Teach Cole how to swim: Lesson 2

After last week's swimming lesson, I wasn't too excited about going to this lesson. Cole really didn't have a good time last week. But I decided to suck it up and go again...

I am glad that we did.. he is significantly more comfortable in the pool and was much less clingy. I was able to do motor boats and humpty dumpty this week..

The thing that got him over the top was humpty dumpty. He was a little hesitant (minor crying) to be put on the side of the pool.. but once he was out he started to "get it", that this was supposed to be fun. The first time I pulled him into the pool on "had a great fall" he started to laugh... which was encouraging. I used the remainder of our time to incorporate the other lessons like kick your feet and splash the water on the trip back to the side of the pool for our next humpty dumpty.

By the end of class, Cole was comfortable enough that I could hold him so that he faced away from my body.. which allowed us to really participate in wheels on the bus with the group. He also was almost there with motor boats but wasn't fully comfortable just being on my outstretched arms. We had to fake it a little, and only have his stomach to his legs floating freely, while his head and upper chest were on my shoulders and neck.

The only new activity this week was:

• Push off the wall - The child faces the edge of the pool and holds on with his hands. He then is supposed to pull his feet up and put the bottoms of his feet on the wall and then push off with them (and let go with the hands), propelling him backwards.