Tuesday, July 20, 2010

to swim or not to swim

Layla has come a long way this year playing the water.  She loves the pool and loves to splash in our little silly backyard blowup pool.  So when I asked her if she wanted to take swimming lessons she let out a huge YESSSSS!!!!  In fact she asked at the beginning of the summer if she could take them.  I signed her up and yesterday we were out the door four our first lesson of 8. 


Holy Moley.  She hated it.  She asked me if she could quit.  She said she doesn't want to go back.

During the lesson she CRIED. Loudly.

Oh my word.  Yesterday was a really bad day.  Not just because of swimming lessons, but other things went wrong too.  I messed up peach cobbler.  How is that possible?  Well it was so nasty...we ate the peaches out and threw the rest away.  The whole reason I made cobbler was because I had a bad day and wanted something sweet and comforting.  Well, so much for that.  hA!




Today I am praying that she does better.  I really think she will do great if she will just let herself. We have been very positive about these lessons and stressed how it is supposed to be fun.

Have your children had swimming lessons? 

How did they do?  Tell me your stories!!

9 comments:

Kelli said...

Poor sweet girl! I'm sure she'll get more used to it and then be like a fish in no time. I have yet to sign up Jamison because I know she'll be scared, but I will have to get over my own fear. Hang in there. Have you thought about private lessons...I hear that those do wonders.

Drew's Mom said...

Poor Layla... sure hope she gets comfortable with it soon and is able to fully enjoy it. Mine son was the same way with his first lesson, by the 3rd lesson he was excited about it and hated when the sessions were over. Good luck! Try to stay positive =)

Anonymous said...

I am sorry it didn't go well. I pray today goes better. Lillian is three and turns four in Aug. My plan was to start swimming lessons this summer, but all of the sudden she is so scared of the water. She wouldn't even swim with Daddy and I, so we are going to try next year. I hope it gets better!

Unknown said...

I have another story for you...

I cried for two straight YEARS of swim lessons. Then for some crazy reason I asked to go into swim club. Yah, I cried there too. And cried, and cried and cried. Horrible!

Flash forward 3 years - I was 8 and was the top swimmer in Canada for my age group.

Flash forward 8 more years and I was the youngest swimmer at the 1996 Canadian Olympic Trials.

I never went to the Olympics but that same year I won Youth Nationals.

So I guess the lesson to be learned here is - I HATED swimming, and then I ended up loving it. And being pretty good at it!! haha... There are some old time life guards and lessons teachers at the pool here where I live that STILL laugh at me because they can't believe I ever made it anywhere in swimming!!!

I hope tomorrow goes much better!!!

shortmama said...

Mine have not had swimming lessons because since we live in a pea sized town there are none nearby. And it stinks because Rhiannon is 8 and still doesnt know how to swim. She has had play pools but nothing deep enough to swim in. I just started taking her to a pool on the ranch that my dad now lives on and she is scared to death but getting more comfortable with it all the time

Emily said...

Bummer! My older two both had lessons and screamed and cried and I just did my best to ignore it...and it paid off...they are now little confident fish in the water!!! I think her's is a common reaction. Hang in there and I hope today goes better!

Laura@The Oily Cupboard said...

my first had swimming lessons after that it was every man for himself! haha

with lily i'd love to get them!!

Carrie said...

Aw...poor thing :( I think it can be scary when they know they can't touch and are being told to do something new. My kids have taken them for a few years...since Emily was 2 and Alex was 3. Emily's never been afraid...of anything! But Alex cried the first time. She will surely get the hang of it, and love it! ;) She will be a little mermaid soon! Hang in there! Sorry you had a bad day! That only means tomorrow has to be better!

Kelli W said...

Poor thing! I hope things are going better today! My boys took lessons a few years ago but they were younger and I think they were too young to be scared of the water. Now they love it, but I think it helps that my moms has a pool! I hate that your peach cobbler didn't turn out...I can't make cobbler very well either!