This week Brayden has been taking swimming lessons. These are not the typical 3 year old, "let's blow bubbles in the water" type lessons. These are survival swimming lessons. He's half way through his session and by the end of next week, his teacher will toss him in the pool (with clothes and shoes on) to make sure he can get out on his own if this happens at home. Anyone who has seen my backyard setup knows that I worry about this constantly. Our pool was designed (by a single guy, not me) to be right outside the back door. Beautiful, yes... safe for kids? No. We gone over a million different options on how to make the pool situation safer. The bottom line is that I need to make my "toddler" safer. So, we got wind of a class that was affordable and available (not easy to come by around here) and signed up right away! Our teacher is Michelle and we LOVE her. Ours is the last class for her after 3 hours of swim instruction and she still has amazing patience and dedication. She's amazing... she can make the kids do what she wants even when they are screaming back at her and she still calls them "sweetie" through the whole thing! 
Brayden is unique among her students. He is not afraid of the pool but doesn't understand that he can't really swim yet. He loves swimming and isn't afraid of any of it. He can now swim 15 feet across her pool all by himself and can pull himself out of the side of the pool without the help of a ladder or stairs! I'll post pictures next weekend of how our "big finale" goes!!!
Brayden is unique among her students. He is not afraid of the pool but doesn't understand that he can't really swim yet. He loves swimming and isn't afraid of any of it. He can now swim 15 feet across her pool all by himself and can pull himself out of the side of the pool without the help of a ladder or stairs! I'll post pictures next weekend of how our "big finale" goes!!!
7 comments:
This is so exciting for him. I can remember doing survival swimming with you at 8 months and you passed with flying colors. Tell Little B we are so proud of him!
Love Grandma and Grandpa
Survival swimming? I don't recall that. I remember Stan throwing us into the pool (or Mom, as was probably the case more often). Oh well. I know how to swim. I guess thats what matters.
I don't remember "survival" swimming either, except that mom has pics to prove it... I'm pretty sure she didn't do it with you, though... the pics she has of me doing it were in the apt in Concord. I guess they felt safer when you were tiny because of the raised pool wall? I do remember getting tossed in a lot by "loving" family members!
When my friend Tiffany got her pool she had her 2 youngest take survival swimming. She swears by it.
Great job, Brayden!
Christy -- this is so great! I taught swimming when I was a teenager and one class I did for a while was infant swimming with survival instinct being a big goal, although being comfortable in the water was also a biggie of course. It was SO fun and kids are great in the water. It's great you found this class. I would love to watch the teacher in action. Good for you and especially for Brayden! I can't wait to see him getting out of the pool on his own. That is impressive! Janine
That is awesome! I really want to get my kids into lessons this summer, but it is expensive... sigh. We don't have a pool, so I don't feel as pressed to do it, but still... it would be nice to know they'd be okay in the pool!
Would you mind emailing me the info for that lady? I was looking into that and it kind of fell down the priority list for obvious reasons but I'd love to get BL in a class. I'm glad it went so well for y'all!
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