Splashing in the pool

I’ve written before about my issues with water and how I’ve tried to overcome them for Monkey’s sake.  He was having swimming lessons at our local pool up until the beginning of December 2012.  He was doing so well, then disaster struck and the pool had to be closed for repairs.  Typical, as we’d arranged his old pre-school sessions to make sure they didn’t clash with swimming lessons.  Anyway, after more than a year, our children’s pool finally opened last weekend. Today we decided it was time for some splashing in the pool!

Splashing in the pool

We got our woggle out of retirement and packed our Speedo Sea Squad goodies and off we went. Monkey was so excited, he got out of the car and marched off with his woggle. Mummy – Swimming!!!

The receptionist was giggling at Monkey, he just wanted to be splashing in the pool.  Paying for the pleasure, was a total inconvenience.

Now, Monkey doesn’t normally cope very well with change.  He is very set in his ways.  I’d heard that the water features and slide in the pool had changed and I was expecting a reaction.  Not a positive reaction. There was no reaction at all.

In fact, Monkey did something that was totally unexpected.  For a year of swimming lessons, Monkey would pretty much refuse to enter the pool any other way, than by walking down the steps at the shallow end.  Myself and the lifeguard (who’d actually taught Monkey on a number of occasions) were dumbfounded as he walked along the side of the pool and basically jumped in with his woggle.  I was totally amazed.  Where had my tentative little boy gone??? He was off, splashing in the pool, having so much fun.

He remembered how to use his woggle and was off, swimming (ish!) from one side of the pool to another.  I could have cried, I was so very proud of him.  We’ve been to different pools a few times over the last year, but I’ve never seen this level of confidence.  It was truly wonderful.

After a while Monkey decided to explore the new water features.  Where before he’d have demanded I hold his hand.  Now he was off by himself, getting soaked, having fun, just as it should be.

As if splashing in the pool wasn’t enough fun, he then looked at the slide.  He was never overly keen on the old pool slide.  He hasn’t been a big fan of slides in parks.  This one, he was down it in a flash.  Laughing, Mummy I’m doing that again! He went down that slide more times than I can remember.  Probably more times than he’s gone down a slide in his entire 4 years of life.

He was less than impressed when I told him it was time for us to stop splashing in the pool, time to get out and dry off.  That’s when the meltdown occurred. But I can live with that, today has been a wonderful experience.  He’s head was under the water, he was blowing bubbles, things I still cannot do without severe anxiety. I am so proud of him tonight as I’m writing this.

Tomorrow morning I can hopefully sign him up to start lessons again next month.  I’m sure he won’t be quite so thrilled when he has to follow instructions.  But I have a water baby, he doesn’t take after me, I am so thankful for that.  I can’t wait to see him splashing in the pool again.  I can’t wait to follow his journey as he learns to swim.  Then I really need to go back to lessons myself!

I had a totally different post that I meant to type up last night for Small Steps Amazing Achievements, but today was awesome, today really was totally amazing!

 

Adding this post to Post Comment Love 🙂

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13 thoughts on “Splashing in the pool

  1. That’s great, sometimes they need a break to get excited about swimming again. You have inspired me to get mine back in the water as we have had a break for a year. Thanks and Happy splashing Monkey!

  2. Monkey is really gaining in confidence every day. I bet you couldn’t believe how much he has changed. What a lovely swimming day, I hope the swimming lessons go well. I too have water issues so I can totally sympathise.

    Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements :0)
    x

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