Swim Lessons

N2's swim lessons ended the week before break.  This past session they were able to move up from the beginning class (pike) to the next level (eel). In this class they do a LOT more independent swimming and they are expected to swim by themselves for at least 5 feet.  By the end of the class, they want them swimming on their own more than 5 feet.  I think they have to swim 15 feet on their own to move up to the next level.  We had a rough beginning to the session (well it was more the middle) because Noah got scared of swimming on his own.  We took him swimming everyday over Thanksgiving break and he finally became more comfortable swimming on his own.  He's still not super confident but I think that will come with the realization that he can do it!  His teacher knows he can do it and Brian and I know.  We just have to convince Noah he can do it!  He also didn't seem to like his teacher (probably because he equated her with swimming more on his own).  I thought she was super nice and a great teacher.  We're going to a different session starting in the winter and maybe he'll like the teacher better.  I think they both did a phenomenal job and I'm really proud of how they are swimming!  They've learned rotary breathing and Noah actually has the front crawl strokes down pat.  Natalie still doggy paddles but she can swim across most of the pool (the short way across the instructional pool) by herself.  They both swim underwater to swim across the pool.  I think that is what makes Noah scared as once he runs out of breath, he has to put his feet down on the bottom of the pool to take a breath. Once they learn to just turn their head, they should be better.  Natalie likes backstroke as well.

On the last day of class each session they always do a safety lesson.  Throughout the session, they talk about safety and one session they practiced laying on their tummies outside of the pool and holding out a noodle to "rescue" a kid in the pool and pulling them to the side with the noodle.  They LOVE to pretend to do this with Brian and I and they stand on the sides pretending to be life guards.  Anyways, back to the last class.  This class they put on life jackets and talk about boat safety.  They practice swimming with a life jacket and show the kids how to float if they ever fall overboard.  Here they are swimming to their teachers.  The second pictures shows Natalie doing the back float (Noah was upset at this point and his teacher was talking to him-we missed the week before's swim lessons and I think that set him back).

 Here they are floating like they are supposed to if they are overboard.

Here they are swimming on their own with no flotation device.  First Natalie and then Noah.

They seem to love to swim with Brian and I, so we just need to keep going and practicing with them.