Sink or Swim

A refreshing swim in the pool is a memory that many people share. I grew up at the lake and in pools, and I have always loved the water. There is nothing better on a hot summer day than jumping into a nice, cool pool. My daughter, Baby, feels differently.

For some reason, she is hesitant around the water. She enjoys playing in the sprinklers and baby pool. She will even float out with swimmies on, but it all changes when you ask her to take her swimmies off, or worse, take her to swimming lessons.

First, she went and watched Bubba, crying and whining the entire time for me to sign her up...so I did. The day came for her to enter the pool and she began to have second thoughts. Her nose crinkled, her eyes squinted, and her mouth opened wide as she began to cry. "I don't wanna go underwater!" Baby has not been back since her first swimming lesson (first for this month, not first lesson ever or even in the past few months).

The moment swimming lessons is brought up, she screams and cries, refusing to put her swim suit on. So today... I received a call from the lesson director (after I had called weeks earlier and she refused to refund my money).

"I notice that Baby hasn't been to lessons." she began.

"That's because I can't even get her to put her swimsuit on, much less in the car to go to swimming lessons," I explained.

I, then, went on to explain how head strong and independent Baby was. I continued to describe how she doesn't like to go under water and wants to do it on her terms. After a brief discussion, the director suggested we go in for "acclimation time". Acclimation time is when I get in the pool with Baby, but we just play. There are no instructors and no classes going on. It is just us, the pool, and all the fun stuff they use during lessons. So I agreed to try it.

After picking Baby up from school I explained what we were going to do and she began to cry. It was only after I held up my swimsuit to her that she believed me. Baby, Peach, and I arrived and headed for the pool. Baby immediately began pulling out everything. She ended up wearing swimmies, a swim ring, a noodle, and these rod things under her arms. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't going under.

We swam for some time and eventually she began to remove flotation helpers, until she was finally without anything. It was only after I said that it was time to go that she attempted to go under. I acted like I didn't even see it and she hopped out of the pool.

"That was fun!" I exclaimed. "You wanna come back tomorrow?"

"NO" she shouted.

"But I thought you had fun?" I questioned.

"I don't want to come back!" she yelled.

"Well...do you wanna come back, Peach?" I asked. Peach nodded her head vigorously. "OK...that settles it! We are coming back tomorrow."

"UGH!" Baby exclaimed.

We shall see what tomorrow's acclimation time brings but I am hopeful.