Outside there has been a blanket of snow for well over two months, but in the gym it is a balmy 80 degrees and my children are dressed in their swimsuits.
You would think that getting my little ones (who adore playing in the lake and their own bathtub) into the water would be the easy part . . . not always so.
Sitting on the edge is easy.
Climbing down a few steps, again, easy.
BUT ask either of them to jump off the side of the pool and into your arms, and you will instantly see their natural hesitation. Some days they wail and scream, some days they try to sit back down, and some days they joyously leap into their teacher’s arms.
Once they are actually in the water, the wails almost always subside. They have learned to trust their teacher. They relax when told to float, obediently spin in little circles looking up at the ceiling, and try their best to “reach and pull” while not forgetting to kick their feet high. They are slowly learning all of the steps required to swim. Most are very basic “Breathe in when you can, then blow” “Don’t stop moving your legs” but challenging for my little ones to put into practice.
The kids are learning a very important life lesson, even if they don’t know it yet. With any new endeavor, at some point you just have to jump in. Leap, flop, plunge, or be dragged. It is your attitude that will determine whether you will enjoy the rest of the experience.
Breathe When You Can, and Don’t Stop Moving
You are terrific. You can make a life application for everything small and big. I’m the glad the kids are learning about swimming and a little bit about life.