Swimming Lessons

 

We went out on a limb this summer springing for a membership to our community pool (which is less than a mile from our house)-- I had no idea if the kids would really even like it, since the few times we went to the pool earlier in the year, Andrew was afraid of getting in the water and Leah liked it but was very clingy. We've spent most of our time in the small 2 ft. kiddie pool, and both of them really do love it! This past week, we enrolled Leah in swimming lessons, Monday through tomorrow. Tuesday and Wednesday she really didn’t want to go at all, and she would cry when I was dropping her off. If I stayed, she would run to me and not want to finish the class. It was tough seeing how much she hated it, but I knew if she just stuck it out, she would thank me for it later—I really wanted her to get over her fear of the water. So most days I just dropped her off because she would do much better.

The teacher was great—she pushed her even when Leah didn’t want to be pushed. She was not afraid to deal with it when Leah was crying and whining that she didn’t want to do it—she made her do it anyway. That is apparently what Leah needs! And it did make me feel better that 2 or 3 of the other kids in the class (there were only 5 total) acted the same way in the water!

Today I stayed through the class and I saw a very marked improvement in her. She didn’t cry about going, she seemed excited about getting in the water. The teacher had them jumping off the diving board, and though I could tell Leah had a little fear while she was in the water, she did it willingly with no tears or whining. The sense of accomplishment she felt and the praise she got for doing so well really motivates her and now she’s telling me she’ll show me again another time how she can jump into the deep end. I am so glad we stuck it out and that she’s becoming so much more confident in the water!

(She’s the 2nd one from the left—she only wore her hair in a ponytail because the teacher asked her to.)

(Okay, so maybe she didn’t so much jump off, as she was dropped in. I’ve always heard that’s the best way to learn!)