Things I Learned at My Girl's Swim Lessons

So Little E. just completed her first week of Level 1 swim lessons at the local recreation center. One more week to go but here's what I learned so far...

1. Don't compare your kid to others. It was discouraging and disappointing seeing all the other children take to the water like paparazzi to Paris. In all fairness, E. was the smallest and youngest and perhaps had the least amount of pool experiences. Who knows?

2. This is just a preview of what's to come when E. enters the educational system. Such mass teaching with low teacher to high student ratios (here it was 2 staff:10 kids) can only go at one pace and it's geared toward the average. This means all kids on the either spectrum -- way above and way below average -- will be bored and/or left behind.

3. Each child is different and a parent needs to be involved to supplement the regular teaching. The instructor really doesn't have the time and doesn't know your kid as well as you to do to really teach effectively. (Kind of makes me think about home schooling again.)

4. Baby steps, baby steps. Rejoice the little successes and all progress. It wasn't until the second day that she realized her feet could touch the bottom of the shallow pool. The next day, she didn't banshee bawl if a little water got in the eyes. By the end of the week, she let go of the wall on her own and seemed to enjoy herself.

5. Don't forget the camera, the sunscreen or her underwear.