A family of swimmers

A family of swimmers #MagicMoments

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while and especially if you follow me on Facebook, you will know that Monkey and I are both learning to swim.  I’ve been overcoming my real fear of water since the Spring and was always adamant that Monkey would not share my fears.  So this year we’ve both been having swimming lessons.  Would we ever become a family of swimmers?

I’m so pleased with my own progress.  I’m learning all the strokes, I am swimming, it is amazing.  Yes, the fear is still there, but not to the same level.  I actually believe in myself, which is a huge step forward.  It’s been quite an experience to be learning to swim at the same time as Monkey.  We can compare notes and I know exactly how he felt the first time his ears went in the water, the first time he had to go on his back.  It’s been a shared journey.

When we were in Kent last month, I swam next to Monkey as he splashed along with his woggle.  We were nearly a family of swimmers.  It was a wonderful experience to be together, going to the deep end and back again.  Monkey loved it, it was the first time he’d seen his Mummy swimming, and in fact the first time Daddy P had seen me swim either.

Monkey takes a very long time to feel confident with anyone, and this has been really evident in his swimming lessons.  With me, he is really strong using his woggle and I’ve thought he was on the point of swimming by himself for a long time.  But in his lessons he has been very hesitant, and taken things at his own pace.  But the last couple of weeks he’s come on in leaps and bounds.

Two weeks ago he amazed his teacher when he did a star float on his back totally unaided and held it for more than the required count of 5.  Magic moment number one.  Last week, was the best yet.  He was doing well with everything and then it happened.  He swam by himself, no woggle, no float, no teacher.  Ok, he only managed a few strokes before he really grasped what he was ding.  But Monkey swam unaided.  It was a beginning and I know from my own experience that this is the start of something wonderful.  He managed to start off by himself from the other side of the pool too.  I was so, extremely proud of him.  I know, that for him, when he’s starting off the other side of the pool must seem as far away as the deep end does to me.  But he’ll get there.  He’s started that journey.  He will not be like his mother, he will be a child swimmer and you have no idea how wonderful that is to me.

He will be able to go to swimming parties in the future.  He will nag me to take him to the outdoor pool in the summer, he will be happy in that environment, an environment that has always scared the life out of me.  But he won’t know that, because his Mummy will be swimming too.  He won’t ever remember the times I had to force myself into the pool, shaking inside with terror, just to get him used to being there.  He will grow up loving the swimming pool and all the fun that it offers.

A family of swimmers

So we will be a family of swimmers, and that makes me happy, and proud.  My son and I have come a long way this year.  We’ve shared this journey and it’s a true magic moment for us.

 

 

12 thoughts on “A family of swimmers #MagicMoments

  1. Fantastic that you have had the chance to learn together. I will confess I have left swimming to my other half, as I hate the water. I can swim I just choose not too! Well done to both of you and you will be racing each other up and down the pool before you know it!

  2. A heartwarming story. What a great Mum you are to overcome your own fear and make Monkey water confident. It is such a great life skill and I hope you will come to enjoy it now more with him too, next step the sea in Cornwall at Easter!

  3. That is so brilliant Mary. Well done both of you. Yes, I agree with Fiona-we’ll have to try the Cornish sea (although you’ll need a wet suit-that water is cold even in the summer!) xx

  4. Congrats on doing so well and becoming a swimming family. My grandson is only 6 months and Lready taking lessons lol

  5. I’m really pleased for you. So scary doing something new as an adult, especially if you’ve got additional pressure of needing to be confident in front of Monkey too. Great result for him too.

  6. Hello there, this is fantastic and such a brilliant achievement-well done. We are still persevering, yesterday little man walked off when he refused to jump in so it’s swings and roundabouts at the moment! It’s inspiring to read your story and how well it is going-you have given me hope that we will get there one day-thank you! x #magicmoments

  7. Well done, both of you. Sounds like you are both doing amazingly well! #magicmoments

  8. your courage to face this fear has always blown me away and I cant wait to hear more about your swimming journeys and how they will fit into the summer lovely x

    Thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments – Sorry for the very long delay in getting to you x

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