Little Fishies

We've been swimming for almost a month now and I have been trying to work with the girls. They think it's just all fun and games with me in the pool and haven't listened when I have tried to teach them. I scheduled lessons for C at our house and was trying to figure out what to do with J. Well...

 

C's lessons started last Tuesday.  C initially went to the teacher just fine but then quickly realized what was about to happen. She cried, whined, screamed and acted like she didn't like the water. After watching her for 20 minutes through my bedroom window I went outside in my gym clothes and hopped in the pool. I had said I didn't want to swim with her but she had a different idea, all she wanted was her mommy! Those that know me well know that I don't play and mean business, I was going to take full advantage of the last 10 minutes I was paying for. She clung to me like glue but showed the teacher she likes the water and could kick and go under water with no problem. We decided Wednesday I would get in, see how she did and take it from there. 

She hid Wednesday morning and said she wasn't swimming, I told her I was going with her and then she was OK, but still glued to me. She had a good lesson with me (I did my best to try and let the teacher lead the lesson but my instructor days just kicked in), she went under, did her kicks, humpty dumpty's, and floating but only with me, if the teacher came near her (or she had to swim to her) she cried. By the end of the lesson she was trying to come off the steps and swim but wouldn't keep her head down. Wednesday after the teacher left we swam for almost an hour with J and Nana. Nana and I took turns working with the girls, I could tell C was trying and really wanted to swim, she just wasn't having it with the instructor.

Friday came and I got in again, she immediately came off the steps and was trying to swim to me. About 10 minutes into the lesson I got her to keep her head down and she swam about 3-4 feet, when she realized what she did there was no turning back and all she wanted to do was swim! We practiced her humpty dumpty's and she did well at going under and going back to the wall. So much for paying a teacher....mommy should have just taught her from the start (and saved some money!). J got to see her swim at the end of the lesson and was so excited for her. J also gets to finish C's last three lessons which she seems a little excited about.

Saturday we were able to show daddy what she learned and she did so much better with her humpty dumpty's (even though the video shows her crying, it's because she wanted to swim and not jump) and getting back to the wall. I think daddy was pretty impressed with what I got her to accomplish in three days, all she needs now is lots of practice. She is fearless and is jumping off the steps to swim even when we aren't ready (she got taken out of the pool for not listening and wasn't happy). For just being two she is doing really well and I am so proud of her. She says she is swimming like "Nemo", definitely another fish in the making.

Things also clicked with J this weekend and all of a sudden she decided she wanted to listen to me. The first video is right when we got in, then she told me she wanted to practice her arms and started trying to do them, you can definitely tell she is right handed as her right arm is more dominant. Now I have a very sloppy swimmer, mommy is trying to have patience and remember she is only four. She is jumping in and swimming from one side to the other, she is trying to take a breath and at the end of our swim she said she wanted to learn to float. I got her to float for about 10 seconds and then we started working on swimming to me and rolling over. Lots of practice and she will be perfect, as long as she listens to me!

A year and a half after I quit my job I feel that I have accomplished something as a stay at home mom. Sure I've accomplished a lot these last 18 months with the girls but nothing has felt as rewarding as this. My years of teaching swim lessons has come full circle and I love seeing my girls so proud of what they have learned from me.