a dancer and a fish: last swim lessons

In the craziness that was this spring I realized I never blogged about Allie's first swim lesson and here I am writing about her last. Allie was in a parent tot class. They sang songs and gently got them used to the water with the comfort of a parent. It didn't take Allie long to feel comfortable.

There are 8 lessons in a session. At lesson 7 they took them off the diving board. I did not attend this lesson and was amazed when Daddy came home and said that Allie had jumped off the diving board to her teacher below. At lesson 8 I got to witness it myself.

Allie spent Audrey's last swim lesson scooting off the edge of the pool into Daddy's arms where he would then let her go underwater and pull her right back up. She'd come up smiling, every-time. He'd take her to back to the edge, she'd sit herself down and do it all over again.

Across the pool, Audrey's  teacher spent the majority of class trying to convince Audrey she wouldn't take her underwater like she did the previous week. Tears were shed. Many tears. She participated in a few things but really did not trust this teacher who had taken over the last few weeks of class. I felt sorry for Audrey because she had been progressing so well with her original teacher that she grew to trust. The week prior, this new teacher took Audrey underwater without warning. It took Audrey weeks to get the courage to jump to her teacher from the edge of the pool.  She really doesn't like to get water in her eyes. (And she refuses goggles) Audrey did not "graduate" to the next level. She will remain a goldfish (level 1) next session.

I'm completely convinced that the earlier you start swim lessons with your child, the better.

Audrey's teacher trying to regain trust

my little fish

last swim lesson

getting ready to jump

Sarah