These Are The Days: Swimming (Torture) Lessons

I have been wanting to do a post about Wyatt's swimming lessons for awhile now, but haven't had any pictures. I really wish I had a video of them, but once I tell you how our swimming lessons go each week, you'll understand why I don't!

This past semester has been the first time Wyatt has taken swimming lessons without me in the pool with him. But I knew he was ready to be on his own (especially at 3 years old) and whenever we've been in a pool as a family, he loves to swim around on his own with the noodles and his floatie on his back. So it was time.

But as I've written in the past, Wyatt doesn't like trying new things and swimming has been no exception. I signed him up to be in a class with his friend Bella (who loves the water and has no fear of new things), thinking that this would help ease his uncertainty. The first day of class, he was on the verge of tears all the way up until he got into the water and then he totally broke down bawling. He cried for about half of the class and his instructor (Chelsea, bless her heart) had to hold him the entire time. The next week got a little better and he cried for only about 10 minutes. The following week he cried for only about 5 minutes and then had a blast the rest of the time. But I learned that he'd stop crying whenever I left the pool area and watched from upstairs. As soon as I was gone, he'd quit crying.

We've now been in swimming lessons for several months and the actual lessons have been goign great. He'll do things on his own and swims the length of the pool with his floatie on (without having to hold on to anyone). However, he still bawls and kicks and screams when I walk him into the pool area. The rest of the parents there just laugh when they see us coming because it really is quite humorous. He kicks and screams, I hand him to Chelsea (or one of the other instructors), he gets in the water, I leave, and he quits crying and joins in all the fun with the rest of the kids. It just kills me---when will it end?? Somedays I am so frustrated about it and then other days I just laugh because it's so hilarious!

So this is why I have no video from his class! Last week I was able to sneek in at the end of the class and he was fine with me watching him and Bella swim. So here are a few of the pics I got...maybe one of these weeks I'll have another parent videotape our "grand entrance" that we make each week.