Just Keep Swimming
30 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Ben, Motherhood, Single Mommyhood, Uncategorized
I never thought swimming lessons could be such a source of stress. Ben normally loves swimming. Jumping in, going under, using only his floaties which for a two-year old is pretty good. At home in the pool he is a little fish.
Swimming lessons are a different story. He cries hysterically for the first 15 minutes of the 30 minute class. Then he clings to the teacher when she is having him swim. He keeps asking to only swim with Mr. Tyler who was his teacher when he was in the class where Mommy had to get in the pool with him. Sorry buddy but Mommy is extremely happy she doesn’t have to get in the pool anymore!
I have to blame myself as part of the problem. Consistency has been a challenge. I switched his lessons to Tuesdays to ensure that he went every week. Wouldn’t you know it three weeks later it is November – he only made it to one class because of travel and illness. He had just started getting comfortable with his new teacher. This week it was like we are back at square one.
So, I have decided to give it at least another month. Then comes the question of what do I do if there is no improvement in a month? Ben loves swimming, just not the lessons. If he still does not like them after a month I thought about asking if he could have a male teacher. Since he keeps asking for Mr. Tyler maybe he feels more comfortable with a male teacher.
I started thinking about my dad never letting me “quit” a sport or activity. Now that I am a parent I don’t know what to do. I don’t want Ben to think that every time he doesn’t like something he can just quit. On the flipside, if it is a huge source of anxiety and stress that isn’t good either.
As parents, what do you all think? How long should you keep a child in an activity so that they can really see if they like it? When do you let them “stop” an activity?
