I have had William in swimming lessons since he was a baby. The classes are through Arlington county and happen once a week;however, we take a break in the summer. I have stayed consistent with swimming because I just feel like it is such an important life skill and I REALLY want my kids to know how to react if they find themselves in a scary water situation.....I have always loved to swim, so I am not afraid of the water, but now that I have kids, I am afraid for their safety in just about every aspect of life. Swimming ranks high on the list.
So, you would think that after all these years of William having lessons that he'd be a fish. Well, he does love the water and he LOVES to swim but one lesson each week doesn't really make you a shark overnight. I have never been aggressive about making him learn to swim on his own because like everything else he does in life, he will do it when HE is ready. I have just wanted him to understand being in the water and how to react or better yet, save himself.
My motto from day one of parenting is always to keep every situation positive. So I have always treated swimming as a fun activity. In previous years, if he wanted to wear a flotation device, no big deal. But, now that William is 4.5 years old, he "gets it" and his swimming has turned a corner - without the need for wearing any sort of flotation device (unless we go to the deep end and he wears swimmer blocks around his waist) in the 3-4 feet deep water. He's very confident and his arms and legs work well together, but until recently he would not put his face in the water. I have showed him goggles several times and explained that they help you see under water so when you put your face in, you can open your eyes. He was not interested and probably didn't want to listen to me.
I just KNEW that if he would wear a pair of goggles, he's confidence would soar and he'd finally put his face in the water AND be able to open his eyes - the big reason he doesn't go under. This was key because once his face was under water, he could float on his belly and really swim like a true swimmer.
Well, the other day we hit the pool with his buddy Caroline. She loves goggles and wears them in the water all the time. We also ran into his friend Campbell and he was sporting a pair of goggles too! I acted like I could care less and casually asked William if he wanted to try his goggles (again, always positive but not expecting an answer) and he quickly said, "sure, I will try it."
The kid never looked back. He's swimming! And although we are not ready for the deep end without our blocks, I am SO SO SO PROUD of my little guy. It was truly one of the most rewarding moments of being a mom. To see my hard work pay off with a grin as big as the sun!
0 comments:
Post a Comment