This past week, Madelyn started taking ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) swimming lessons with a locally trained expert. I admit I was so nervous and worried about how it was going to go. This isn't your typical swimming lessons where they start by teaching the kids to splash, then blow bubbles and try to stick their face in the water. Oh no, this is completely different.
This is the swimming lessons where you see babies (some even as early at 6 months old) get thrown into the water and they know how to swim and turn to float on their back). I'll admit just watching the videos on their website can be hard to watch.
But we thought we had to give it a try. So Madelyn and I have been going every Monday through Friday for 10 minutes for the past 8 days.
At the first lesson the teacher immediately put her in the water and made her swim under the water to a pole at the side of her pool. Madelyn was NOT a fan. She hated it, cried and screamed when she wasn't gagging on water. I hated it too. It's so hard to watch your child swallow/choke/gag on water.
I told Jarrett I didn't want to take her, I wanted him to.
As parents we had to read a detailed, many page manual that gives instructions of what you can and can't do. There are specific guidelines about eating before- you can't. Nothing dairy for a couple of hours before. And then during the lesson you have to act, behave and only say certain things. I think I was just as nervous not to screw up the first day as Madelyn was to be getting plunged underwater by this stranger.
Everyday for 10 minutes Madelyn would scream. And then on day 5, it was like a switch flipped. She didn't cry. In fact she smiled and she laughed and she talked about it like she liked it. "I swim under the water" was her saying over and over.
I was so happy to see her master the 3-second underwater swim. And just like anything, now that she's mastered the swim part, now we work on the turning from the swim to the back float -life saving swim. She again hates it but I hope she can master it too.
Here are a few pictures from her swim today. On Friday's I get to get in the water with her so I can learn how to reinforce what Mrs. Jenn is teaching her.
Yep that's a smile there!
And an even bigger one as she swims to me!
This is where she has to learn how to flip from her front to her back. It's so scary to watch... She chokes and gags and Mrs. Jenn helps her turn over.
And while she still isn't relaxed on her float yet, I've seen the 6 month old little baby that swims after her and he can do it, so hopefully she can too.
We are a week and a half in, and have 4 and a half more weeks before her final test, which is we have to dress her in clothes completely and they toss her in and she has to find a way to swim to the steps or float on her back for an extended period of time. I sure hope my anxious heart can handle it. I have faith in her, she'll be great. For Pete's sake, Faith is her middle name!
Until next time,
Angie
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