Swimming {The Ordinary Moments}
LP started swimming lessons a couple of weeks after her third birthday and Little Man followed in her footsteps last September. They now both have swimming lessons on a Thursday and it’s been amazing watching them progress as the weeks and months have gone by.
Last month LP moved into the main pool. She can’t touch the bottom and I was worried that she was too small, that it was too soon, that she wouldn’t cope with the transition. But, I didn’t need to worry.
I went up to the viewing platform on that first week and watched her at the side of the huge pool below. Her and her friends swam from the side to the middle and back again using pool noodles and floats. They changed stroke and went from their front to their back with ease and before long they were swimming without floats.
When LP’s turn came she swam to the middle without a float and then swam back to the edge on her back. I had tears in my eyes and I don’t think I have ever felt as proud of her as I did in that moment.
I never learnt to swim and now I can swim a length of a pool if I really, really put everything into it. A width of the pool is much more comfortable for me and I don’t massively enjoy swimming – it’s something I feel I have to do rather than something I enjoy doing.
So to see our tiny LP swimming by herself, kicking her legs and moving her arms just as the teacher had showed her, and making her way across the pool I was in awe of her. She made it look so effortless and at the end she held onto the side whilst the next child started to swim, looked up at me with a beaming smile and gave me a big thumbs up.
Since then each week has been the same. She has jumped in to the deep end of the pool and then swam to the edge, she’s done star jumps and swam so many different strokes. Each week Dave or I watch her and we cannot believe that it’s our little girl so at ease in the water. She’s like a fish and loves swimming, she’s an absolute natural at it and enjoys it so much. I am so looking forward to going on holiday this year and seeing her swim just like that in a more natural setting. I think she’s going to have an amazing summer.
If you have an ordinary moment this week, come and link up with myself and Katie – we love reading your posts each week.
[inlinkz_linkup id=720911 mode=1]
It’s such a big thing isn’t it. I can swim and enjoy it but found it hard learning as a child. N has swim since 3 months old but hates it for a year. Then starting lessons on his own in the pool was a refreshing change. He wasn’t ever given the chance to try without a swimbelt though which means he’s only just done it. But is now flying. After 1 lesson without a float he was swimming perfect backstroke. Front crawl needs a bit of work but is improving so quickly.
Bizarrely I always feel teary whenever any of the kids in the pool do something they’ve never done before, even when its not my own child.
Well done LP that’s amazing. It’s lovely to see them doing so well at swimming, I feel the same about Alice and I am truly amazed at how well she does. x
A really proud mummy moment – it’s amazing watching them and I can sense your pride in this post. J is now swimming without assistance but needs time before it becomes a confident thing x
It sounds like she is doing amazingly well done. I need to get Eva to learn but she just isn’t interested but like you I don’t really enjoy swimming and would love her to x
Aww this is lovely, well done LP! It really will be lovely for you to see her swimming when you go on holiday.
I never learnt to swim either. I remember having lessons when I was younger and refusing to go back after a little boy bust his nose on the bottom of the pool, it really put me off! I can swim now but only through teaching myself and I can’t do more than a few lengths (but that’s probably more because I’m seriously unfit haha!)
Lily is a right little water baby, I am desperate to get her back in to lessons again! Like you, I was so proud of her taking it to straight away and making it look so effortless!
It’s great that they’re both learning to swim! We started taking our oldest to lessons at 12 weeks and even though he isn’t as proper lessons now, it definitely helped his confidence.
Definitely want him back in lessons at about 3 though!
Super photo and a fab proud Mum moment!
I’m the same as you, never really learned to swim. Both my girls have lessons as I think it is such an important skill to have. Fab pictures and well done to your lovely girl x #ordinarymoments
I’m getting my act together and linking up this week! My boys are being taught by my husband to swim – I never had any lessons and wish I had though!
Aww how awesome. I love this. Way to go. Swimming is such a great thing to learn and my boys have recently learned to swim. She looks so pleased with herself. Hope you’ve had a good week lovely xx