Swim Class - April-June 2012

Being a river family it is really important for Samantha to know how to swim. Last summer was fun but stressful because our daughter not only loves the water but has no fear of it. She would literally bonzai herself into the water not realizing she couldn't swim. She was jumping off the swim step and struggling to get out of our arms while holding her in the water. She wanted freedom, adventure, and fun in the water. Yep, she NEEDS to know how to swim. I asked other river parents for advice, consulted the husband and pocketbook, and settled on Bubbles Swim School. The school is a 3 to 1 student to teacher ratio. Parents sit on the side as spectators, not as teachers. (Yes!) Last year Samantha and I did swim class at the YMCA and it was mainly playtime with her and I in the pool for half an hour. No real teaching going on. I had high hopes this would be different. I wanted her to actually learn how to swim...she already likes to play in the water.
The first day of class was a dream. She was sooooo excited to go to swim. She couldn't contain herself, she was squeeling with glee as I dressed her. She met her teacher, classmates, and had fun. She was taught to lay on her back and submerge under water.Miss Christie was calm yet stern. The kids (all the same age) followed directions and trusted her. The kids sit on the step of the pool ("on your bottom") and the teacher takes them out one at a time for instruction. She rotates through the three students five rounds or so during the 30 minute session. I was impressed with her teaching and the organization. Sam did great. She was so proud of herself afterward. It was a success!


I was not prepared for the second class and disaster! I'm not sure if it was because I was sitting in a different area of the pool or what but Sam was not as confident. As soon as the little boy in her class splashed her, it was over! She was mad, unhappy, and wanted out! I ended up sitting on the edge of the pool next to her, as the teacher and I got her through the class, crying the entire time. What fun! It was not enjoyable for any of us, but we stuck it out and I walked away knowing that Sam learned a lesson. I was not going to take her out of class if/when she wanted to.
I spent the weekend talking about Dominic and what she should do if he splashed her again. "Samantha, what do you do when Dominic splashes?" Sam, "Cry!" I tell her, "No, splash back!" We repeated this conversation over and over all weekend. Eventually, she started to respond with what I wanted her to do. Do I want her to be revengeful or mean? No, but if a boy is being annoying and splashing her, I don't want her bursting into tears. Splash back. Stand up for yourself. Either he will stop splashing her or maybe they will end up having fun together. We'll see...

The third class arrived and I talked Samantha up all the way there. I also warned her that she was there to be cooperative to Miss Christie and if she cried I was going to spank her. Ya...a fine parenting moment, but these lessons are expensive. When it was time for Samantha to get in the pool she climbed right on in and was good for 30 seconds. Then she started to cry. I gave her the stern mommy look. She started whining to me, "I want a spanking!" Parenting fail! My kid would rather have a spanking than swim lessons...now what?!!! So we went to the ladies room for a talk. We talked about Jamie and Kylie and how if she wanted to swim with her friends at the river she needed to take swim class and learn how. Miss Christie was going to help her learn. This was her practice. It worked! She was ready now! Back in the pool. A swim with Miss Christie. She was on her way to another positive class. Then, Dominic splashed her...Samantha looks at me with a "what do I do?" look on her face. I gave her the nod. And yep, she splashed him back. Inside I am beaming! My baby girl stood up for herself! Then somehow it quickly became a game where both of them were trying to splash me! Haha! Whatever, my kid is smiling, laughing, and having fun at swim class again! Success!

By the fourth class, Samantha was really progressing. The teacher had her gliding underwater, arms out, toward the steps. Wow, my kid is actually swimming! She is still annoyed by Dominic but I continue to make a splashing game out of it.


Over the eight week session, Samantha learned and progressed. She gained confidence in the water (not that my crazy baby needed it) and learned how to get along with others. She experienced taking and following direction from a teacher in the water. She learned valuable swimming skills: how to glide underwater, how to flip over to float on her back in order to breath and flip back over to her belly to swim again, how to tilt her head back and look up in order to float on her back, how to open her eyes underwater, how to use her swimming arms, and how to keep her mouth closed underwater so she doesn't choke. I'm sure there are more lessons that I am forgetting, but to put it lightly she learned a ton.
I will be looking for another swim class in Texas that teaches this same breathing method.


Above all, Samantha loved her swim class! Every day she would ask me, "We going to swim class today?"

(The first few clips were taken after just a couple weeks of classes. She improved even more and was doing the flipping from front to back and back to front on her own by the end of the session. The slides were the last class of the session for fun! I couldn't believe she did it!!!)