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| She moves quick. |
I have now taken the plunge and take Immy for swimming lessons.
She had to have a swimming 'test' and for a brief moment I was doing cartwheels in the air (in my mind only) as the teacher discussed how advanced she was for a child who had never had a lesson, that she would be placed with the children a year above her, yadda yadda, there would be NO NEED FOR ME TO GET IN THE POOL. How happy I was for her, actually, for me. I have avoided these lessons so far due to my hatred of getting in the pool for lessons.
Just one final test before we confirm her class.
The step of trust.
All little Immy had to do was stand on the safety platform until the teacher turned around, about three seconds.
Super Immy Fish jumped in. (this is actually what she was calling herself)
Fail One.
Take two: Immy promises the teacher she will never jump in again and nods obediently. Followed by Super Immy Fish doing a sly little duck dive under the side rail and then going to the bottom.
Fail Two.
Last Chance.
Teacher tells her off and explains she must stay on the platform until the teacher turns around.
First chance she gets and the kid is on the bottom of the pool again kicking her little legs like crazy and getting nowhere.
Thus she goes back to the class where a parent must get in.
I now am stuck with classes singing wheels on the bus and humpty dumpty, where some kids still scream for the whole lesson.
But worse.
I bought some new bathers, all black of course, one piece, total cover up, the type that tie up around my neck. However it seems that the top of them is a great place to grab on to when you are trying to swim and not drown. And to then pull down on, taking my bathers to the bottom of the pool.
As I shiver my way out of the pool at the end of the lesson, she asks me "When does my lesson start?".
Do you get in the pool? Love it or hate it? Any tips?
Waited until the Munchkin was 5 before starting lessons. There was no way I was going in every week. He's caught up to a similar level as other kids his age and I've saved a fortune.
ReplyDeleteI am in a dilemna right now what to do about lessons. It has become rather urgent now we have a pool at home, so I am wondering if I can teach him myself or need to brave lessons at the local pool and I am sure that at 18 months old, I will need to get in with him! Well done Immy on being so advanced.
ReplyDeleteOh, love her "test", that's hilarious that she kept jumping in! I go in with mine still but I actually love it. We started when he was 9 or 10 weeks old because my physio ran sessions that had baby swim lessons followed by a break (feed/put them to sleep) followed by water aerobics for the mums - it was my only exercise those first few months so I adored it - and so I think I've just got used to the weekly dunk in the pool. It helps that my little boy adores it. We have a pool at home so for me it's an essential.
ReplyDeleteOh, love her "test", that's hilarious that she kept jumping in! I go in with mine still but I actually love it. We started when he was 9 or 10 weeks old because my physio ran sessions that had baby swim lessons followed by a break (feed/put them to sleep) followed by water aerobics for the mums - it was my only exercise those first few months so I adored it - and so I think I've just got used to the weekly dunk in the pool. It helps that my little boy adores it. We have a pool at home so for me it's an essential.
ReplyDeleteAnd THAT is why my kids are neglected and haven't been in lessons in a few years! Planning to get the 5 year old back in next year before he goes with school, and thankfully, from what Cath said, it looks like he'll be fine!
ReplyDeleteMy worst times were getting in the pool when I was hugely pregnant and feeling like a whale floundering on the side of the pool when it was time to get out. Sigh.
I'm with you. I find swimming lessons with Miss2 painfully boring, not to mention the depth of our swimming pool kills my quads as it is too shallow to stand up in and keep warm, but too deep for me to do the lesson on my knees. So I need to do "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off" and "round and round the garden" in a half sitting, half standing position. Comfy. Needless to say I will not yield our position on the Saturday morning class list, so DH can continue to be the swimming lesson master.
ReplyDeleteMst4 called it quits on swimming lessons 18 months ago in typical tantrum style. Since then we've been taking him (and sister too) at least once a week to the pool for casual swims. Something I enjoy much more (great family time or play time with the kids - plus cheap couple of hours out)and Mst4's swimming ability has come along in leaps and bounds (quite literally - he has just learnt the art of "bombs".) He is actually "self teaching" himself to swim. Much more beneficial!
Bather incidents still common however. Nothing less than the one piece, tight fighting speedo suit for me.
We are looking at swimming lessons this summer for Roo and I am afraid. Very afraid.
ReplyDeleteI love that Super Immy Fish just couldn't stay out of the water though! It was just too good, Mum!
I'm a swimmer, I come from a family of swimmers. I started squad training when I was 6 and I loved it! when I learned to swim, I was 3 and the instructor had a couple of kids in the class and actually taught a skill.
ReplyDeletewhile I understand the importance of the 'survival skills' approach to swimming lessons these days, I think they cram too many parents and kids into the class. We did the 'toddlers circuit' and the instructor never had time, in the half hour lesson, to ensure that each parent was going through each circuit activity with their kids properly. I thought it was an utter waste of money, and would prefer to pay a proper teacher to do one on one lessons with my little one.
That being said, my mother taught my 18 month old brother to swim years ago - no choice, as we moved into a house with a pool, with no fence (before all the laws came in). And he ended up being a fine swimmer.
We've had A in swimming lessons since she was 5 months old, and I was in the pool with her until about a term ago. I really enjoyed it - it's great one-on-one time. Having said that, I was also pretty happy when they said she was ready to go up to the class where I didn't have to go in..... mainly because that coincided with winter!
ReplyDeleteI think Immy might be a lot like A in swimming lessons - always being told off for chatting or daydreaming or not listening!
Oh my, I am the proud parent of one of those children that screamed. And when he wasn't screaming, he'd wail. In a pool. Echo factor.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working part time, the bloke and I would alternate - I'd take him one week, he'd take him the next. For three whole miserable terms. Three weeks out of four, he'd crack it at some point or he'd decide yay this is fun! 25 minutes into a 30 minute lesson. Then he'd scream because we had to leave.
When I started working full time, an executive decision was made that we were giving swimming lessons the flick. We started again at the start of last term (he's now five) and lordy, it was SO worth the wait! Don't need to get in the pool with him and he's actually learning skills, listening and enjoying himself!
Such a great topic. I reckon regardless of the method you use to get them confident in the water,even if the effort involved is a bit more its worth 100 piano or dance lessons. I'm not a huge fan of being the parent in the swim lesson despite loving the water myself so Ive been luckjy that my husband has been happy to make this one of his activities with my two girls since they were babies. I think the main thing is spending happy time in and around the water and instilling confidence :) Immy looks like a pro!
ReplyDeleteOne of my first ever memories is of being pushed in the pool at a swimming lesson when I was two. I've had a love of swimming most of my life and spent many a morning following the black line & even done the odd ocean race. I hope my daughter inherits it too. We have 5 long months until swimming lessons are a dry event for mummy, and I hope by then she manages the discipline also required. I feel your pain!
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