Swimming Lessons

Since Lil Man turned four we have been putting him in the unparented swimming lessons, that would be the Sea Otter Level.  He did the level in the fall with his brother, but wouldn't do the front glide so he had to repeat.  He did another round in the spring and did not pass again, so we signed him up for the summer and he actually did worse than he had before.  I was fed up, because I know he can do it, but he was always jumping and playing while the instructor was working with other kids so I had a sneaky suspicion he was playing the instructor and claiming he was "afraid" and wouldn't do what they were asking.  I decided that after spending all that money on group lessons I may as well do a private lesson to see if that would help him.

So last week Lil Man had his first private lesson at the Dawe Center.  He did phenomenally!!! He was able to play and goof around but because he was the only kid in the lesson he got 30 minutes of 1:1 instruction. I spoke to the instructor about his weaknesses and professed fears and she listened and adjusted her lessons to help him feel more confident! After the first lesson he had done his front glide and front float and put his whole head in the water, he just wasn't comfortable doing his back float he had told her.  I knew this was bunk because he'd been doing his back float all the time, Lil Man and I talked, and I bribed him with ice cream so the next day he did his back float no problem, using only a pool noodle and he got ice cream.

Now Lil Man has passed his Sea Otter level and in two weeks will do his first round of Salamander.  We will put him in twice but after that I think I will do private lessons again!! Plus soon Lil Man and I will be swimming just have to find someone to come with us so they can hold Teddybear in the pool!!