Little Merboys!

I am a teacher at heart, so I obviously love opportunities to teach new skills to my children. I've taught my boys how to ride two-wheelers and it was my plan to teach them to swim. The problem with that is, well... I just don't get them to the pool often enough. Lots of reasons for that. :/

 

So reluctantly, I had to put my teaching urges aside and focus on being a parent. And some parents put their kids in lessons! I was free to sit and watch my children learn, which was pretty nice. Oh. I had the chance to chat with other moms during the lessons. Woo hoo! Let's hear it for adult interaction...



 

 

There were a lot of benefits to putting them in lessons. First of all, they got to see other kids practicing the same skills which made them a little more excited to try things. Plus, the instructors had some nifty equipment that even I wanted to use! The boys loved swimming through the hula hoops and going underwater to grab the sinking rings. Might I add that a good pair of goggles is a must! They had to go through three pair each in order to find one that fit their giant heads and did not leak.

Kick, kick, kick!

 

Future athletes here!

 

In case you were not aware, kids with goggles and purple lips look... awkward.

They ended each lesson with a couple jumps off the edge. Another childhood thrill! In two weeks time, my boys went from hating water on their face, to seeing who could hold their breath under water the longest. My 5-year-old can now swim short distances on his own, and my 3-year-old is getting pretty good at using his arms and legs at the same time.

Do you know what the boys said was their favorite thing about the lessons? Getting to take hot showers in the locker room.

How did your children learn to swim? What advice to you have for parents who are teaching their children to stay safe in the water?