Learning to Swim and ADHD

In our family, we have people who swim miles at a time, people who could swim a few laps before getting exhausted, and people who cannot even put their face in the water.  DD didn't make the greatest debut in the pool, since she started off by refusing to put her head underwater.  Still, living in a state with lots of lakes and with Michael Phelps being the posterboy for ADHD success, we couldn't help pushing a little bit on the swimming issue.

Our first real swim lessons were difficult.  DD loved being the water with the other kids, but there were probably 10 of them in her class, all splashing and talking at the same time.   While we explained to her the expectations she should adhere to in class, she still found it very easy to get lost, and needless to say, she made little progress.

Fast forward to age 7, DD was enrolled in a private lesson in the autumn.  She and her instructor basically have the pool to themselves, with the exception of the life guard and the occasional old lady doing the side stroke on the other side of the pool.    She also had the motivation of seeing her younger brother swim.  Now, she's not the most coordinated, but boy, she is focused!  She doesn't like her face in the water and she still fiddles with her goggles a lot, but there's no excuse not to try to swim now.  I am certain she will know how to swim at least a few feet (maybe only on her back, but still!) by the end of her 5th lesson.

I was hesitant to do private lessons.  They are definitely more expensive.  But now that I see the results, I sort of want to kick myself for wasting money on group lessons!

2016 update:
We opted for semiprivate lessons--just DD and her younger brother--because it works out to be cheaper than doing private lessons for one and group lessons for the other.  What we noticed was that her brother was not much of a distraction, but the other kids in the pool (because this time we went for spring instead of autumn) were.  Mission accomplished:  both kids can swim for at least a few feet!

My top 5 tips for swimming lesson success:

1.  Private lessons are expensive, but they are worth it if you think of the money you waste when your child is not learning to swim the usual way.  Consider semiprivate lessons with a sibling if cost is an issue.
2.  Book your lessons for off season--either early in spring or starting late in summer.  Yes, it is colder, but there will likely be fewer distractions.  If your child is doing private lessons, they will be moving all the time anyway.
3.  Peer pressure to normalize swimming can still be found in the way of witnessing sibling lessons.
4.  Medication can help.  Just remember to book your lessons while the med is still in effect.
5.  Book for the best time of day.  If you can bring your child in for lessons in the morning, while their meds are in action, or at least when they are well rested, it helps a lot!