Swim lessons – Week #1

The boys started swim lessons this week. We signed them up for weekday lessons, instead of choosing the weekend option, to get them more exposure time and to keep our Saturday mornings free for a few 5Ks I’ve already signed up for or just plan hanging out!

They were both excited leading up to the first day of lessons. Then Tuesday came. Colton was still over-the-top excited for lessons but Wyatt was showing a bit of reservation.

We arrived early & met their teacher (who is so sweet, super nice & overly patient – perfect qualities for a swim instructor to first-timers). We ran into quite a few other kids that the boys know from daycare & church (also our best friends’ little girl “A” is in the next class up & was so excited to say hi to the boys before lessons), so I was hoping that would make it a bit easier.

We got swim belts on each of the boys along with picking out a floating bar bell. It’s when it was time for Mom & Dad to leave that Wyatt had a few tears – nothing major but just a bit of sadness. We sit in the observatory area just feet away, divided by glass and we had assured them ahead of time that we would not leave them & were staying to watch the entire time.

There are 5 kids total in their class, so it’s nice & small. Colton and another older girl volunteered to do everything the teacher asked first, including jumping in by themselves & floating on their backs, with help. Wyatt had tears off & on during the entire session but was very cooperative with whatever the teacher asked him to try…he just really liked her to be close to him at all times. This first night was all about figuring out the float belts & floating bar bells along with swimming about half-way down the pool and back as a group, kicking in the water & blowing bubbles. At the end of the night, both boys said they had a fun time.

Wyatt checking out the pool.

1st class - kicking time!

Wyatt swimming with help.

Colton swimming with help.

We had their second lesson last night & I took them solo because Cory had signed up to go to a hunting convention prior to us signing up for swim lessons. Lucky for me, grandpa & grandma volunteered to meet us there so they could see what swim lessons were all about (mind you – I took swim lessons here more than 25 years ago & not much has changed) & to give the boys a little incentive to do good in class.

I am happy to report a totally tear-free night last night! Both boys did great & Wyatt didn’t have a bit of reservation. He was definitely showing off for grandpa & grandma! I think it also helped that only one other little girl showed up so it was a small class with just three of them & more one-on-one teacher time. Last night they continued the same skills from Tuesday night – kicking, blowing bubbles, swimming half-way down the pool & back but also added in pushing off from the wall backwards, swimming on their backs, using their hands to dive in from a sitting position and swimming without the floating bar bell. (All of these skills are being done with the assistance of the teacher.) They also had a few minutes at the end of class to choose stuff out of the “fun” bucket with sand buckets & balls to splash & play around with.

2nd class - kicking time again!

Colton practicing entering the pool from the edge.

Wyatt practicing entering the pool from the edge too.
(they were both supposed to keep their hands above their heads,
and then entering in the water but we're still learning)

On our way home, Wyatt said “I had a lot of fun at swim lessons tonight Mommy!” and that was music to my ears. I asked each of them what their favorite part was. Wyatt said it was swimming on his back and Colton said it was swimming without the floating bar bell.

1 week down – 5 more weeks to go…I’ve got a good feeling about this!