On Monday, July 9, both boys started Level 1 Swim Lessons at Skyline Pool through the Manheim Township Recreation Department. You have to be at least four years of age to enter class, so we waited until the second-to-last swim lesson offering of the season to make sure Caleb could take them with Joshua. Josh had taken them previously in the winter session, right before he fell and smashed out his teeth. He couldn't get his chin wet for the final one, and he was still pretty nervous in the water then.
Swim lessons were 10:15ish to 11:05 each day, Monday-Friday and then again Monday-Wednesday of the following week. Each morning, the teacher would start off with a safety lesson, including only swimming when a lifeguard was present, wearing your life vests on boats, applying sunscreen to not get burnt, etc.
After the safety talk, the children would get in the water. It was shallow enough that most of them could touch the bottom, but there was a bench to stand on in the water. Caleb thought he could stand, but went right under one of the first days. The teacher got him right away and asked him to stay on the bench thereafter. They would start by getting wet, putting their bellies in the water, then their shoulders, then their ears, then their face and finally their whole heads. My boys were the only two that didn't enjoy getting their heads completely underwater. Two of the girls were sisters and could already swim amazingly well; taking these lessons was just a formality to move onto the next levels.
After getting wet, they would work on their "front crawl" and the teacher would encourage them to keep their faces (and foreheads) in the water as they kicked off the wall and swam out to her using their feet (big kicks!) and their long extended straight arms. They would also practice floating on their backs with the teacher holding their ears. They practiced turning from their bellies to their backs and backs to their bellies. Joshua enjoyed when they would practice treading water as well.
All the other kids seemed like really good swimmers who didn't mind putting their heads in the water. My boys would only put their faces in when the teacher insisted on it. They didn't mind blowing bubbles, but when she'd drop the rings and ask the kids to dive down for them, they would just grab theirs with their feet. They were NOT liking the water getting in their eyes and up their noses, etc. I just want them to swim well enough that they won't drown if they fall into a pool.
Their favorite time by far each day was when they were asked to jump into the pool either holding onto the teacher's hand or jumping straight onto the pool noodle, etc. By the end, Joshua didn't need help. Caleb didn't really need it either but still asked for it. You could tell he was the youngest one there, only turning four the day before to make the requirement.
Poor Ryan would come with me each and every day to watch his brothers swim. It was HOT! Stinkin' HOT! Most mornings it was already in the 90s by that point and humid. He wasn't thrilled, but I brought water and snacks and knew that it was only an hour each day. I saw two of our neighbors picking up their kids from swim lessons. Two of the mornings Grandpa Georgia had stopped in to visit and ended up coming along to watch and chat while the boys swam. The water looked SO refreshing! But, the only ones swimming were those with lessons or those practicing for the swim team in the other larger pool.
At the end of the week and a half we got an evaluation card for both boys. Both of them passed onto LEVEL 2. Caleb's noted that he should wait until the following year to attempt the next one since he was relatively young. She said that they should keep practicing, especially being comfortable putting their faces in the water at all times. BUT, that said, they did as she asked and weren't terrified of the water anymore. Both of them would put their heads in when she would ask them to and did well enough in each area to pass onto the next level. I'm thinking we'll wait until next summer for the next round of swim lessons, even though they are offered in the fall and winter.
I was thrilled that they both passed! Way to go, boys!!!
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