Swimming

One day this week at the pool, a man came up to me and asked how I got such a brave child as Micah leaped off of the side making a splash. I told him that it's all about how the parent reacts to the child's actions. If I have a terrified look on my face, it will put fear in him when he goes near the water. If I praise him (clap, cheer, fist pump) for the little things like putting his face in the water, he's more willing to try more. I also told him that I don't believe in arm floaties, swimsuits with floats sewn in, or life jackets in pools. At least not for my kid. I feel that it gives kids a false sense of confidence in the water, and then when they are old enough to really try swimming, the swimming instructor has to tear down that wall of fear of being in the water with no attachments. Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that some parents should put floaties on their kids especially if the parents don't want to be in the water and fully hands-on. I was a lifeguard for over 8 years and I know that floaties are good for some kids. They definitely made my job easier. But, I love the water and always have. While Micah is learning to swim, I will be right there with him, and I don't mind keeping my hands on him or at least an arm distance away from him.

This week Micah has made some real progress. He can swim up to 6 feet all by himself. I'm thrilled! He still has trouble getting horizontal by himself sometimes, but we're working on it. We worked really hard this week and showed Dada what we could do yesterday. Dada even took a few videos so we could share Micah's accomplishment with all of you.

His form still isn't pretty, but he's learning.

Not bad for 22 months old!