UNDER!
My six year old has always loved to get in Grandma's pool. Any pool for that matter. With her arm floaties and swim ring. She loves to float around, splashing and basking in the sun... with sunscreen on, of course! One by one, her cousins around her age have been learning to jump in the water and go under... and swim. But not J. She was content with floating. Anytime I mentioned learning to swim, she balked and said she did not want to.... that she was scared.
Yesterday, J decided she was ready to be brave. So, with me in the pool, she took off her swim ring and got in with water with just her arm floats on. I pulled her around for a few so she could see that they would hold her up. Then I let her go... and she stayed up! It wasn't long before she decided she was ready to try to go under water. She closed her eyes tight, held her nose with one hand and the side of the pool with the other, and went down. With about 3/4 of her head still sticking out of the water.
"WOW! That was great," I told her!
She did it again and again, each time going just a bit farther until finally she could get her whole head under the water. She was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to show her daddy when he came over.
I told her before the summer ends, she and I are going to get in with no floaties, no rings, just me and her and a bunch of water. And she's going to learn to swim. She is excited!
I imagine once she can swim, I'll still make her wear the arm bands for at least a little while longer. And of course, she won't be allowed in the water without adult supervision for the next several years. I'm thinking maybe when she's 20. LOL We're planning to go over to my inlaws this summer as often as we can. Hopefully soon, she'll be a little fish.
My next goal... getting rid of the training wheels on her two wheeler. Wish me luck on that one!
Yesterday, J decided she was ready to be brave. So, with me in the pool, she took off her swim ring and got in with water with just her arm floats on. I pulled her around for a few so she could see that they would hold her up. Then I let her go... and she stayed up! It wasn't long before she decided she was ready to try to go under water. She closed her eyes tight, held her nose with one hand and the side of the pool with the other, and went down. With about 3/4 of her head still sticking out of the water.
"WOW! That was great," I told her!
She did it again and again, each time going just a bit farther until finally she could get her whole head under the water. She was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to show her daddy when he came over.
I told her before the summer ends, she and I are going to get in with no floaties, no rings, just me and her and a bunch of water. And she's going to learn to swim. She is excited!
I imagine once she can swim, I'll still make her wear the arm bands for at least a little while longer. And of course, she won't be allowed in the water without adult supervision for the next several years. I'm thinking maybe when she's 20. LOL We're planning to go over to my inlaws this summer as often as we can. Hopefully soon, she'll be a little fish.
My next goal... getting rid of the training wheels on her two wheeler. Wish me luck on that one!
posted by Anonymous at 3:12 PM
3 Comments:
I got rid of the training wheels on #1 just last month. It helps if you can lower their seat so they can put their feet on the ground. Then find a grassy hill -- not too big, but not too small, either.
Start them off on the hill, with no training wheels and the seat lower. As they get going and get more confident, you can raise the seat back to where it should be and voila. No more training wheels.
I learned this trick in Bicycle Magazine.
I'm still searching for the trick to get him excited to swim, although I might have found it -- a friend with a backyard pool. Cross your fingers...
Here from Michele!
WTG! Good luck with the training wheels :) I remember when I first started riding my back w/o training wheels. I feel off the back of the bike (dont know how I managed that...lol) and hit my head. My dad asks "Is the bike ok?"
Wow, that is so great that she decided to take the chance!! Good for your ambitious daughter. Your kids are adorable too! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier today....hope to see you again soon!
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