Overbearing Swimming Parents

I teach swimming here on the island of Roatan, Honduras. I have been teaching children from 6 months old to 5 years of age over the past five years. A woman with three children wanted private lessons so we began there. All classes are held in the ocean as there is no pool. (takes more creativity) I evaluated each of her children and developed a skills development class for each of them. Her older daughter loves breaststroke. When I saw it, I knew we had to start all over, totally over. She caught on pretty fast but always questioned why I was making the changes because she had been "taught" by a very good swimmer. She was unsure if I knew what I was talking about. I had her look at some videos of elite swimmers and then she told me it was her mom her taught her. I spoke to her mom about the changes and why. She informed me that she was an excellent swimmer, knew all four strokes because she was a lifeguard back in high school. This 9 year old girl was swimming breaststroke totally underwater with the widest pull all the way down to her hips I have ever seen. Her breastroke now looks like it should and funny, she travels faster. The other two children have improved immensely, but she is reigning hail on the son who does not like swimming and wants to read books and play the piano. He does not like swimming. I talked to her and told her I only wanted to work with him enough so that he could swim 100 yards back to shore if he ever got into trouble. Or, if he fell off a dock and needed to save himself (tread water). She wants all of them to get swimming college scholarships and they are ages: 4, 9, 10. I cancelled the classes because the only one interested was the older daughter whose breaststroke improved. The other ones were crying most of the time. And, I don't want them to grow up hating the water. Situations like this truly hurt my heart because I know how much fun swimming can be. Donna

I teach swimming here on the island of Roatan, Honduras. I have been teaching children from 6 months old to 5 years of age over the past five years. A woman with three children wanted private lessons so we began there. All classes are held in the ocean as there is no pool. (takes more creativity) I evaluated each of her children and developed a skills development class for each of them. Her older daughter loves breaststroke. When I saw it, I knew we had to start all over, totally over. She caught on pretty fast but always questioned why I was making the changes because she had been "taught" by a very good swimmer. She was unsure if I knew what I was talking about. I had her look at some videos of elite swimmers and then she told me it was her mom her taught her. I spoke to her mom about the changes and why. She informed me that she was an excellent swimmer, knew all four strokes because she was a lifeguard back in high school. This 9 year old girl was swimming breaststroke totally underwater with the widest pull all the way down to her hips I have ever seen. Her breastroke now looks like it should and funny, she travels faster. The other two children have improved immensely, but she is reigning hail on the son who does not like swimming and wants to read books and play the piano. He does not like swimming. I talked to her and told her I only wanted to work with him enough so that he could swim 100 yards back to shore if he ever got into trouble. Or, if he fell off a dock and needed to save himself (tread water). She wants all of them to get swimming college scholarships and they are ages: 4, 9, 10. I cancelled the classes because the only one interested was the older daughter whose breaststroke improved. The other ones were crying most of the time. And, I don't want them to grow up hating the water. Situations like this truly hurt my heart because I know how much fun swimming can be. Donna