... four... swimming lessons... wanted him to dunk his head. He refused so they dunked him.
I'm so sorry this happened. Please know that not all lessons are conducted this way! For many swim instruction classes, there is no pressure: when introducing and practicing each skill, the child's participation in each skill activity is considered optional. A child "graduates" to the next level when they have
voluntarily performed each skill, showing the
confidence to
freely choose to do so.
A program which boasts of passing the majority of kids quickly through the progression of skills may be conducted differently than a program which places emphasis on the child's voluntary participation and manages parental expectations that it may be rare for a child to progress through skill levels in one class (2-3 repetitions of a level may be the norm).
