Learning to Swim
At the start of the school year I looked into LP starting swimming lessons. We’ve never really taken her swimming unless we’ve been on holiday as, because I can’t swim, swimming isn’t something I think to do on an ordinary day. It’s something reserved for holidays. But I’m hoping that will soon change.
LP has now been going to swimming lessons for 6 weeks, every Thursday after nursery. It completely messes up our routine as LP is tired from nursery, it coincides with Little Man’s nap time and there is, more often than not, only Dave or I there – so getting LP ready for swimming and then dry and dressed again with Little Man in tow is a bit of a nightmare, but we manage even if it is the most stressful hour of our week!
The first four weeks LP wasn’t massively keen on swimming. She would be upset, nervous and generally not happy and would only loosen up towards the end of the lesson. A couple of weeks ago though she started kicking her legs for the first time in the lesson and I was so proud! We’d been under pressure from the teacher to put her into a younger lesson where she’d go with us instead of by herself but I was hesitant as I thought it would be a backward step and might make her even more nervous when she then had to go in by herself for lessons.
I’m glad we persevered as she is much happier in lessons now. Admittedly, she isn’t learning a huge amount but she is happier and much more confident in the water and this is improving week on week. There’s now no talk of her going a lesson with Dave or I and Little Man and I have got into a routine of watching LP through the viewing window, eating snacks and relaxing for half an hour whilst she ‘plays mermaids’.
I’m hoping that this is the start of LP, and one day Little Man, learning to swim. My parents could never afford swimming lessons but for me it is something that I’m classing as a priority. There have been times in my life where I have felt I have missed out not being able to swim, and times I have felt just a bit inadequate for not being able to do something that the rest of the world could do effortlessly. I don’t want LP to feel that way and seeing her happy in the water is an amazing thing for me. Long may it continue!
How old is she ? My Daughter started lessons when she was 3.5 – she’s 5 now and has made progress, but gradual progress. It takes a lot of time, but we always thought it is important, for confidence in the water if nothing else 🙂 and it always makes me proud watching my girl try so hard too 🙂 xx
Wonderful news – stick with it. Monkey has been going to lessons since earlier this year. He takes a long time to build up confidence with anyone and like everything he takes things at his own pace. Today for the very first time he managed a couple of strokes totally unaided. I could have cried with pride. You know that I know exactly how hard it is to get to that point. It will all come and then I really, truly hope you take the plunge. I swam in the pool when we were away last month with Monkey next to me using his woggle – it was a moment I will cherish forever and thought we would never share xx
It’s great that LP is going to lessons. We’ve kind of given up on Toby’s swimming lessons for now but we’re definitely going to keep trying to go swimming with him on our own and get him back to lessons when he’s a bit bigger. (And how cute is she in that swimming cap?!)
It’s great LP is going to lessons. We really need to start going again with Mads, we went for about 2 terms but then sort of stopped over the Summer due to going away a fair bit and we just haven’t started it up again. She loved it so much and gained so much confidence in doing it! x