Swimming

Yesterday we took Baba swimming. It was the first time we had been swimming for a long time and it showed.

Baba was very reluctant at first, he wouldn’t leave Mr L’s arms and just wanted to be carried in the pool. He got upset if Mr L tried to move him off his chest and just hold his hands.

This worried me.

I suppose the lack of swimming is my fault. I am not a great swimmer and did not learn myself until I was eight or nine years old. I don’t like water in my face and hate to swim under water. Swimming full stop does not come naturally to me. I always said that I didn’t want that to be the case for Baba.

When he was very tiny about six months we paid for him to go onto a swimming course and he did ok at it. The person that had the biggest issue with it was me. One lesson we had to swim on our backs with them resting on us. We didn’t go I can’t swim on my back very well let alone with a child as well. So I feel it is my fault that he seems to have gained a little resistance to swimming.

Mr L is the absolutely opposite he is very happy in the water. Not the best swimmer out there but he is still confident in the water. He will jump in, go under and swim for a long time under water. He doesn’t need to hold his nose to go under like me! Basically swimming with Baba is better with Mr L around as he does not get the fear that I think he must get from me.

Yesterday Mr L and I worked really hard trying to build up Baba’s confidence in the water. It took a long time but we did manage to get him off Mr L’s chest and actually kicking his legs. He tried to go down the little baby slide only with one of us holding onto him the whole time but it was a huge improvement from when we arrived. Now we just need to keep this up!

We have decided that I am going to have to take Baba swimming during the week and then we are going to go at the weekend with Mr L. Unfortunately we can’t put him any lessons at the moment as they all clash with everything else he does. Our boy has a very busy life and it is going to get a lot busier.

So we have worked out a plan in the week I am going to just let him get used to the water. We are not going to do anything heavy just put his armbands on, and let him realise that nothing will happen if he does let go off me. At the weekend when Mr L is there we are going to work more on teaching him to swim. Not sure how but I am sure we will fathom out something along the way. So if you have any tried and tested ways of teaching your children to swim I would love to hear them.

And if you want me I am probably shrivelling up somewhere in a pool. But I shall get back to you when I am finally dry!