My brother and i were signed up for every swimming class the city could offer from mommy and me classes all the way to junior life guarding classes ever summer before we graduated from elementary school! So naturally i wanted the bug to have the same possible experience we had, starting from his early days so he learns pool safety and how to swim.
We showed up and the bug was excited he was trying to jump in the water with the big kids in the competition pool! We made it to the learning pool, he sat on the yellow line with all the other kids and he kept trying to have a conversation with one little boy who did not want to be bothered. I noticed there was one instructor for 8 preschool kids...i knew with my bug this was not going to work but i was also determined to take a back seat and not be a parent who tells the instructors how to do their job.
So then the kids had the chance to sit on the first step in the water, the bug wanted to sit on the rim of the pool and kick. When the instructor repeated her self three times she knew she needed help, so she asked for another instructor to come and help. Then the "manager" of the pool area stepped in and told the two instructors to split the class. Its so funny, the bugs class has all the typical stereotypical kids you see on TV! One boy who is afraid of the water, One boy who does not wanna get water anywhere above his eyes, a girl (who is the only girl) who is kinda bossy cute as a button and she does her thing in and out of the water, then you have the bug. The bug definitely made them earn their money for his class. He was not listening, he wanted to dunk one kids head in the water (of course it was the kid who was afraid of getting his face wet), he got bored listening to them got out of the water ran to the splash pad (an area where water shoots up out of the ground during free play) and laughed the entire time! The instructor had to get a life guard to help out and then the pool manager decided they needed another instructor in his class. SO thirty minutes into the hour long class, EVERY life guard knew the bug by name, he had a one instructor class turned into a three instructor class, and all the parents where just tickled by his energy, fearlessness, and a how much personality he has.
If i was a parent of one of the other kids id be kinda pissed because the bug was getting so much personal attention, and the paid for their kids to watch this rambunctious little one run the pool! I still stayed my ground and would sign things to the bug so he didn't get "bay-bay kids" status. I not only wanted him to learn pool safety and swimming basics at the end of this class but i need him to learn to listen to other adults of authority. That's not going to happen if i am stepping in every minute telling him what to do, but i will enforce and back up his instructors.
Anyway the class went on and the last instructor the had jump in the pool was GREAT with the bug! He was exhausted when class ended but he kept up with the bug and started talking to him stern, and enforcing the rules. The played ribbet, the instructor holds the kids and the kids say RIBBET and he jumps out the water holding the kids, They have this big turtle that the kids lay down on and kick and the instructor drags it along the water, and they played with pool toys. I got to talk to the instructors after class, i just KNEW they were gonna say "hi bugs mom , don't bring your son back he is too much" BUT they did not! They say your son is adorable, we can get him to do so much we just need to work on his listening skills, how do you make him do stuff at home? LOL So i gave the kiddies some ways to make a him listen, slow him down, make him focus, and enforce what they are saying with cause and effect. So all in all it was a great first day! we have three more classes to go and i am hoping they all go well because we start sports in the fall!
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