Aftyn's swimming lessons ended last week. I was sure, in spite of her crazy arms and legs when she swims, that because she didn't lack in the courage department when it came to jumping in the water and putting her face under and holding her breath, that she would be moving on to the next class. Alas, it was not meant to be.
FAST FORWARD TO BRONWYN'S
On Bronwyn's first day of class, I was feeling a little nervous. Her lessons are held in a private pool in someone's backyard and taught by a teenage girl and boy. On her first day there were a LOT of kids in her class and what felt like total chaos as one little boy sobbed his way through almost the whole lesson. Kids were playing all over the steps where they were supposed to be staying but thanks to the crying and overall confusion, there was crazy stuff happening all over. One little boy got in well over his head and his mom calmly said to the teenage boy in the pool, "can you grab my son, he needs some help" cue me looking to a little boy who looks like he's drowning slowly bobbing to the top of the pool as high as he can but he is in WAY over his head, literally. Ack!!
I'm was feeling panicky at this point and no one seemed to be taking charge of the class and all of the confusion. Bronwyn was playing and wandering all over the steps and suddenly got too far out and *poof* over the steps she went into the deeper water. Cue ME freaking out because it was her first swimming lesson ever and she just fell in over her head!! I yelled, "Bronwyn!" and the mom who so calmly watched her kid practically drowning looked over at me and said "calm down!". It was a little more lengthy than just those two words but I'll spare you. She was trying to help but it didn't and now I just laugh at the memory. LOL
The teenage girl calmly grabbed Bronwyn's arm and pulled her back up and put her on the steps again with directions to sit there and not move around. Luckily the dunking seemed to have its desired effect, I guess, since Bronwyn after a week hasn't fallen into the deeper water again.
Bronwyn has become so comfortable with the water in such a short amount of time. It is truly incredible. The confidence that she shows in her teachers and the attention that each child receives from these 2 teachers has made me a believer in these lessons. Bronwyn is learning how to push off from the steps and swim on her own to her teachers. Oh yeah, and at the end of every lesson they jump off the diving board onto a swimming noodle. (!!!)
Aftyn told me last week that when given the choice between her swimming lessons and Bronwyn's, she would prefer swimming with Bronwyn's teachers because "I know the rules at her pool." So then of course I had to ask her if she knew the rules at the place she had had HER swimming lessons and she said "no!". Sadly, I don't really doubt it. So we are going to be enrolling Aftyn in another session of swimming lessons at Bronwyn's pool with hopefully much different results.
My conclusion: don't yell at any moms who freak out at swimming lessons. Aren't we all in this together???
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