Swimming Lessons

After using swimming lessons as a potty training bribe for months, it was finally time to go.  The days leading up to swimming lessons, Miles had several accidents at daycare and he almost didn't get to go.  I was so upset for him.  It seemed like such a hard lesson for a toddler, and we had built it up so much.  I never dreamed that he actually wouldn't get to go....after all, we'd been potty training for 6.5 months.  

Thankfully his teacher, Ms. Ann, decided that he could go.  She really thought he would be fine, and that it might be a great motivation over two full weeks.  She was right.  He didn't have a single accident at school or home the entire two weeks.  The last day of the lessons, parents come to see what the kids have learned. 

The pool is very close to the daycare, so they walk over together...

Learning to hold his breath and go under water...

 

They also learned to float.  He didn't like that feeling at all...

I couldn't believe how comfortable he was with going under water.  He played on the steps and went under over and over...

He loved going under the water and finding these...

Then, they swam from teacher to teacher...

...and back to the steps.  He learned to kick his feet really well.  

The lesson was 30 minutes long.  He was completely over it midway through.  He wouldn't do anything.  My mom and I tried to bribe him with gum and popsicles, but he wasn't having it.  At this moment, he would not jump off the side like his friends, which was kind of the grand finale.  He finally did with the help of his teacher, but he really wasn't into it.

Just as the lesson was ending, he decided he wanted to jump off one more time.  Mr. Josh was nice enough to oblige. 

Then, he was mad b/c we couldn't give him the gum we bribed him with until we got to the car...

But the teachers gave them each a piece of candy for doing such a good job and he was instantly happy again...

Miles and his buddies....

My niece, Anna, was still here so she got to go to swimming lessons.  Miles was happy about that...

He was also happy about Daddy being there...

Every day when I picked Miles up from school, I would ask about swimming lessons.  He didn't have much to say, so I had low expectations for how much he really learned.  I was amazed at the swim show.  He was so much more comfortable than he was before the lessons.  He now has a great foundation to build on.