"Swim Lessons 2012"!

We just finished up a fantastically fabulous week of swim lessons with Mrs. Karen.  Elijah Brooks took swim lessons last summer when he was 2 1/2, but did not enjoy them at all - tears at every lesson. We took with a different teacher for twice the amount of time and money, but had a very tentative and tearful little boy.  Since he was an infant, he has not liked water on his head or on his face - kind of makes bath time and shower time alittle tricky!  Has also made swimming alittle tricky too.  Knowing that this might be somewhat of a stressful week, I started talking up swim lessons with Mrs. Karen a long time ago.  Elijah Brooks is the kind of child who does not like surprises. He likes to know what is going to happen and what to expect (I am the exact same way).  Knowing how I feel when I am thrown into something unexpected, I can understand him much better. I am the kind of mom who tells him when we are going to get shots and that they are going to hurt for a second. When he broke his leg and they missed the vein in one arm trying to get his IV in and he was screaming bloody murder, I told him that they were going to have to do it again in the other arm and that it would hurt again. I am honest with him, and he appreciates it.  He knows what to expect and can prepare for it. So, we have really been talking about swim lessons and going under the water for a long time.  He wouldn't let me practice with him in the pool so I have been forced to just talk about it.  He has been under the water before (forced by mommy), but has hated every second of it and has panicked every time and come up screaming and crying. A mom knows her child.  A mom can decipher between manipulation and pure fear. A mom knows her child's cries and what they mean. A mom knows when her child is simply putting his/her foot down in rebellion and when there is a legitimate reason for the refusal to cooperate.  Elijah Brooks has been afraid for a long time. He is a very cautious child, always has been.  I am giving all of this background information so that you can understand why this was such an accomplishment this week.

Okay, so lots of talking, lots of pretending, and lots of praying for several weeks. Lots of conversations about God being in the pool with him, holding his hands, even though mommy and Mrs. Karen might not be. Some kids might not have wanted to talk about it so much, but for Elijah Brooks, it was exactly what he needed. So, talk we did and pray we did!  I also had him in the pool as much as I could just letting him do his own thing, but quietly observing the other children in the pool before lesson week. He also watched a video clip of one of his friends swimming over and over and over again, taking note of everything - thank you Anna for posting that!!

July 9th came, and at 10:45am, we loaded up the car and headed to meet Mrs. Karen. Honestly, I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but put his Spider Man swim goggles on him, and sent him to sit on the pool step with his class. Much to my surprise, he turned around and said,"bye Mommy, you and Ellison cheer for me, okay?"!  So, Ellison and I slipped off to the side to sit underneath the covered porch so as not to disturb him. I started praying, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed.  Prayed mainly for courage and for a willing heart to obey Mrs. Karen.  Within the first 5 minutes, she had him under the water - and there were no tears, no crying, and no "I don't want to's"!  I was shocked, but so very thankful.  After they worked for a few minutes in the shallow end just putting their heads under the water, she took him out to the deep end by the side of the pool to practice floating on his back. She was helping him learn to relax on his back and then she would let go of him, make him roll over and grab the side of the pool and pull himself out!  After about 4 times of this, I thought the poor kids' arms were going to fall off, but he stuck with it and found the strength that he needed.  And then, it was diving board time - on the 1st day,  for a non-swimmer????  Really????  I thought surely this was not going to go over well, as he has been very reluctant to even jump in to me from the side for fear of going under the water.  He likes to jump in, just not to go under the water!  But, he stood patiently in line and waited his turn to jump - and jump he did, without even a moment's hesitation!  Yep, I cried, underneath my sunglasses so no one would know, but I definitely cried.  You just know your child and know how far they have come from something. She caught him the first few times and taught him how to swim to the side, and then just had them practice it over and over.  Once he climbed out of the water I heard him say, "wasn't that just great Mrs. Karen"?!!

Well, it goes without saying that the remainder of the week just kept getting better and better.  He only had 4 days of swim lessons, but each morning he woke up and said how excited he was to go. Every cloud in the sky made him worry that it was going to rain out his lesson!  Who is this child?????   I honestly just think he was ready.  His teacher, while she was super great, didn't say anything magical to make him do anything.  He was just ready and motivated to learn.  Just like with most things with children, it's in their own time - and learning a skill is no different.


I wouldn't turn him loose in the pool just yet and consider him a "swimmer", but boy has he come a long way.  He is a different child in the water than he was 1 week ago, and I couldn't be more proud of him. He truly rose to the occasion and far exceeded anything I expected him to do.


It was kind of difficult taking pictures while juggling Ellison (and I was "hiding"), but here are some pictures from the 3rd and 4th day of class.

Way to go Brother!!!!  I am so proud of you, and I am sure you could hear me cheering for you!