Parenting is a maze we’re all trying to navigate. On the surface that sounds true. However, think of a maze. There is one way in, one correct path, and one way out. That is not so true of parenting. I’ve learned you can’t have tunnel vision. There is more than one way to correctly navigate this maze and no two families are going to take the exact same path.
As we continue through this ever-changing parenting road map, I’ve realized that it’s important to have different perspectives and different teachers involved in our kids lives. I’ve observed my kids in gymnastics, dance, preschool, and now kindergarten. Each teacher they have had has provided a different perspective on similar uncomfortable situations. At times, we as parents don’t want our kids to be uncomfortable. We may not push them to their limits because we are uncomfortable. Having an experienced instructor who sees this difficult situation day in and day out is invaluable for our kids.
As it turns out, I was not that instructor when it was time for our kids to learn to swim. I thought to myself, “I can teach my kids to swim”. I’m at home with my kids during the summer and I have all the time in the world. From the start, I was stressed having two kids in the pool learning to swim, which was creating tension between the kids and myself. Because I was uncomfortable, I was being overly cautious and not pushing them to learn. Our pool time quickly turned into playing and splashing in the shallow end.
About 9 month’s ago I decided I needed help and we started swimming at The British Swim School. This was the ultimate test. I wouldn’t be in the water with them. They were on their own with their instructors. Would having an “outside” teacher be good for them? Would they be uncomfortable learning to swim from someone who would push them to their limits?
From the first day there, they were listening, following instructions, and pushing themselves to improve! The tension went away which made learning to swim fun. My kids went from not wanting to put their faces in the water, to swimming the length of the pool in 9 months. I think having instructors who are experienced working with kids in uncomfortable situations was the key. My kids now embrace the challenge and want to get better in the pool. Check out their progress in the video above!
Disclosure: We have developed a partnership with The British Swim School to help document our progress through their lessons.
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