Swim Lessons!

In preparation for another summer of swimming, I enrolled the two big kids in swim lessons a few weeks back at our local Y.  My oldest (L) has always been comfortable in the water so I felt like with a few swim lessons, on top of plenty of swimming opportunities this summer, he should be able to swim by summer's end.  I was also hoping to get some good instructing ideas by watching his class each week.  E, of course, is the complete opposite.  She is very timid in the water and would literally dig her fingernails into your arm if you took her out in deeper water.  So, I hoped that parent-child swim lessons would help her to be a little more comfortable and give us some things to practice over the summer together.

L's swim lessons were twice a week for three weeks.  He was in a class with 4 other children and 2-3 instructors.  They did some things to help them get comfortable with going under the water, and then worked on the individual strokes (freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke).  He did a great job waiting for his turn, listening to the instructors, and following instructions... all while having a really great time.  He would ask me everyday, "Is it swimming lesson day?!"

My Little Swimmer!

L, in his swim class

Kick! Kick!

More Kicking!

"I can do it!"

Backstroke

Ready to dive into the water!

Playing after class

E was really excited about swim lessons, but she had a rougher time.  The first two weeks my husband took her and she basically refused to do anything.  On the second week I'm not sure they even got in the pool because she would cry and say she wanted to go home.  For her last two weeks I took and she did a little bit better-- on the last day she even held on to a pool noodle and swam with her arms wrapped tightly around it (instead of my neck and arms).  The good thing is that now we know the things to do with her this summer to get her a little more comfortable in the pool-- and if by the end of summer she's still struggling, we might enroll her in some private swim lessons.

Ready to Swim

Excited about Swimming!

Ready to Swim!

One Minute later... Not wanting to swim

"No Pictures!"

Ready to, "Go home!"

"Too Cold!"