Our Little Fishy

During the month of June, Pierscen was enrolled in his first Parent/Tot Swim Class. This class is for 6 months - 3 year olds, but I am pretty sure Pierscen was the youngest of this particular group. 

Classes were two days a week for a half hour. I really didn't know how he would react that first day, but I was pleasantly surprised. He LOVED it! He couldn't stop laughing and smiling. 

These early lessons aren't so much "swimming" lessons as they are just helping the kids get used to water. We did sing-a-long songs, played with toys, helped them "monkey crawl" along the wall, helped them jump off the wall, and went around the lazy river on their stomachs and backs. P HATES being on his back. Other than that, he loved it.

The excitement wore off a bit after that first lesson, but he still enjoyed it. We did have to skip one lesson because he was the crankiest thing alive and I wasn't about to bring that to the pool. A couple lessons before the end I had Ryan take them as I was bandaged up from donating plasma. P was not thrilled with this idea. He has become a pretty big momma's boy and as long as I was in sight, he was angry.

So I had to situate myself on the opposite side of the room where he didn't notice me, and then he was fine for the rest of the class. Toward the end, he even smiled and waved at me when I got closer to make a video.

This was the first class where they put the kids underwater. No matter what Ryan tried, and no matter what either of us have tried since, he will not close his eyes or his mouth. He goes under with a giant "Wallace and Gromit" grin. Thankfully he doesn't cry about it, though he does splutter quite a bit.

The last day of lessons was definitely the best. We only spent a couple of minutes doing "lesson" stuff and then it was all fun. We got to go down the big slide and play in the shallow end. Pierscen loved the big slide. I wish we could have done more of that, but I understand we are paying for lessons, not for play time. For that, they hope we will come back. :)

I am glad we did the class, but I probably won't sign up for it again. Lots of parents do. I guess it all just depends on how often you will go on your own. Truthfully, we haven't gone swimming on our own at all, so maybe signing up for the class is the only way we will make it. :) I say I wouldn't sign up for it just because there isn't a lot to "learn" from it, but like I said, it's a fun way to get the kid to swim. And at least with the lessons, I don't have to pay for admission for myself. 

Pierscen loves the water. I think he is a natural swimmer and we will definitely be investing in "big kid" lessons in the future.