We decided to start Collin swimming this year, mostly because we had started Drew at a year old and I didn't want Collin to feel left out (silly, I know). Despite the ridiculous reasoning, he's been a water baby from the get go and I actually think for the most part, he enjoyed getting some time to swim around and be a part of the big kid things with everyone in the pool. Collin's instructor was great! I had forgotten that they literally start the lesson as soon as your child gets in the pool. I had just barely handed Collin off and Marin had already put him face down in the water and was helping him navigate towards her. It still amazes me how much "swimming" a one year old can actually do! Swim?? Yes, swim. Well, more like a wiggle but it's as much of a swim as a one year old is going to get; and with those little flippers on his feet (yep, flippers--they're just as teeny and adorable as you are probably imagining them to be), he actually can swim half the length of the pool! His instructor was very patient and in the end, I think Collin actually enjoyed himself.
His instructor Marin (rhymes with Karen) wouldn't blow in his face or count to three before putting him into the water. Instead, she would just lift him up by his armpits and sort of set him facedown in the water as she stepped back for him to start swimming. The theory behind this was that if he were to fall in a pool, he wouldn't have air blown in his face or someone counting to three as a signal for him to hold his breath. If he fell in, it would just be water. So, in light of that, they try to teach that the forward motion before they enter the water is the signal to hold your breath. Made sense to me.
She spent a lot of time talking with, patting, and reassuring
Collin also get to talk to friends and play with toys (in this case, rubber duckies on the edge of the slide)
The only part Collin wasn't a fan of was jumping off the step. Funny because you'd think standing up on the step is where he'd feel most secure....you know, having something solid under his feet again. Not so much. In any case, Marin would have him stand on the step or on the edge of the pool and then jump off and start swimming towards her. Yep, one year olds can actually do all of this!
Halfway through each lesson and again at the end, all of the kids get to ride on a huge float (essentially a huge kick board), shaped like a duck. The instructors turn them in a circle and sing. Then, at the end of the song the instructors step back and all of the kids push off and swim out to their instructor.
And finally, at Collin's very last lesson, they had a parent hop in the water to teach you the techniques they had been teaching your child in hopes that you'll continue teaching the rest of the summer.
Drew this year was amazing!! I was blown away at his improvement since last year...mostly because this year marked a big turning point in what they teach. At two and a half years old, they start teaching them how to take a breath instead of just swim forward. Well, this changed everything for Drew because although he still isn't doing much more than a doggy paddle in terms of arm strokes, he can now swim wherever he'd like to in the pool. When he gets tired or needs a breath, he just flips over and floats on his back! This made me so much more at ease with Drew around water. Still careful for sure, but definitely more at ease!
Last year, Drew had an amazing instructor named Chris. Drew loved him and so did we! I had asked if Chris was teaching this year and was told he had "graduated" (his wife had a baby last summer a month after I had Collin, so this didn't surprise me much) so this year we had Scott. Scott did a great job (I'm convinced that there are no bad instructors at Jan Thomas! I have no idea what their selection process looks like, but they manage to find the most patient, enthusiastic, and fun people to work for them!). Anyway, turns out Chris ended up teaching swim this year after all, and of course, Drew spotted him in the pool the moment we walked through the gate. We had to explain to him that he would have a different instructor that he would end up loving just as much as he did Chris, and sure enough we were right! Poor Scott though spent probably the first four or five lessons listening to Drew tell him all about Chris, or pointing out where Chris was in the pool and asking Scott if Chris could watch him do whatever it was Scott had instructed him to do. Scott was so, so patient with all of this, and by the end he had definitely won Drew over. He was awesome!
Meet Scott. He ranks right up there with Fireman Sam, Buzz Lightyear, and Lightening McQueen. We're still talking about Scott in this house....and for that matter, Chris (from last year) as well. That's how big of an impression these guys made on Drewski.
Thumbs up! Scott showed him how to do a thumbs up at his very first lesson and at first he would stick his pointer finger up like a number one. The entire lesson Scott would do a thumbs up every time Drew did what he was supposed to and Drew would do a number one back. Well, of course this continued when we came home, so after a little practice with Daddy, Drew proudly showed up for his next lesson ready to show Scott he had learned how to do a proper thumbs up.
Swim....
Swim...
Flip and breathe! (so proud of my munchkin!!)
And of course, just like Collin, Drew still had plenty of play time between swimming
...and he still got to ride on the duck and sing songs.
He also got to "dive" off of the diving board. His dive was hilarious because exactly as sprawled out as you see him in the picture is how he would land in the water....every. single. time.
The diving board and the slide were Drew's favorites. Mine? Those flippers!!! (Among other things of course!)
And also like at Collin's last lesson, I was able to get in the water and work with Drew at his last lesson as well
We also tried to teach Drew how to correctly dive. Emphasis on *tried* :)
The very best part for Drew came at the end of the last lesson of the summer. Drew remembered this part from last year so he knew what was coming and had eagerly waited for it. When everything was all said and done, Scott stood Drew on a three-tiered pedestal and very loudly announced Drew as a champion swimmer for swimming the width of the pool, learning to roll over to take a breath, diving to the bottom of the pool to grab toys, and jumping off the diving board. He then awarded him with a medal and a blue ribbon. Everyone waiting for and watching other lessons then clapped and of course the other instructors made a big deal out of it.....and Drew ate it up!
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