Swim Lessons

Sophie had her much anticipated first swimming lesson yesterday afternoon. It was a one-on-one lesson at the home of "Miss Brencie", who has worked with this age group for many years. Fortunately Jack was able to be home with a babysitter (Thanks, Laurie!!) so that Sophie and I could embark on this experience without having to worry about the endless possibilities for Jack to turn 20 minutes poolside into his own little adventure. Especially since I wasn't sure how Sophie would respond to her first lesson, it was a relief for both of us to not have to worry about what we like to call "attack of the Jack".

At the beginning of the summer, Sophie was still pretty reluctant about getting her head wet despite loving being in the pool. She even wanted to use Jack's float to ensure she wouldn't go underwater. We've tried to take her to the pool as much as possible in order to acclimate her to the water before her lessons started, and she's become increasingly comfortable. It helps that all of her friends love the water too, and I think watching their comfort in the pool has helped alleviate some of the anxiety she may have had.

She had a great experience at her first lesson, and to my delight was not at all wary about being alone in the pool with Miss Brencie or being challenged to completely put her face underwater and dive for rings. At one point when she was learning how to float on her back, she told Miss Brencie it was time to do something different! I guess she got a little bored with that part and was more eager to practice going underwater.

Later that evening, we filled up our jacuzzi tub because she wanted to practice her new skills, knowing that we will return in a few days to learn even more. It's so fun to watch how quickly a child can acquire new skills, and more importantly, embrace new opportunities with such enthusiasm.

We will return for several more lessons throughout the summer, and even Jack is going to take a couple (with Mommy in the pool, too). Stay tuned for more posts... next up is Great Gram's visit!