If you’ve been following me a few months now, you’ve likely seen me share my girls’ love for the water. They love going to the pool, the beach, water park, swim class.. you name it. They are total water babies and we could never leave So-Cal.
Recently, something struck Nati out of nowhere and she suddenly refused to get in the pool. For days days we would show up for swim class at Aqua-Tots and she would kick and scream to the point where I would have to walk her out of the facility.
I’m not really sure what struck her sudden insecurity but all she wanted was for me to get in the class with her. She had already graduated into independent swimming classes and I really did not feel like giving in was the best solution to this problem.
I worked closely with the Aqua-Tots team at their Otay Ranch location and they went above and beyond to help me fix the problem. They scheduled three consecutive days of classes for her and offered one-on-one swim classes until she got re-adjusted back into the water independently. The first day she continued with the kicking and screaming but the swim instructors pushed her through it until they found what helped ease her nerves. By the second day, there were a lot less tears and she began to show interest again. On day three, she was back to where she needed to be- swimming independently, happily participating, and showing off the biggest smile.
A few take always I learned from this situation:
- As parents, we need to help kids push through their fears. By providing loving guidance and support, it can encourage them to break those fears.
- Consistency is key. This goes with almost everything but especially with swim. Getting Nati back into the water day after day helped readjust her back into her swim class. Since then, we have made the decision to keep her in swim classes through the fall.
- Show how proud you are. Our emotions and attitude reflect on our children. By encouraging them when they do something well, it goes a long way.
I am beyond proud of Nati for pushing herself to get back where she needed to be, as well as appreciative of the Aqua-Tots staff for being so patient with her. Swim safety is so important and fear of the water can be extremely dangerous. Aqua-Tots offers classes seven days a week and a free introductory class so there’s no excuses in getting your kids signed up. Click here for more info.
