Nate loves the water in the pool and he has a swim ring that he enjoys floating around in. We were at the neighbor's pool and he was on the pool step, mind you, holding onto his swim ring, when suddenly he lost his grip and went under. Instead of standing on the step, which was right under him, he panicked and could not get himself up. Not to mention that it happened so QUIETLY. No crying, splashing, gulping for air....one moment he was there, the next he was under and struggling to get up. Thankfully, I was right there, so I yanked him up out of the water. Scared me to death. He is so heavy & solid, he just sinks like a stone.
On the news they were saying that even if kids 4 & under have swim lessons, they still do not have the logic & reasoning to "save" themselves if they go under water & instead will panic. I think it's still important for kids to have swim lessons but can see how a parent cannot totally rely on that when your kids are in the pool. It's one thing for them to swim under water playfully but if they are scared and panic, they may not remember what they've learned. Fortunately, Nate's experience did not scare him and he still loves to jump in the pool and swim. But you can bet my watchful eye has become even MORE so!
Today we got a rare treat & Nate & I went out on the town. On our way home, we stopped at the grocery store and up until then, Nate had been doing really well. However, it was nap time & he was getting tired which also means he becomes more disobedient. He decided to stand up in the grocery cart (one of those that looks like a car w/the steering wheels) and I told him to sit back down. He frowned & just looked at me. I said it again and he kneeled down in the floor of the car in a big HUFF (and an equally big frown).
Ok, so I need to be more specific. "Sit down in the seat or you will get out of the cart and walk with me." More frowning..no movement..just looking at me to see if I'm good on my word. So, with some drama, I pulled him out of the car and made him hold onto the cart with one hand and walk with me. HOLY COW you should've heard the screaming, crying & stamping of feet.
Cue....checkout and get the heck out of there!
So I'm loading groceries onto the checkout lane as fast as I can. There's a guy in front of me who looks at us and says, "GOOD GRIEF! What is ALL that crying about??!" And he goes on & on about Nate's crying. At first I just smiled and brushed it off but now I'm thinking, "Will you just shut up & move on? You're not helping the situation any!" Apparently he forgot that 2 yr olds can throw quite a tantrum.
And so Nate screamed and cried all the way into the car..however, he did continue to hold onto the cart and my hand the entire rest of the time. He had to surrender his bear to me, during his nap but he was so tired, he didn't care & went right to sleep! Despite the tantrum, I find it interesting that since he's getting older, losing special privileges like riding in the car cart, sleeping with his bear or playing with certain toys are already becoming effective punishment for him. Makes it pretty easy for us......we just need ear plugs for the crying!
2 comments:
yeah- we are having similar days like this one! I would have told the man to mind his own business and then ask him if he was ever 2 years old. Betcha he would stop talking and turn around!
D,
As a parent with a child in swimming lessons I feel there is nothing better you can do to prepare and provide swimming skills to a child. A news article that states a child of 3/4 doesn't have logic is a news source that couldn't be more wrong. We have had Alyssa in lessons going on a year now and nothing has been as rewarding to see her achieve goals and progress in the water. Now, I am not saying that every kid that has lessons, is not going to drown, but not everyone that wears a seatbelt in a car survives a car accident, not everyone that has a fire alarm in their house gets out alive, etc.
Providing the education, skill set, and confidence around the water is the only way to develop a child that prepared as best they can if some thing does happen, etc. As every child is different, some kids that had lessons could freak out and still panic, but some like Alyssa have proven that swim lessons have taught her skills on what to do if she falls in. I am not sure I would ever agree with a news journalist that says a 4 year old has no logic. I seen first hand how Alyssa troubleshooted when she fell into the deep end of a pool at the resort, and she flipped right on her back and floated to the side, that's the benefit of the lesson at work. At least for us, it's just one way to prepare for child safety around water, but nothing is better than the parents watching the kids around water at all times. We hear that a million times on the news.
For us personally, we find the lessons very expensive, but worth it due to benefits such as, improvement socially, emotional and physical development along with the cognitive skills it builds to become a great swimmer, which might lead to an interest in the sport or just become a life long skill that pushes her into wanting to try other water sports.
Not trying to argue your post, just posting my opinion of what and how awesome swim lessons are for a child at any age. My brother is a great example also, he had his twin girls in swim class at 9 months, by 4/5 years old they were surfing in the ocean, body boarding, and not afraid to try new water sports. It is an amazing confidence builder and nothing can be wrong with trying to equip a child with a few swim skills that just might save their live if they fell in a pool, etc.
Just my two cents,
Sam
Post a Comment