Swim Lessons

Adell has always loved the water.  When she was about a year an a half old she would twist and turn in the water trying to escape the safety of my grasp.  Soon she was jumping off the edge of the pool and sinking to the bottom with a gigantic grin on her face.  She learned how to swim confidently when she was two and a half.  However, she never learned formal strokes.  We decided to put Adell on swim team this year.  I am reasonably sure Adell will be in heaven on swim team.  

Colter has been afraid of the water since he knew about water.  He and Clare have shared a kinship fear of water.  We enrolled Clare in swim lesson the summer before she started kindergarten.  It helped her confidence and water skills.  Colter is well past the summer before kindergarten and is still very afraid of water.  

So to help Adell learn some strokes before swim lessons and hopefully get Colter some water confidence, we started the youngest kids in swim lessons at a local indoor pool.   When I told Colter about his swim lessons he told me there was no way he was ever going to learn how to swim.  Alas, he did get into the pool and tried to do everything the teachers told him to do in the pool.  He was terrified and as stiff as a board.  But he didn't cry or refuse to do anything.  He put his face in the water and jumped off the edge of the pool.  It was awesome.

Adell has been excited about swim lessons.  She got in the water happily and tried to do all of the things she needed to do.  It was a fine first lesson for both kids.  Adell earned a bunch of ribbons for passing off skills and Colter even earned a ribbon!   

Colter is the kid on his back in the water with the instructor.  He is freaking out but trying!

Three weeks of lessons later and both kids have improved so much!  Adell can almost swim a whole lap without taking a second breath (she gets about 2/3rds of the way).  Colter has improved the most!  He still says he doesn't want to go to swim lessons but he is so much braver and confident.  He can put his face in the water for a long time (without holding his nose).  He jumps off the edge and is far more relaxed on his back.  These lessons are not cheap but so far they have been worth every penny.

Colter with the instructor again.  He had pushed off the platform on the left and was swimming (with help) to the wall.

Adell with her instructor.  It is harder to get decent pictures of Adell but she is doing great!