Collin has been going to Dolfun Swim Academy since the summer. These are not community classes that usually consist of singing and splashing around in the pool with other kids and parents without any real skills taught(except maybe blowing bubbles). There's nothing wrong with those classes, we did them and found them fun and a nice way to introduce your kid to the water. But I wanted something that would actually teach Collin the skill of swimming.
I'm not the strongest swimmer--I can do the crawl and the basics but diving kind of freaks me out. So I learned about Dolfun and was a little worried because Collin was actually "old." They start with babies as young as one month to introduce them to the water and it involves dunking then in and out. May sound crazy but there were 2 year olds in Collin's class jumping in without hesitation and swimming by themselves. I watched a kid of about four in the next class swim like a fish.
We had our ups and downs. Collin made progress but would not grasp the concept that opening your mouth and swallowing water is not a good idea. He started getting more comfortable and having fun with his buddy Stellan. But then something happened and he suddenly became a barnacle. He clung to me for about a month in our once a week classes. I started dreading it and wondered if I was crazy for shelling out a bunch of money. But the teacher Diana is wonderful and told me it was normal. Kids went through phases and he was most likely "acting out" for me. When he swam with her he was fine.
About three weeks ago the parents started rotating out of the pool while Diana worked with the kids by themselves. Collin was definitely not as advanced as the other kids who are all able to practically paddle across the pool without help.
The first week I sat on the sidelines while Collin was with Diana, it was a scream fest. Collin aka. Mr. Dramatic screamed and screamed and looked at me with betrayal. He tried to escape the pool and run over to me several times. I give him waves of encouragement but it's hard to see your kid like that. He wailed for the whole 30 minutes of class and by the time class was up he was snotty, whimpering and red faced. I felt terrible.
Then, a magic thing happened. The next week I talked to Collin about how he would be alone with Teacher Diana in the pool while I watched him, and that if he cried I would have to walk outside. It was like he flipped a switch because this time he was a completely different kid. It may have also helped that the class was divided into two sessions and now Collin only had two other kids with him. He laughed, he eagerly jumped, he let Diana pour water over him. And then of course there was the highlight of the class. A lollipop after he was all showered and dressed.
Next week, same thing. Except this time the other kids were absent so Collin got a private lesson. And I had my camera handy.
He still doesn't quite understand holding your breath but this week he actually wanted to wear his goggles. (Before it was torture trying to put them over his head).
He was giddy, he loved floating on his back and went under water to grab toys. And while he's not quite at the level as the other kids he has made huge strives from when we started. I'm excited to see him learn how to be in the water and enjoy himself (preferably while staying afloat!) Maybe he'll have a lifelong joy of swimming, or uh be the next Michael Phelps. At the very least I'm confident we'll be able to go on vacations and take him in the water without feeling too paranoid.
