After School Swimming Lessons for Young Children: Your Questions Answered

Are you interested in booking after school swimming lessons for your child?

Perhaps your child is starting school, and you’re wondering what to do about swimming lessons? Many parents face the same dilemma: should you start after school lessons, take a break from swimming lessons while they settle into reception, or wait until they’re a little older?

Perhaps your child is older and you’re questioning if now is the right year to begin swimming after school. Or maybe they already have after school swimming lessons but they seem tired after school, and you’re questioning whether it’s too much.

Whatever stage your child is at, this guide will answer the most common parent questions about after school swimming lessons and help you decide what’s best for your family.

Should Children Continue Swimming Lessons When They Start Reception?

In a word, yes, especially if your child has already been enjoying preschool swimming lessons.

It’s easy to understand why some parents withdraw their 4 year olds from swimming lessons when they start reception. It’s natural for parents to ask: Will it be too much? Will they cope after a full day at school? Should we wait until later?

But taking a break can set your child back. Water confidence can take a knock and without regular practice, skills and techniques are easily forgotten.

As parents, we all know the saying: “If you don’t use it, you lose it” and when children are suddenly busy learning so many new things each day, swimming skills can slip away faster than you think.

After putting in all the effort, time (and money!) into building a solid swimming foundation for your little ones, it would be such a waste if they lost it all and had to start over again. Continuing lessons, even once a week, helps them stay confident, strong, and ready to keep moving forward on their swimming journey.

At Cindy’s, we know how important swimming is to your child’s confidence, fitness and enjoyment and we want their time with us to be the very best it can be. Our young swimmers have an amazing time in their lessons and most importantly build a solid foundation from which to dive into their full stroke swimming journeys.

Starting school is a big change as is reacclimatising to being back from the long summer holidays. Some children need a little extra support as they adjust to new routines.

Read on for answers to common parent questions, plus practical tips to help your child settle into after school swimming lessons

How to cope with tiredness after the school day – Top Tips

It’s true that reception children can be exhausted in the early weeks of school, which is why many parents wonder whether to participate in any after school activities. But if you do just one, we’d always recommend swimming. Not only does it support their physical development, but it also boosts confidence and builds on the skills they’ve already worked so hard to achieve.

To help:

• Keep non-swimming days as restful as possible.
• Create a calm after school routine that leads to an earlier bedtime. Even an extra 30 minutes of sleep makes a huge difference.
• Remember, swimming itself often helps anxious or restless children to relax and sleep more easily.

This is only a temporary phase. Before long, your child’s energy levels will settle, and swimming will feel like a natural part of their weekly routine again.

How to choose the right after school swimming lessons for your child

Look for teachers who are trained to support young learners (and their parents).

Our passionate and dedicated teachers are specifically trained on how best to understand the needs of new school goers and children who return back to school after the holidays.

Our lesson plans are specifically designed to build on their swimming foundations, whilst taking time to build back strength and fitness, as they settle into their after school routines.

Our teachers also know to take it easy for the first few weeks while your little ones may be tired. With our open door policy, we always encourage parents to regularly update their teachers on anything that might be helpful in having happy and confident swimmers.

Seek structured lessons that are aligned with your child’s development

Our teaching builds on familiar skills in small steps, helping children transition smoothly from toddler and preschooler groups to 4:1 lessons. Our layering structure keeps exercises familiar whilst progressing swimmers at a steady pace.

Their physical and mental development guide them through the teaching program so they only learn technical and physically challenging strokes when they are ready. This ensures they’re challenged only when they’re capable and never pushed beyond their limits.

Should I Withdraw My Child from Swimming Lessons if They’re Struggling to cope?

The short answer is no. Continuity is your friend! Pausing lessons can undo progress. Children may lose water confidence, strength and the familiarity of pool routines. By sticking with it, even at a slower pace, your child continues to make steady progress and avoids the setback of “starting over.”

It’s always worth having a chat with your child’s swimming teacher to let them know how they’re feeling. The lessons can then be kept light and fun, focusing on the progress they’ve already made, until your child feels ready to take on the next challenge.

What are Some of the Benefits of After School Swimming Lessons?

Swimming is more than just a skill. It’s exercise, fun, and an important outlet after a long day of sitting in the classroom. Even if your child seems tired after the school day, a swimming pool is a totally different environment for physical exertion that will quickly enliven and refresh them.

Regular lessons boost physical fitness and strength. Indeed exercise is sooooo good for all of us! It release feel-good endorphins which keep us happy, motivated and help us sleep. This is especially true in the winter months when the places and variety of sports we can do with our little ones in London drop substantially.

Don’t end up on the dreaded Waiting List

Every year we see young swimmers take a break from swimming, to help settle them into school. When this happens, those slots open up to new customers coming in.

As we have limited space, this leads to a lot of disappointment when customers try to return a few weeks into the new term. This is disappointing for us, as we always try to accommodate and hate to see eager swimmers not swimming, but we just don’t have the space.

If you aren’t happy, do say so

If you are not happy with your lessons, or have any concerns, please do let us know! We strive to deliver to you the best swimming lessons and experience here at Cindy’s, which we cannot do without customer feedback.

All complaints, concerns and queries are dealt with as an immediate priority and we can usually correct or improve things pretty quickly. We have a thorough training programme in place, which means that our teachers are always learning and perfecting their craft, all so that they can give you the best lessons in SW London!

And if you’re enjoying your after school swimming lessons with us, we’d love a shout-out on Google, Facebook, or Instagram! Every recommendation helps us grow and supports our charity partner.

We love all the support!