Swimming Lessons 101

Today was Carly's first day of swimming lessons. Unfortunately she did not seem to enjoy them, therefore learned very little. Mommy on the other hand learned a lot!

1) If you wake a baby up at 7:30, she will be tired by 9:00 when the swimming lessons start. (We had to drive by a school during its drop off time and were asked to arrive 15 minutes early to sign-in, etc. She will not be waking up until the last possible minute next week.)

2) If your baby may be starting to have some anxiety to strangers, handing her to the instructor with the baby's back towards you while you get in the pool may not result in a positive outcome.

3) After sitting in the hot and humid indoor pool area for 20 minutes waiting on the lessons to start and then getting into cool water may not agree with your baby's thermostat.

4) If your baby stops crying because she had become focused on an object or person, don't move away from her focal point to rejoin the group. Instead try to get more of her body in the water from there and have your own water time.

Our class wasn't awful, or a complete waste. She did have moments when she enjoyed herself (singing two songs at the end of the lesson and playing with the other babies in the locker room before class started); however, it also didn't go quite like I was hoping or expecting. Carly had done really well at the pool over Easter with Dave, but for some reason wasn't quite feeling it today. I am going to address the four issues I think may have caused this fussy spell and hope for a much better time next week.

Playing in the locker room!