Swimming Lessons

Last summer was LMS' first round of swimming lessons.

We did them at the HOA pool and it was an... educational experience.

I originally signed her up for one two week class. The teacher was very good at teaching kids how to swim, but she was much more suited to teaching older children rather than younger children. Her method of 'just do it' didn't work so well with LMS. She needs active encouragement. Needless to say, she didn't pass the level one class.

After talking with other moms, I discovered there was another teacher who was much more nurturing and much better with younger children than the other teacher. So I signed up LMS for a second two week swim class with the other teacher. Talk about night and day. This teacher had been a preschool teacher and worked a lot with younger kids, and it showed. She was just what LMS needed to gain confidence: encouraging, supportive (literally and figuratively), and full of praise for every little accomplishment. By the end of the two weeks, LMS had progressed enough to pass the level one class.

Since we moved we no longer have access to the HOA pool, so I had to find somewhere else to do swimming lessons. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball on the timing and by the time I realized I needed to get going the class LMS needs was full at the city pools and the private athletic club pool. Not a huge loss, since both were on the expensive side and not the most conveniently located. But I was disappointed that LMS wouldn't get some more swimming instruction before we go on vacation and do lots of water sports.

Then my visiting teachers stopped by and as we talked I discovered that one of them homeschools and she does swimming lessons in the summer at private pools. Score for us! So LMS has two weeks of swimming at a pool owned by a couple in our ward. It's a very nice house- built in the 1700's, gorgeous rolling fields edged with trees, and the pool has a great view of the hills and trees.

Barns in the distance, faithful watch dog at the pool's edge- he paces around the edge of the pool, keeping a sharp lookout for drowning kids

The first day LMS was cautious, but the second day she really took off. After her class I hopped in the water to play with her and it was so fun to see the progress she's making. We even went diving for rings on the bottom of the (shallow end) of the pool- she was on my back and wrapped her legs around my waist, then I counted to 3 and we each took a deep breath and then went under to get the rings. She kept saying "do it again mommy, do it again!". Huge progress for the little girl who used to hate getting her face wet at all.

The next day the swim teacher was able to convince LMS to try diving off the edge of the pool in the deep end.

 It ended up more as a bellyflop than a headfirst dive, but we're not complaining :)

She then convinced LMS to try jumping off the diving board (aka "the mermaid rock"). First they jumped together.

 Then she held LMS' hand as she jumped in. Love the hand holding her nose!

She's doing so well and feels so much more confident. Now we just need to teach her to tread water so she can move around in the water without hanging on to someone.