29/05/2026
Has your toddler just recently started saying NO to swimming??🤷♀️🫤 Read on to find out why it could be 👇
So you’ve been taking your little one to swimming lessons since they were a tot. They’ve always loved it. Bouncing around, splashing, going underwater, nothing has phased them. Each week you see them progressing and enjoying it more and more. Then one day they seem a little less happy about some skills in class, and the next week it’s turned into a major battle with serious resistance on their part.🤯
Children, especially little ones, do not learn in a linear fashion. They can be progressing wonderfully one week, full of confidence and amazing swimming ability, and then the next week they can seem to go backwards and not want to let go of you for a second. These ‘dips’ can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.🐢
This is normal and something we see as teachers, but as parents and carers it can be disheartening, and you may wonder if it is worth taking them any more. Many children will take what seems like a backward step on their way to swimming independently. We think of it as a plateau. Sometimes it can coincide with things that are happening outside of the pool, for example parents going back to work, starting nursery or the birth of a new sibling. Sometimes you have no idea why.
It can be that as they get a wee bit older their perception of the world is changing. They start to assess things and process things at a different rate than when they are babies. They can become more risk averse and just need a wee bit of extra time to understand what is being asked of them, and weigh the pros and cons, before they’re willing to give it a go themselves. And that is absolutely fine! On the flip side they may be demanding more independence, they want to do it all by themselves, which is also tricky when they’re not yet strong enough to lift their heads to breath, or to tread water for example.
With patience, empathy and gentle encouragement all children come through these phases in their own time. Our expert teachers are experienced in teaching toddlers, and will support you to try to ensure it is short-lived, just let us know if you are struggling. The good news is, in our experience when a child knows they will not be forced to do things and they can just watch a skill they’re not too confident with, and take it all in, they often take a huge jump in progression. We see it all the time. Remember when they feel secure and can watch their peers, they are developing their brain in nearly the same way as if they were actually practising the skill themselves.
Just remember, gentle progress and lots of support is always the way forward. This too shall pass, as they say, and they will astound you with their progress on the other side.❤️🩹
https://www.turtletots.com/uk/location/edinburgh/
