UPDATE in post 36...Tell me I'm crazy to hate this activity?

[Tenasparkl]

You're not crazy. There's lots of good potential here (I'm a huge advocate for water safety) but I am also quite leery of water activities with large groups of kids, and careful about driving situations with my kids. However, I'd want to let my child participate if possible. I think in your shoes I would:

1. Confirm how they're handling the parent drivers and make sure I'm comfortable with it. I would want to know that parents are being appropriately screened (like what California said has to happen at her school). I would also be uncomfortable with my child riding without a booster, tbh. I realize by 3rd grade tons of kids are not, but there's zero way my DD1 could have passed a 5 point test as a 3rd grader.

2. Make plans to attend the first lesson. That would give me a chance to assess the situation -- the size of the groups, the supervision happening, etc. I've seen swim lessons run in really safe, organized, great ways -- and I've also seen really unsafe situations that I wouldn't be comfortable with. Being there for the first lesson would let me know which grouping this fell into!

Yes to all of this. My son is in fifth and we just stopped using his booster. For third I would think many would still need one for sure.

[NCGrandma]

I have a third grader and I was also thinking about the booster seat aspect. I'm sure many third graders don't use them and I'm sure they'll try to cram as many kids as possible into each car. But I would not be ok with my 8 year old riding around without a booster. He is nowhere near tall enough for the seatbelt to fit safely without one.

That was my first reaction, too (as well as the "unknown driver" situation). My 11-y.o. DGD2 probably still needs a booster (or at least she did until very recently). She already gets flak for being short — and she would definitely point out that it’s not safe for her to ride without one.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Ideally it should be 2 adult volunteers. Adults shouldn’t be alone with kids. And I’d ask the school to make sure those parents backgrounds are checked. When it comes to that stuff, I don’t mind being THAT parent.

I brought up a similar concern to dh the other day and he talked me down. For me it was a coach after school and the kids were just hanging out before practice started. The coach has all the clearances and background checks and it's very normal for a teacher or coach to be one on one with ids. Can things happen? I know they do. But, it's not unheard of to have a single adult. I know Boy Scouts pushes that 2 adult thing, and it is a good goal, but so long as everyone has their proper credentials in, I was successfully talked down.

I do think the whole way they use parent drivers in CA is really weird but that's what they are used to. Totally not a thing here though, that's for sure.

[gatorsmom]

I brought up a similar concern to dh the other day and he talked me down. For me it was a coach after school and the kids were just hanging out before practice started. The coach has all the clearances and background checks and it's very normal for a teacher or coach to be one on one with ids. Can things happen? I know they do. But, it's not unheard of to have a single adult. I know Boy Scouts pushes that 2 adult thing, and it is a good goal, but so long as everyone has their proper credentials in, I was successfully talked down.

I do think the whole way they use parent drivers in CA is really weird but that's what they are used to. Totally not a thing here though, that's for sure.

Since the huge lawsuit and Bankruptcy of the Boy Scouts they implemented the 2 adult thing. It’s pretty smart and absolutely necessary for them. They can’t afford another case of abuse. Insisting on 2 adults might be overkill though for a school that is doing background checks.

im also a little more sensitive to this than others. I used to do counseling for a Rape Crisis Center. You would not believe the stories. This is the exact situation a predator looks for- an opportunity to get a kid alone. “Need help with your wet bathing suit? It’s bothering you? I can help. We will just pull over here…”. Who is more likely to be believed? Granted, it’s not your usual case of grooming the kid and the community and easing into the abuse slowly and cautiously. It sounds like this swim class will only be for a month. But I keep coming back to kids in wet swimsuits who might need just a little extra help. That is a opportunity for some perv who wants to cop a feel.

I’ve noticed that the further out we get from a tragedy the more we get relaxed as a society about being cautious. Unless you’ve personally been affected, you the danger tends to fade.

[bisous]

Thanks all! I normally DRIVE so I didn't even think about the booster thing. For many grades our stringent CA laws mean the kids HAVE to use boosters up through about 2nd grade. 3rd grade is mostly none and it doesn't get better. I will absolutely send her with one. Dang it. Maybe I'll try to drive. Maybe I can arrange it that I can just park in the front of the school and not get out?

Also, to be honest if they WERE changing clothes I think I wouldn't do it. It just seems TOO potentially predatory. I'm sure that's why they have the kids stay in their wet clothes. Thankfully it shouldn't be cold. Our "cold" weather doesn't occur until after this program is over. I think it is just four lessons?

[bisous]

Just wanted to update you guys...

She's having fun. They test the kids prior to putting them in classes. For her test, she refused to put her face in (she always swims with her face in so I'm not sure why???) and of course, nobody instructed her to put her face in. Consequently, she's in the lowest swim class. She spends the 30 minutes in the pool blowing bubbles and sitting on the steps. She can swim freestyle about half a pool length in her private swim classes so this is just not an effective class for her! Anyway...I've committed to driving and we have two lessons left. It is such a time suck! I wish we could have just skipped the whole thing but knowing DD she'd really want to be there. She is having fun. It just reminds me why we spend "the big bucks" for private lessons where I can work with teachers to encourage her and help her progress!

[KpbS]

Just wanted to update you guys...

She's having fun. They test the kids prior to putting them in classes. For her test, she refused to put her face in (she always swims with her face in so I'm not sure why???) and of course, nobody instructed her to put her face in. Consequently, she's in the lowest swim class. She spends the 30 minutes in the pool blowing bubbles and sitting on the steps. She can swim freestyle about half a pool length in her private swim classes so this is just not an effective class for her! Anyway...I've committed to driving and we have two lessons left. It is such a time suck! I wish we could have just skipped the whole thing but knowing DD she'd really want to be there. She is having fun. It just reminds me why we spend "the big bucks" for private lessons where I can work with teachers to encourage her and help her progress!

Argh! Would they/she agree to a retest so she could switch groups? She can blow bubbles in the bathtub at home, lol. I am glad she is loving it though.

[bisous]

Argh! Would they/she agree to a retest so she could switch groups? She can blow bubbles in the bathtub at home, lol. I am glad she is loving it though.

It is interesting because she IS one of the least competent swimmers legitimately! Most of her class could swim a full 25 yards with no problem. I could probably force the issue. I'm trying to let her figure out her own stuff, partly to help her be more independent but also because not all the parents could be there to help their own children so I was trying to be sensitive to them. I honestly don't know that she'd behave appropriately in any of the other groups so maybe it is just as well that she's sitting on the steps. I just wish it didn't take an hour and a half out of her day (and then another hour sitting in wet clothes until the end of the day!) I think I will talk with her about trying her best...maybe she could show her teacher how far she can swim and they're re-situate her?

[ezcc]

I was thinking about this thread recently- one of my daughter's friends is a jr in high school and in ROTC- they had a retreat recently and he was telling me that many of the kids can't swim (they were kayaking so it came up). I wish they would start a program like that here! I get that it's a time suck but swimming is such a fundamental skill. One of my kid's (private) school requires kids to pass a swim test to graduate which I think is a good idea.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I was thinking about this thread recently- one of my daughter's friends is a jr in high school and in ROTC- they had a retreat recently and he was telling me that many of the kids can't swim (they were kayaking so it came up). I wish they would start a program like that here! I get that it's a time suck but swimming is such a fundamental skill. One of my kid's (private) school requires kids to pass a swim test to graduate which I think is a good idea.

Swimming used be required in 7th, 8th and at least 1 year in high school. The teacher retired and it became an elective. It was really a valuable class and it's a shame it is no longer expected. Our school district skews heavily to minorities so having access to learn to swim at school might be the only opportunity some of them will have.