Swim Lessons

When I was a kid I loved to swim.  I mean loved to dive in, and to feel the water rushing past me as it welcomed me into it's cool abyss.  I loved to dive off the diving board, play categories and swim all day long. I know I puled the five more minutes stuff on my parents.

My child does not share this love.  I have known this since the first time I dunked his seven month old self in the pool and he came up screaming.  Heck, have known it since the first bath when he screamed like he was being chased by Freddy.  We wanted him to take some swim lessons so he could learn how to swim and possibly conquer some of his fear of the water.

The first day was nothing short of terrifying for him.  (And yes, these swim lessons were two months ago, lay off me.)  The first thing they did was practice jumping off the side of the pool to us.  Cian kept asking me to get closer to the edge, let me tell you I could not have been closer to this edge if I had been standing beside him.  The "jump"he had to make was merely a step into my arms.  The teachers, Miss Allie and Miss Kelsey, then asked the kids to float on their backs against us while we held their shoulders.  He was really stable but Cian didn't believe this.  He started shaking and yelling, "somebody help me, somebody help me."  I guess he didn't feel safe with dear ole mum. 

Through the span of the week he would go back and forth between wanting the teachers to help him do things and wanting me.  I think he wanted to see which one of us would be a sucker and just hold him in the water.  The kids jumped from the side, floated on their backs (with help), held onto a noodle and kicked and pulled with their arms, blew bubbles, swam for toys, caught a ball in the water (while being held by us) "dove" or reached for rings and put their faces in the water. 

The face in the water was the kicker.  You would have thought I asked Cian to run on up to Mordor when we asked him to put his face in the water.  After much whining, crying, snotting and just down right refusal he finally did it and he was proud!

One day Steve came with us and was our cameraman.  Despite my urging him to get out of the chair and walk closer he didn't want to appear like a creeper. 

This was the fight just to get into the pool

Happy face because it is over

Was it traumatizing, probably.  Will we do it again, heck yes.