Eli just wrapped up his first set of swimming lessons and it went...well, about how I expected. Leading up to the first lesson, he seemed very reluctant but eventually came around to the idea until we were about to enter the pool area at the local YMCA. He froze as soon as we started to walk in; he was worried about the noise and the water looking "too deep." Ian has taken him to a nearby hotel on repeated occasions, and he gradually built up a confidence level there and became accustomed to the water over time, but this was a new environment with a new type of experience.
The names of the kids were called off; it was time for him
to leave my side, but he clutched my hand instead as I walked him to where they
entered the water and passed him off to his instructor. My goals quickly shifted for him from
learning any kind of basic skills to simply becoming more comfortable in a new
environment with new people. During the
first lesson, he cried the entire 30 minutes.
I maintained eye contact with the instructor, not sure if I should come
to take him out, but she seemed quite experienced and knew how to handle the
situation. She also did a great job
balancing her attention with all the other kids in the group, giving them each
individual attention even though it was a group lesson.
The second lesson went surprisingly much better. The kids were regrouped with a different
instructor; all the ones who were a bit reluctant were grouped together to help
them build up their confidence in the water.
It worked! The crying this time
was kept to a minimum, and Eli even followed the instructions and seemed to be
enjoying it by the end of the lesson.
The subsequent lessons went well. He ended up attending 6 sessions since there was a safety issue in the pool area with sound-absorbing boards from the ceiling falling down, so the lessons were put on hold and then started over. We ended up with 2 bonus lessons. Eli really looked forward to going each week once he gained more confidence and always asked if his favorite, Kim, was going to be his teacher again.
Overall, it was a great experience for our little "pike/eel" (as they called the beginner group). He was able to grow in confidence in a new social setting, become more comfortable in the water, and learn to take instruction from someone new.
