Grace has been having swimming lessons for a few weeks, her confidence while growing wasn’t high, at the pool last week she was in a swimming lane (no jumping in allowed) sadly a young man decided to leap in and hit her full on taking her under the water, bit of panic surrounded the incident and life guard had to go in and bring her out.
Consequences of that is she now refuses to go to the pool.
Nathan offered to take her himself but no even her beloved uncle Nate can’t get her back in the water.
Any ideas ? I don’t want to force her really as she reacts badly to being made to do things we have more success normally with gentler methods.
Good idea we will have a look next week on holiday must be somewhere in Sussex we can try, doesn’t help my husband the real swimmer can’t swim at the moment so his confidence is not there for her to tap into, I can’t swim never have so I’m no help at all.
You could be a great help Julie, just get in the pool with her in the shallows where you can support her and make her feel safe until her confidence returns. Just getting into the water is a good start surely, it doesn’t have to be deep water
Barry I am a lost cause with water I can’t even get into the room with a pool, top of beach is close enough to the sea, absolute coward. I think it would freak her more if I was there.
Poor lass … similar happened to me when I was learning to swim. Big fat blob landed on me and my friends father who had taken me to learn laughed so I strutted off in a strop with teeth bared. That was the last time I ever saw him.
Does she like swimming though? Or playing in water?
If she does, no matter how adamant she is, give her a little time and she might come around.
I did.
They were right s*ds at that pool anyway. They even gave me water wings that were on a slow puncture without telling me.
No she’s really not that keen took a while to persuade her to try to learn. My fear has always been the kids would catch the fear from me so we try to get them all swimming.
Julie im wondering if your own fear of water may have coloured your daughters thinking. My fear of dentists was certainly transferred from my mother. I do think if you can, it would be good for both of you to learn together, nothing wrong if your pool has a kiddies pool or even better sessions where beginners can learn away from the mayhem of the public pool.
What about swimming lessons for her? She might regain her confidence if she knows there is someone in charge who is good swimmer.
Btw, I was taught to swim at primary school aged five. We all had to line up on the edge of the pool, then they shoved us in one by one and fished us out with a hook. Lots of water up nose etc but it worked. I have not been scared of water since.
Just leave her alone … Don’t put any pressure on her, she will come round in her own time and you can be sure she will ask you to take her swimming again in a week or two.
