Swim Lessons- Take 2

(Waiting for her first private lesson)

There are very few things in life I feel that Emma HAS to learn, but swimming is one of them. She has always loved the water so I figured that swimming lessons would be fun.

We first attempted swim lessons last February (2011). According to this post, Emma loved them. Apparently I am not very good with follow up (though I will give myself a break because there was a LOT going on at the time) because Emma ended up HATING swim lessons.

We had signed her up for public swim lessons at the Y with a smaller group of kids in her age range. She absolutely loved the first 2 lessons. The class consisted of her and 2 other kids. The third class is when everything went south. We were running late, there was a new kid in the class, and the instructor looked different because her hair wasn't wet.

(Private Lesson #1- Holy Crap she put her face in the water!)

Emma cried and refused to do anything for the entire lesson. And for the next lesson as well. On the way to the 5th lesson, after listening to Emma cry off and on for the 30 minute car ride, I pulled over into the parking lot across the street from the Y and called Jared to ask if he minded if we quit swim lessons. Once I explained my reasoning, he was fine with it.

Here was my reasoning; I was running all over the country, stressed beyond belief and the little bit of time I was able to spend with Emma, I wanted to be good, not miserable for both of us. I also realized that she was getting nothing positive out of the experience, and she was not learning how to swim.

So whats the point.

I explained to her the reasons for us quitting ("not because you are crying, but because there are a lot of other things going on and right now and we just need to spend some time relaxing together- but you do need to learn to swim soon.")

She really seemed to get it.

(Lesson #5- She is swimming short distances with her face under water, which she started doing during Lesson #4)

And I am so glad we waited. As soon as we knew we would be living with my in-laws for a while before moving to Montana, I knew I wanted to sign her up for swim lessons. The fitness center has a great zero entry pool (the bottom of the pool starts out of the water and slowly gets deeper), and private swim lessons were about the same price as public lessons would have been in Ames.

When Emma was informed (like I said, one of the few things she really doesn't have a choice with) that she would be taking swim lessons, she gripped a bit, but when we explained that it really was about being safe around water, she said "Fine," (complete with eye rolling).

Of course that doesn't mean she did't tell Gramma that "I absolutely do NOT want to take swim lessons."

Once her private lessons started, she was singing a different tune. "I LOVE swim lessons, when do I get to go again!?"

Of course that doesn't mean she didn't tell Gramma that "I will NOT jump into the deep water."

(Lesson #5- Jumping off the diving board 

and being caught by her instructor Kaylee, which she started doing during lesson #3)

Now if you ask her what her favorite part of swim lessons are, she will tell you jumping off the diving board, but really, I can tell she loves all of it. The look of concentration on her face as she goes through her each lesson is just amazing to watch.

I am so glad we waited till she was ready.