First day of 2009 swim lessons

Swim lessons got off to a rough start this year, the lessons started 2 days late due to some water quality tests not being in. Today they finally started and it was definitely chaotic. Some levels needed to be combined due to the fact that the lessons will now be 45 minutes rather than 30. Also we were told to be there at 2:00 and Tristan's level didn't start until 3:00. That was OK there is always the sand to play with.


I was worried when I heard they were combining Tristan's level, 3, with level 2. Level 3 starts deep water skills where level 2 is still beginner skills. I knew it was not going to be acceptable when I saw them playing Ring Around the Rosie and Red light- Green light, just to try to get the more timid kids to dunk under water!

After class I asked for Tristan to be moved up a level as did one other Mom for her child. I'm a bit concerned since that will be level 4 & 5 but there seems to be no happy medium this year. I'm not willing to let Tristan play and not learn anything new, we did pay for these lessons. He needs to work on his deep water skills not play "all fall down" with kids as young as 5! There are 12 kids in the level 2 and 3 class as well and there were only about 5 in the level 4 and 5 class so hopefully the smaller group will be better too. We will see. I know the instructor was frustrated with the large class size and I heard her saying this was not going to work well. She's quite young and it's her first year as a red cross instructor as the one that usually teaches in our area moved on after last year. Hopefully tomorrow will go better.