I know, I know. I'm sorry. That last one was not really happy. Nor was it exciting. It just was what it was. A pile of paper on my table. It's possible to spin it that I am happy that I have a dining room table on which to accumulate messes every September. : ) Would you accept that??
Now here's something truly happy. The Bumble Bee has begun swimming lessons. She's quite a timid creature considering how happy and easy-going she is the bulk of the time. She does NOT ,under any circumstances, want to immerse her head in the water. But she's also happy to have some scheduled time to chill out in the water every week. So I sit a fair distance away so I can not chide her nor hear her arguing with her instructor. I watched another mom watch her child swim laps around the Bee. I saw her purse her lips, and I wondered if she was biting her tongue too. Maybe she wanted to tell her child to stop swimming around and give the other children space to learn how to swim too. Or maybe she wanted to remind her child to listen to the instructor. Who knows! But it made me think that we should all just be happy to allow our children to learn at their own pace and in their own ways. I shouldn't envy the kids that just jump without abandon into the pool. They're probably all jittery when they're out of the pool too! My little Bee is sweet and takes her time. And that's perfectly fine with me. Maybe I will sit a bit closer next week and just smile when she looks over to the bleachers for me. : )
N
6 comments:
As a swimming instructor of little kids I love this post. It's so easy to get caught up with getting them in that it is easy to forget that unless they aren't ready, pushing them will only make them more scared. Though I'm not opposed to the occasional dunking, they do have to learn that it's okay after all. And sometimes having the reward factor of showing mommy can really help too. The most important thing is having fun!
That makes me feel 100 times better, leeleetea! Should I whisper to the instructor that I am also not opposed to a dunking should the lesson stall too much? I'll let you know how the next lesson goes! :)
Yes, a smile from the bleachers can't go wrong.
I always found free swims to be the best motivator for paying attention at swimming lessons. It's amazing what kids will do to keep up with their friends!
Private lessons solved this for my boys, Jimmy was the add child swimming around the instructor & Jake was timid, now they both are fishes.
I remember when I was little that part of my swimming lessons was to learn to jump off the towers! Without my glasses I couldn't see a thing, and I was terrified. My instructor was a bully and came up the tower and bounced the board so hard I fell in! I can still remember the sting of the water.
Everyone learns at their own pace. I think it's awesome that you acknowledge that and accept it. A mother's smile warms the heart and makes the world RIGHT! Go Beeeeeeeee!
I am still doing mom & tot with both my boys (Sean will finally be on his own in January - which I am looking forward to!) I am starting to get tired of being in the water with them... would rather they learn on their own.
Great shots from the pool. You have a great eye.
Post a Comment