T is going to be 4 in two weeks. We just bought a house with a pool. My husband and I think it's really important that he learn how to swim. We signed him up for lessons at the Y. We swim at the Y as a family almost every weekend and we just went on a vacation where he was in the water all day every day. However, he's never taken any lessons.

Yesterday, at the lesson, he refused to get in the water. It was a small lesson (he would make the group five) and the teacher was young and welcoming. I asked the director whether the lesson was appropriate for him and I suggested maybe he needed a mommy and me type class. She said absolutely not, the lesson is for 3-5 and it was perfectly age appropriate for him.

After his initial refusal, I told T that we would stay and watch the lesson. It was his choice as to whether he got in the water, but we would come to each and every lesson to watch. We both sat on the edge of the pool and watched and I made sure he paid attention to the whole lesson. I asked him a few times whether he wanted to go in and he said no. He basically said he was nervous and scared to go in without me. I explained to him that he might be nervous, and that's ok, but that dad and I decided it was important for him to take lessons since we have a pool. And that I hoped after watching this lesson, next week he would get in. He kept asking me if I was mad at him.....and I told him no, but I was disappointed that he wouldn't even try the lesson.

Anyways, I'm wondering how you would handle this scenario? I was trying to think of what Janet Lansbury would do, and this was the closest I could come.

Side note: he did the same thing at skating lessons this winter. But, it was a super chaotic environment and so we never went back.

Thanks : )