Swimming class is not going so well. The girls first had a "get to know the water" kind of class called "splash". We then signed them up for a beginner's class. The other kids in the class jump in when told, put their heads under the water, etc. Em and T are another case all together. They act like the water is surely going to kill them. There is no other class. This is the most basic one. There are only about six in the class so there is a lot of individual attention.
The teachers each class try to coax the girls in the water to no avail. One teacher got tough with them. It didn't work. Another teacher tried the gentler approach. They will NOT jump in. They will NOT put their head under water. Emily just refuses. Tara looked like she was trying but ultimately didn't do it either.
The parents usually sit near the pool and watch. I felt bad for the other kids and parents. One teacher tried for several minutes to coax Tara into jumping in. The other kids just sat there waiting. The parents looked annoyed. I don't blame them. I was annoyed and they're my kids!
Jay and I are torn. We feel bad that they are scared. But we want them to work through adversity w/o quitting. We have assured them that they are protected. They are wearing life jackets and the teacher is there with arms outstretched to catch them. It's not even over their heads. It's a tough call. We ask ourselves, do we just let them stay scared and hope they get used to the water eventually? Or do we try and force the issue? Parenting is hard.
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3 comments:
hmmm-I feel your pain and theirs. I had countless swimming lessons and I still hate the water. So I understand their point of view. However I understand your thought process I want Teagan and B2 to swim without fear.
Sorry no advice... just positive thoughts.
Thanks for the positive thoughts Amy. The girls will just have to decide to do it or not. It's their call and we can't force them.
Well this was a prophetic post. Did you have a sinking (no pun intended) feeling back then that they weren't going to pass their content standards?
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