Well...I finally decided it was time to help my daughter overcome her fear of swimming pools, oceans, large and small bodies of water (besides the bath...she does fine in a bath.) I signed her up for private swim lessons with a lady I was referred to by a friend. She does the lessons in her own backyard pool and the classes are really small. Natalie only has four kids in her class. The first two days she cried and screamed the whole 30 minutes! Other parents and the teacher were very nice and patient with us. I was trying not to cry myself at times...feeling like I was torturing her or something. But then Matt helped me to see that it's okay if she cries...it's not anything that is hurting her, it's safe, and she will learn to do something hard and feel better about herself after. I was encouraged by the fact that she really was quite proud of herself after the first couple of lessons as I pointed out to her the cool things she accomplished. So we have continued on and she is progressing great. She cries A LOT less and I'm so proud of her and what's she's learning and mostly that she is overcoming a fear, and doing something that is truly hard for herself. I want her to learn that she can be brave. That she can do hard things. I want her to know that true courage is to fear and act anyway. I love you, Natalie!
Learning to float and kick.
Doing the "falling tree" move. She stands on the step, puts arms out, and falls chest first into water so her face goes in too. Then the teacher pushes her back in the water on her belly toward the step and tells her to "catch the step."
This captures the emotions Natalie is feeling during the lessons pretty well I think.
Learning to put her face in herself.
Putting face in with the swim teacher's help.
Natalie walking across the pool herself. Before swim class she always says, "I don't want to go to swim lessons...the water is too deep." Remember she hasn't been in a pool since she was about 2 years old, barely went into the ocean this summer on Long Island which was barely up to her ankles. The first day of swim class, the teacher took her straight into the shoulder deep pool with her. Quite the shock for Natty and was the "break the fear by facing it straight on" sort of approach. So far it's working.
Natalie with her swim teacher, Sarah Udall.
This is the best smile I could get out of her when I said, "Natalie look over here. Smile!" I really am proud of my little girl.
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