| Saturday, July 15, 2006 |
| One problem solved... |
...but how many more have I created?
Barb and I have said for YEARS now that we have just got to get Cam into swim lessons. He's always had a very healthy respect for water-probably from the day he forgot to put on his vest and hopped in the pool. Thank GOD I was standing right by the ladder-I didn't even have time to freak out-I just reached down and pulled him up, spluttering and looking very surprised. Anyway, he's been...concerned about putting his head under water for the longest time. Baths have been a joy-he HATED to get his head wet. Until recently.
I think it started with the day trip to Calloway with D2's boys. The 3 of them played for hours in the water, and they started a game to see who could lean over with their faces in the water and hold his breath the longest. I was shocked to see Cam do it...peer pressure is a powerful, powerful thing. Then we went camping, and he spent the better part of 3 1/2 days in the river. Then there was his birthday party and the 4th of July party where he spent most of his time in the pool. He played with a slew of kids the other day at Cassi's, and there was more pool action...this one was waist-deep, so it wasn't threatening, apparently. He dunked himself completely.
Today we got in the pool (he wears a life-jacket in Barb's pool) and he realized that he can touch the bottom with his tippy-toes while he looks up, keeping his lips and nose out of the water. I asked if he wanted to try to swim without the life-jacket...that was the beginning of the end. He dropped that life-jacket like it was plague-ridden. The next hour was spent about like this: me standing in various positions about 6 feet away from the ladder, catching him as he doggy-paddles madly toward me, then being used as a launch pad for him to doggy paddle back. I had to DRAG him out of the pool. He has GOT to be exhausted-I know I'm worn out and I was just catching!
I impressed upon him that he is NOT to get in the pool without his life-jacket unless there is someone in the pool devoting 100% of their attention to him. He likes to run out and get in the pool before anyone else...I told him that the first time he gets in without the life-jacket will be the last time he gets in for a very, very long time. There were a couple times he headed out toward me that I wasn't paying attention-there was a HUGE water bug swimming around and I was headed for the scoop to get it out-he goes, "Lemme see!" and heads out into the middle of the pool! Hello?! He quickly realized that was a very bad idea, but I had caught up to him before anything traumatic could happen.
So now I realize that while he's not AFRAID of the water anymore, I have at least two new problems. One, he's not afraid of the water anymore. Yeah...I enjoy irony as much as the next gal, but this is a little much. My superpower, for those of you that don't already know, is to be able to visualize the worst-case-scenario for pretty much any situation... so I've come up with at least a dozen different ways he could reach his watery demise. In fact, last night I dreamed I was parasailing (wtf?!) and he FELL OFF THE BOAT... I found that prophetic dream more than a little disturbing BEFORE he became Capt. Nemo...imagine how it feels now? The second problem, is that as a result of my parental paranoia, I have to watch him C O N S T A N T L Y. The little water bug incident set a light bulb off, and feeding off my watery grave fear, I've dismissed any further thoughts of floating around the pool lazily, checking to make sure he's not sneaking up on me to push me off my float.
He asked me if he could sleep in his swim trunks tonight. He's afraid we'll FORGET to swim tomorrow. Fat chance of that, buddy. I expect him to ask to go out before he finishes his breakfast in the morning. Which I figure will occur early, as he fell asleep watching Chicken Little. While I'm predicting the future, let me also say that I'll have another patch of gray hair by this time next week. This parenting thing just does not get any easier. |
posted by Jen @ 10:03 PM  |
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| 2 Comments: |
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Um, should I apologize? LOL! Realize that by next summer, he WILL be able to touch in the pool which makes things a "little" easier. I would think swim lessons would be very valuable. Jared had swim lessons when he went to daycare (before he went to kindergarten) and I have tried to teach Seth when I have the opportunity. Have you thought about those water wings until he gets the idea a bit more? And in the meantime all we can do is remind them to be safe around the water and not to go in unless an adult is watching.
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No apologies necessary...it would have happened sooner or later. I think he's going to balk at ANY sort of floation device now, regardless of where/how it's worn. At least we're staying at home again now...I don't have to worry about him sneaking out to the pool or something. :)
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Um, should I apologize? LOL! Realize that by next summer, he WILL be able to touch in the pool which makes things a "little" easier. I would think swim lessons would be very valuable. Jared had swim lessons when he went to daycare (before he went to kindergarten) and I have tried to teach Seth when I have the opportunity. Have you thought about those water wings until he gets the idea a bit more? And in the meantime all we can do is remind them to be safe around the water and not to go in unless an adult is watching.