What is it with my kids and swim lessons??

When Evan was two, we were "members" of the Emory pool over at their Clairemont campus. I dutifully signed us up for mommy and me swim classes (yes, I had a one-month-old baby who slept in her car seat carrier on the edge of the pool during lessons...). But, Evan refused to cooperate with the lessons at all. He would get into the pool, but he wanted nothing to do with the planned activities. He just wanted to do his own thing. And defy me. So, the next summer, I thought signing him up for non-mommy-and-me lessons would be just the ticket. He wouldn't have me to rebel against, so he'd be fine, right? WRONG! Those lessons were a bigger disaster than the mommy and me. He just flat out refused to get into the pool. Period. Oh, and there was lots of shrieking and fit-throwing. Summary: a total waste of money. The only wise investment we made vis-a-vis his swimming was the floaty suit we bought at Walmart for $19.99, which he wore when he was 2 and 3, shed on his 4th birthday to swim unassisted and has never needed again.

Why don't I learn?? Helen called a week or so ago and asked if Pressley would be interested in taking swimming lessons with her son, Benjamin, at Dynamo. Here was my thought process: 1) It might really be a good thing to start lessons 3 weeks before the pool opens, because then she will get used to being in the "big pool" before there is a baby pool available; 2) She might actually learn to swim before the pool opens; 3) I'll disregard the disaster that was Evan's swim lesson experience because kids are different (particularly these two) and I shouldn't just assume that she will hate swim lessons just because her brother did. OK. We'll sign up to take lessons with Benjamin.

Monday was out first lesson. It went as well as could be expected. She was very excited to see Benjamin. She was super excited to wear her bathing suit. She even tolerated the super special swim lesson pants (aka swim diaper) she had to wear under her bathing suit per Dynamo rules. She very much enjoyed meeting her new "bess friend" Neela, who coincidentally had princesses on her bathing suit. I thought we were under control. I only heard her holler a couple of times when the instructors flipped her onto her back, and Helen and I both agreed that was a legitimate reason to holler.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. The child got into the pool somewhat willingly and I dutifully went upstairs to the parent bleachers. Then the hollering started. "I WANT MY MOMMY-eeeeeee". And it continued more or less all the way through the lesson. At one point, they even sent in the special baby whisperer lifeguard to talk her down. They had a long deep conversation which eventually resulting in her sitting on the edge of the pool with the other 4 children and kicking her feet along with them.

So, I asked the supervisor after the lesson was over if there was a particular trigger that seemed to set Pressley off (e.g., like Monday when it seemed to be floating on her back she didn't like). The woman told me there was no particular trigger and that she wasn't convinced it was even real crying. Her assessment was that Pressley just didn't want to do it. Wise swim instructor woman. She has my child pegged after two 30 minute sessions. Yep. So, she spoke gently to Pressley and told her that next week, if she doesn't do all the screaming and crying that she could ring the bell (whatever that is there for) and have a tattoo. Would she like that? Pressley nodded. Would she like to see the tattoos? Pressley nodded. She was led to a desk drawer full of tattoos and seemed satisfied that they would make for a sufficient bribe. Wise swim instructor woman and I agreed that we would both spend some time talking up the bribe before next Monday. We'll see. Pressley is really not one to go for bribes. She pretty much does what she wants - and does NOT do what she does NOT want - and if there is a prize in it, great. If not, that's ok too. At least she has lived her own life the way she wants to. Seriously. I don't know how to deal with a child like that.

I'll keep you posted. We may go swimming over there tomorrow after we pick Evan up from school. Apparently, our swim lesson tuition serves as a membership of sorts and we are encouraged to bring the kids in and practice the skills on off days. I am not ready to put on a bathing suit quite yet. I thought I had three more weeks, so I hadn't finished my mental preparations. But that is neither here nor there. I am a mommy now. I don't get a say in these sorts of things anymore. When the situation demands it, I must don a swimsuit, ready or not.