So this year Brent and I decided that enough was enough, and dam*it, he was going to learn to swim. We enrolled him and Drew in a 2-week intensive camp with Ms. Cathy's Swim School. She has a reputation was being tough and intense but effective - by the end of next week our children are supposed to be little fish, and if you watch her videos, I have high hopes.
Anyway, Monday was Day 1. All the kids did was get in the water and swim 6-8 feet total with an instructor starting them off and one in the middle to get them to the stairs. HOWEVER, the instructors made sure the kids kept their heads down and used proper form. Meaning they forced them to be face down in the water. It was seriously no more than 5 seconds between instructors and 10 seconds {AT MOST} from start to finish per child. They repeated this about 8 times. THAT WAS THE WHOLE CLASS.
I really wish I had video to share with the world what this looked like. 14 children screaming, crying, blubbering, trying to run away sums it up pretty nicely I think. 12 parents {I wasn't the only one double-fisting children} wrangling wet, hysterical children. The adults kept looking at each other and laughing. Trent kept running away from me. So there I was dragging 2 wet, crying children around a pool in street clothes sopping wet with Smoochie stuck in the middle forcing them back into the water over-and-over again.
It was a magical moment in parenting that I can't wait to repeat tomorrow. Luckily I will have reinforcements in the name of Papa. Wish us luck! {grin}
Holding hands after the trauma was over. My poor babies!
6 comments:
Good luck! Let me know how it goes. 3 swim schools later & someone still refuses to go under water! Not trying to raise an Olympic swimmer - just someone who could get out if water safely if she fell in. I've heard this lady really does work. I just don't know that I am tough enough to take her...Get video! -AP
I read this an hour before our first ever swim lesson and literally just couldn't stop laughing. Fortunately, our experience was not as traumatic.
That sounds like a really interesting way to teach kids. If it were something else I might question the method, but learning to swim is, really, a safety precaution, so whatever it takes!
Oh no! That sounds like misery! Hoping today was better and that by the end of it, you'll be able to say it was all worth it!
I know a lady that does private lessons if that's something you're ever interested in!
OMG! My kids went to Ms. Cathy, AKA the Swim Nazi! IT IS CRAZY. So many tears. But they friggin learned to swim. Lol!
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