Conquering the Deep End

If you've ever had one of your kids slip under the water in a pool when you're more than a foot or two away, then you know that feeling of awful panic.  One of my least favorite feelings in the world, to be sure.  It's what made going to the pool with three little kids less than enjoyable until my oldest figured out the basics last summer, and it's what made throwing down dinero on swim lessons more than worth it. 

Benito made a lot of progress this summer.  He learned freestyle, backstroke, and eventually started getting the hang of side-breathing.  The one thing that continued to elude him was the deep end.  I didn't really mind or push him about it, since I've had a few issues myself with kids in deep water.  Just ask my friend Alisa, who patiently sat next to me during last year's lessons while I had near panic attacks over my kid jumping into nine-foot water.  Totally irrational, I know, considering trained swim teachers were right there to help out if needed.  I just couldn't get past that old feeling of panic.  What if?  What if they turned their head and he sank right down to the bottom?

Anyway, the summer passed and he still took no interest in the other end of the pool.  I started to worry about it, and then the switch flipped for him.  He spent one lesson treading water in the deep end and something clicked.  The next day he was jumping off that diving board with abandon, as many times as they'd let him, not to mention swimming and playing in the nine-foot water like I'd never seen.  I couldn't believe it.  Now let's hope I'm over my fear of the deep end, too, so that when it's Eli's turn to jump off that diving board I'm not breathing into a paper bag or something!













Local shoe thief, trying on all the kids' shoes while they swam

 


Check out those swimming abs and arms