My Kid Freaks Out During Swim Lessons – What is Going On? 

So, you’ve just signed up your child for swim lessons – congratulations! Learning how to swim is an essential safety skill for young children. Just knowing the basics – rolling over, floating, knowing how to grab a wall and climb out – could save your child’s life. The only problem is that getting them to the lesson is like wrangling a feral raccoon. They scream, they cry, they kick their feet in protest, they cling to their car seat with the strength of a comic superhero, which makes you, in turn, the supervillain. After all that, you’re forced to watch your child throw the same fit in the pool with their instructor. You can feel the side-eyes from other parents in the room. Are you a terrible parent? Are you paying for your child to be tortured every week? 

Take a deep breath. You’re doing the right thing. Here are reasons why your child might cry during a swim lesson that have nothing to do with you, or your swim instructor, being evil, heartless people.