I grew up swimming, all summer long. I don't think I ever took formal swimming lessons, swimming just came naturally to me. So, I just assumed that my boys would take to the water just like I did. Well, I was terribly wrong. The first problem, I didn't have them at the pool everyday. How could they learn to swim when they only occasionally went swimming? Still, as they got older I just thought they would catch on. They could do a really sad doggy paddle but it just wasn't going to cut it. I finally got them into swim lessons. I had no idea where to start them so they started in the level 2 class. Once they were in the water they were instantly moved up to a level 3. So, there they were on day one, listening to Coach Chris teach them the basics of a free-style swim. After a short lesson they were instantly better and more confident swimming. Both boys did an awesome job of listening and practicing what they had learned.
At the end of the first lesson Chris told them that they would be going off the diving boards the next day. By the time we got out to the car Dresden was in a panic. He was genuinely terrified. He told me over and over, "I'm going to drown and die, and it's going to be all your fault!" I couldn't understand his fear until he told me, with tears in his eyes, "Coach hasn't even taught us how to come back up out of the water." I tried explaining to Dresden that he will come back up out of the water but he just couldn't understand. All he could think of was that he would sink to the bottom of the pool. I explained that his coach would be right there and if it made him feel better I would wear my swimming suit and sit right next to the pool to jump in if he started sinking. That wasn't good enough. The poor kid worried and stressed about this the entire day and all night. When I was putting him to bed he said the same things, that he was going to die. My heart was breaking. As we talked he finally calmed down enough to understood that his Coach would be in the water, under the diving board, and that he would be right there to catch him. This finally put peace to Dresden's mind and he stopped worrying so much about jumping off the diving board. The next day, Chris taught the boys some basics about jumping into the pool,holding your breath, and swimming back to the top of the water. I was so glad that he taught the boys this before they went to the diving boards. I'm sure Dresden was full of anxiety when he jumped off the diving board but he jumped, resurfaced, and swam to the side of the pool. He didn't sink and die! Thank goodness. Both boys jumped and jumped until Chris finally told them to get their towels.
Swim lessons ended today and I am so glad to see how much the boys have improved. All they want to do now is go swimming, which we have done a number of times. Can you guess where we will be tomorrow??? Yep, my little fish will be at the pool!
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| The boys heading to the diving boards |
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| Dresden jumping in |
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| We're still working on not plugging the nose |
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| Logan jumping off the high dive |
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| Nice form! |
