Third Times a Charm

After kissing my kids goodnight, singing them their lullaby, and closing the door, one of my favorite parts of the day is listening to my kids talk and giggle as they drift off into dreamland.

Having them so close together truly has been a blessing in so many ways. 

However, I have felt really guilty during the summers when I seemed to always have an infant in my arms and thus, my poor boy did not learn to swim. 

2 years ago Scott took my son to a parent and me swim class.  My son was 4 and was by far the oldest in attendance.  While other kids, much younger were jumping off the sides of the pool, practicing going under water and learning to blow bubbles and kick their feet, Scott spent the entire class on the side, convincing my son to put his feet into the water. 

He made huge strides by the end of the session,  but it was glaringly obvious to Scott and I that we had let him down and we had a lot of work to do in getting him used to the water and learning to swim.

The thing is, it isn’t easy to take three kids swimming all by yourself.  I tried it a few times at some MOPS swim parties.  The end result was most often me standing in the pool with 3 kids hanging on to me thinking, “This is not working!”

Last summer, I declared it the summer of swimming.  (at great cost to my personal pride as you may recall).  I enrolled the oldest 2 in lessons at the Y for about 3 sessions last spring and early summer and did my best to get all 3 kids in the water as much as possible throughout the rest of the summer.   

The girls took to swimming quite instantly.  I believe part of that is due to their fearless natures and part is due to the fact that they got so much time  in the water at a much younger age. 

This spring I again enrolled my oldest two in swim lessons and my youngest went to a “Parent and Me” session with her Daddy.  (note she is 2 yrs younger than my son was when he first went to a swim class).   I do believe though that the third time is a charm.  After 2 sessions of swim lessons and several family night swims, my oldest two can float independently and even swim underwater!! 

I wouldn’t yet declare them totally independent in the water.  But, we are at the point where I can be with all 3 kids in 3 or 4 feet of water and they aren’t all hanging on me.    Folks, this is a HUGE milestone for the circus momma!

In fact, the oldest two will dive for rings at the bottom and happily swim around.  And my “baby” can stick her head in, blow bubbles, and swim with her noodles. 

I can’t tell you how proud I am of my son and the strides he has made over the past few years.  He has wanted to quit so many times and frustratingly declared that he would never learn to swim.  But, we knew he could do it.  And despite his hesitation and frustrations, he kept at it and now LOVES it!   Look at him swimming underwater!

 

The look on his face as when it all clicked for him, is one I will treasure forever. 

This is great timing as we will yet again have an infant in my arms during the summer months.  We don’t have a pool, or a pool membership, but I plan to make a very conscious effort to take advantage of the bay and get them in the water quite a bit this summer.    One nice thing about swimming in the bay is they can easily stand up and I can sit close by on the sand with the baby.  Perhaps by next year, some of them will be ready to attempt swim team?!  I see a whole new world opening for us at the circus.   It’s been a long journey, but I feel like we’ve finally made some progress!