4 1/2 year old starting swim lessons?

My son is going to be starting swimming lessons. I have purchased everything on the checklist. My son now seems to not want to do and is scared. Any advice on helping him cope BESIDES talking to him because of course I have been talking to him. We live in Oregon and are big beach trippers, fishers, boaters, so it is important and necessary for him to learn. He wanted to learn so I enrolled him, he had been asking me for about 9 months now, but I wanted to wait, so I enrolled him, I am going to stick to it because I gave in and enrolled him. I however do not want him to feel pushed, pressured, scared. Any thoughts?

Answers:
I started my 3 1/2 year old on swim lessons last week. She was so excited and then when it was her turn to get in the water with the teacher she freaked. Screamed, wouldn't sit down at the side of the pool , wanted to leave. I'm not a quitter especially when I've paid for the course and it's something as important as this. The second day I wore my bathing suit and got to the pool 15 minutes before class. She finally got in the water with me about 5 minutes before class. She didn't want to go with the teacher but I paid attention and tried all the techniques the teacher was using with the other kids, and my daughter went along. The third day, we arrived early and she got in the water right when we got there and we went over the things we had done the day before. Then when class started she wanted to sit with her friends and listen to the teacher. She kept looking to make sure I was there, but by Friday she didn't even bother to look around for me, she had a blast. See if it's possible for you to get in the water with him, and be prepared if you can. Chances are he needs time to get used to the idea and seeing it and doing the things in class are completely different than talking about it. You are doing the right thing by sticking with it, letting him quit sends a bad message, especially since he hasn't even started the class yet. By the way, there were 2 other kids in my daughter's class that screamed the first day. It happens, kids get nervous and the teachers know that, but I'm the only one who has taken the effort to get in the water with my child and do what the teacher is doing, and she is the only one of the 3 of them that has gotten back in the water with the teacher.

Other Answers:
Just watch out for any unusual changes on his skin.

Don't push him into the water or force him to do something he's afraid of or he will start to resent you and he won't trust you as much. However, start slowly introducing him to the water yourself in the shallow end of the swimming pool (if he is fine with that). Have him wear those floatation devices or use a floating board. Make sure he's comfortable before he starts the lessons. You can also start him off in the bathtub. The teacher should know how to deal with this issue, as he/she has probably had children who feared water before. Show him yourself that there is no reason to be scared. Go in with him. If mommy gets wet and looks like she is having fun...

Take him to a swimming pool with his arm floaties on and let him splash around with the other children his age. Let the children that know how to swim show him some cool tricks and of course he will want to follow along. This will get his excitment about swimming back up.

Go in the water with him and let him latch onto you for as long as it takes until he is comfortable with letting loose. Don't let the fact that you enrolled him hinder you.

I am sure the instructor won't mind if your in the water with him. Even if he doesn't participate with the class, it's the environment he needs to be relaxed in. By the time the next class starts up, he may be in a better place and will only need you to be poolside.

Try taking him swimming a few times on your own before the lessons start. Play with him and reassure him that it's fun. Blow bubbles, and play games etc. Help him to see that swimming is a fun thing!! He is young and young ones do change their minds often but I would tell him just try it and if you don't like it you can stop. He should at least try and with kids that age you can always use. We can't go fishing unless you know how to swin, we can't go to the beach unless you take your lessons. You get my drift here. By no means be pushy but say you wanted to do this so you have to at least try it for mommy. I'm sure he will. Good luck!

take him to the beach and let him play in the shallow water, let him see you swimming around without any trouble. this will hopefully renew his interest. if this doesn't work, ask if he can just sit in on a few swim lessons to watch. sometimes kids have crazy irrational fears like that someone is going to hold them under or something. once he sees that they wont even make him put his head under until he is ready, and they will not let you drown, he will not be so scared anymore.

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4 1/2 year old starting swim lessons?

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