Swim Lessons

Adilyn did a two week swim lesson at Houston Swim Club. She has always loved the water, but she has never loved putting her face or head under the water. I tried to work with her each summer, and she would have so much fun playing and splashing. The minute I dunked her, all fun ended for those minutes. When we started the lessons, I was concerned that she would totally freak out and not even get in the water, but she did very well. Although she cried almost every lesson (off and on), she always did what they told her to. Through her tears, she learned to float on her back and dive for rings. Amazingly, she never fully resisted. It was rough for us to watch, but we have come to realize that our sweet Adilyn is just a cryer. Anytime she gets nervous or uneasy, she cries. Anytime she doesn't get her way, she cries. Anytime she gets scared, she cries. I firmly believe that through the swim lessons, she was not that upset or scared; she was just nervous. There was only one day that my heart was breaking for her because she looked so scared. It was probably the roughest 30 minutes that I have had to endure. The very next day, she only teared up a few times. She always talked positively about the lessons, and she never once said that she didn't want to go back. The techniques that they used were a little different, but they really seemed to work! By the end of the two weeks, Adilyn willingly put her head in the water, floated on her back by herself, fipped over from her back to grab the edge of the pool, and went to the bottom of the pool to get rings. My little "guppy" graduated to a "goldfish"! She was so proud of herself, and each night at bedtime she would say, "Mama, talk to me about my swim lessons." The true test will be howshe acts when she is in the pool with me this summer!

Here she is floating, her Achille's heel. She always wanted to sit up, and when she did that, she would sink!