that was another break through. But they are very slow coming these break throughs. He wears polystyrene discs and is very unwilling to remove any.

[snorkle]

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[Bozza]

Well we just had a swimming lesson tonight and I do see what you mean about the breast stroke. He kept wanting to go to alternating legs - and his left leg definitely appears to be weaker. I think it is a policy to concentrate on the breast stroke. He has got goggles but tends to mess with them and not wear them at the times when you would imagine they would be most useful. He put his face in the water tonight when they were being encouraged to bob down under the water.

He can stand in the pool. I do take him swimming at other times when I can fit it in. But I usually also have 2yo DD. She is OK in the water and happy to swim on her own, but will demand attention if she thinks DS is getting too much! And I am never sure how much I should be concentrating on his swimming and how much just messing around. The discs are the pool's property so when we go he wears arm bands. I have deflated these somewhat so that he is doing more of the work, but anymore and they won't stay on his arms. I have recently persuaded him to take them off for the last 5 minutes of our sessions. This took a level of persuasion but I reasoned that it would help to realise that he is OK in the water without them.

What do you think about practicing breast stroke out of the water, 5 mins each night? The swimming teacher has recommended this, but it is hard to remember sometimes.

[Bozza]

Sorry, meant to add thanks for your help.

[snorkle]

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[Bozza]

No your're right re the breast stroke practice being dificult. We are just practicing the legs. I don't think he is too bad with the arms (although at one point he was doing these the wrong way!). We have found just about the best chair and 2yo DD always insists on having a turn. He is not getting his legs wide enough, and tends to do an almost butterfly type flick, especially when he thinks the teacher isn't looking.

I have seen lots of the other children in his classes messing with their goggles in a similar way. I am not really bothered by this, he can choose whether to wear them or not. Thank you, you have inspired me to keep going with him. I will really try to remember the leg practice. And to keep taking him. I have joined the gym at the baths so I can swim for free, DS has a pass because of his swimming lessons and DD is under 3 so it doesn't actually cost me anything to take them. It's just that there are limited hours of public swim so we have to fit that in with all our other commitments.

[snorkle]

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