We enrolled Lois in swimming lessons this past summer (June) and it was awesome! Daily for an entire month, Lois spent 45 minutes in the pool learning the basics and by the end, she was doing really well! She could float on her own, kick her legs, crawl along the edge of the pool, blow bubbles, jump off the side of the pool, etc. I'm so grateful it all worked out because the first few days were were a little dicey - with a few freak outs when they dunked her under the water. Thankfully, she ended up loving the water and couldn't wait until her next lesson.
Allison was her teacher and Lois loved her. After the month was up, my dear friend Alyssa asked if we wanted to continue lessons in her pool and hire out Allison do some one-on-one teaching for both our girls. We extended her lessons by a month with this little arrangement, which worked out wonderfully. We are so grateful for good friends who offer their pool, wonderful teachers like Allison and for our little spunk who loves the water!
Here's a few pictures of her and Allison as well as a few videos. Isn't that the cutest little body you ever did see?
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She's doing "monkey, rocket, star" move where she puts her arms out like a monkey, kicks her legs (rocket) and then puts her arms above her head like a star.
Floating all by herself!
Our little fish
...about to swim to the edge all by herself.
Ready...set...
GO!
Swim!! :)
In other news, Lois potty trained in the month of June. When swimming started, I gave her a little talk about how I didn't want to have to put a swim diaper on her so she'd have to tell me when she had to go potty. And that was that. Literally. That was that! Best win for this mommy.
It's quite remarkable. Once she decided she wanted to do it, she just did it. Slightly frustrating since we'd been discussing the topic with her on a daily basis for months with conversations that went something like this: "Big girls don't wear diapers...don't you want to be a big girl?" - to which she'd respond, "well, it's okay mommy. I like to pee in my diapers and I'm a big girl!" or, "I DON'T WANT TO WEAR UNDIES!!!!!" I just knew that as soon as she decided to do it, she would and forcing her would be a completely futile effort. She certainly was smart enough, had the bladder control to do so and she even liked to sit on the potty. So, I hung tight and it finally paid off. I'm so glad I waited until she was ready, even if I did have to wait until she was three!
4 comments:
I am SO impressed! If I knew swimming lessons could actually teach my kids to swim, I might put mine in lessons! Around here, people put their kids in year after year, and I haven't heard of many who actually learn how to swim til they're older. She seems too young to be able to do that! Oh, and way to go on the potty training. Mary used the "wait until they're ready" method with Cannon and it was the same story. He was 3, and he just decided. Never went back, and never had accidents in the night or anything. Sometimes waiting does pay off!
She looks like such a little lady in these pictures! So grown up. I'm so glad you are back to blogging (even if it's just now and then) because I've missed the updates and pictures dearly.
She is GOOD! We desperately need to get Marley into swimming lessons. Even if it's just a water survival class. I'm with your friend Camille, I haven't heard of any good swim teachers. I've heard of swim teachers here but good ones, no. Knowing how to swim and hold your breath and float are so important!
And way to go Lois on not wearing diapers! Official big girl!
I think one on one is the way to go for swim lessons. Sam had been going for about four weeks per summer (2 sessions) for four years in a row, and never got passed level three. Level four is when they start teaching actual strokes. We finally gave up because he can get around the pool safely, but I still want him to know the strokes. He thiks he can swim. I think we'll go private sometime this summer.
As far as potty traing, I tried around 2 and a half and gave up because he couldn't be bothered, and neither could I. Then sometime shortly after three I put a stack of underwear and a stack of pants in the bathroom, took him in there, took off his diaper and said,"You are old enough to change yourself, here is the stuff." And I walked out. It worked, and I felt like a genius!
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