Water Babies

With the warm weather here, it was decided the little one needs swimming lessons. Unfortunately, the whole lot of local parents decided the same, all on the same week. The pool is filled with splish splashing peewees of all ages, birth-7 years old.

With a little research I found the best, and most highly recommended, swim school in the area and thanks to Aunt Barbara we started swim lessons last week. The little one is a little less than thrilled, judging by the terrified look and cry, at the whole scene but I"m just hoping she'll warm up to the idea.

Here is the way a lesson breaks down, literally and figuratively. Each teacher has 3 students for the half hour. The teacher spends one on one time with each student making a lap around the pool doing an experience level lesson individualized for each student. Each student gets three laps, or equivalent thereof, around the pool during each lesson. While the teacher is attending to one student, the other two must sit on the step in the pool and wait for their turn. All the while, ten other instructors are doing the same in the same pool. Don't be fooled by the chaos. You attend 3 lessons per week for three weeks to equal one session. So one session equals nine lessons. They make it clear that your commitment should go beyond one session to see results. The whole system may sound a bit funny but judging by all the tots swimming around in the pool, underwater without assistance, it works!

I think our little one is on a multi-session track. With two cry sessions, I mean lessons, behind us, I'm hoping the angst will lessen and the smiles will increase. Doesn't every kid love swimming? She actually appears to be comfortable with her teacher when they are in the water together, when she is not crying for Mommy, but she just melts down while she waits for her turn again. The funny thing is she'll stay seated on the step in the pool, because her teacher said so, but she just looks at me and cries, "I want to get out." The teacher said this is pretty commonplace with the newbies and it just takes a little getting use to but it can feel heartbreaking for the parents. Why am I torturing my child? Oh yeah, so they don't drown in the pool. OK, cry on.

It really is a great facility with super instructors. Their success is quite obvious through simple observation of the students in the pool. I have no complaints about Ms. Lauren. She is sensitive and gentle enough with my little one while still being persistent about the instruction. Just like in other aspects of child rearing...sometimes they just have to cry it out...I guess.