I can SWIM! Week 1

Madison started 'survival swim lessons' last week.  

Day One: 

Learn to hold your breath and open your eyes under water.I have to admit the first day was the hardest of the whole week.  I was prepared in my head for Madison to not like this (we moms do a lot of things they don't like but do them for their own good like vaccinations) but when I saw her go under for the first time and come up with eyes as big as her Mommy's with that "save me" look, my heart was in my throat and the little voice inside was saying "SMILE! Are you SMILING?" as I was saying out loud and clapping "GOOD JOB MADISON!"  My Mom was there too and having a similar experience.

Madison was ready and went right to Rebekah to get in the water and "play".  As soon as her feet hit the water she was "all done".  She did a lot of signing and talking to reinforce that she was having nothing to do with this.  

The lessons are only 10 min long maximum so it didn't take long for it to be over, thank goodness because she cried the whole time. Rebekah said Madison had great breath control (I am glad she couldn't hear me breathing - or lack of breathing). At the end she gets to lay on her towels and rest and recover.  Then she gets stickers, or "TWO" as she would tell you.  Her favorite is Thomas the Train and if you ask her what sticker she is going to get she says clearly "Thomas". 

There is a bar with purple and blue diamonds on it that hang over the side for the kids to grab onto. They are taught to "get the diamonds". They are easy to see and condition them to go for the side when they are under water.  She grabs them and lifts her little body out of the water practically (saying "OUT".)

Day Two 

More of the same as the day before but went better although Madison said "All done" as soon as we pulled into the parking lot.  I asked her if she wanted her purple suit or green and she said green and we went in. She pretty much cried the whole time again but was distracted a few times with playing with the dolphin and showing Rebekah her signs and colors. 
Day Three: 

Learned to move towards the diamonds underwater from further away. She starts facing away from the diamonds and then she is guided toward them gently.  She did great and was much more at ease.

Day Four: 

New addition, sit on the side and go in (guided while being held by instructor) and then turn towards the side. This exercise teaches the child to remember that if they fall in, the side is right there and all they have to do is turn around. She only cried the first time she went in and then no more tears.  She was concentrating and working hard.

Day Five:  

Reinforcement of all of the skills acquired during the week.  Daddy got to come and she DIDN'T CRY ONE TIME! Daddy said it was because he was there.  Funny Daddy.   On Fridays there is a special 'treasure chest' to choose a toy from and she was very excited and chose a tiny blow up beach ball and two bracelets!  

I am very proud of my little one and her progress. She is catching on quickly and has excellent strength and breath control.  She rarely takes in any water and when she does she spits it out.  They don't do the "one two three" type counting before the instructor lets go (there won't be anyone there to count and warn them if they fall in) and they don't say things like "Kick" or "go to the side".  It really is amazing to watch and yet difficult not to say "Breathe or get the diamonds!".

I have to say Rebekah is amazing at this. She is very calm and her demeanor and presence puts a person at ease, Madison as well as Mommy. I feel very confident that Madison is in safe hands and the feeling that I need to jump in and rescue her subsided immediately! 

She talks about it like a little conversation of what she remembers later in the day.  When you ask her about what she did that day she looks up like she is thinking and says things like “Swim, Towel, Rebekah, Diamonds, Stickers (reward at the end of lesson), Dolphin (toy she gets to hold), Bug (Rebekah has a tattoo of one on her foot), All Done, Water, Yellow, Purple, Blue.  

She did a lot of signing during the first week of lessons, particularly “All Done” and as the week went on she was doing her  “Good Job” and “Proud” signs. She also puts her fingers together (cereal sign) as she is about to go under, sort of like a nervous twitch or something, not sure what this is, but she does it pretty much the whole time.

We are looking forward to next week when we will begin to learn the floating technique! (But Rebekah did warn us that the crying can return anytime they try something new so cross your fingers)