So very proud
Michael and I went swimming this evening. We took Mommy and lil' sister, but little sister got fussy after about 20 minutes and wanted to go home. Or do something else. Not sure what, but she was cranky and fussy, so Mommy and Grandma took her home.
Michael and I swam for 1.5 hours. He has absolutely no fear of going under water now, and actually WANTS to go under (insists on it).
But the biggest thing is I know that he could save his own life if he were to fall into a pool or body of water. As a father, that is HUGE to me. It's just this parental instinct that I know he's safe in the water.
I noticed that he floats fine on his back and kept swimming increasing distances on his back. So I kept taking him further from the edge and let him float on his back and kick to the wall. Finally, this evening I told him to get into a back float on his own and start swimming on his back.
From standing on the steps, he pushed off backward into the water (his whole head going under/covered by a wave of water). Didn't faze him at all. He closed his eyes when the water washed over him, opened it when he surfaced, and started kicking.
I realized that if I took him to the middle of the pool and told him to tread water and get himself into a backfloat position and start kicking to the wall, he could do it. So I held him to the middle of the pool, explained that I was going to let him kick back to the wall. Sure enough, after I let go from him in a standing position, he sunk under the water, surfaced a second later, and immediately started kicking until he was in a backfloat and then he started kicking until he got to the wall.
I told him if he ever falls into the pool, just get on his back like that and kick until he reaches the wall. He said he got it, and he said "the wall is the safest place in the pool" as he has been taught during his swim lessons.
The most important things: 1. He can get to the wall unassisted from the middle of the pool, 2. He does not panic or get fazed when water washes over his head.
Michael and I swam for 1.5 hours. He has absolutely no fear of going under water now, and actually WANTS to go under (insists on it).
But the biggest thing is I know that he could save his own life if he were to fall into a pool or body of water. As a father, that is HUGE to me. It's just this parental instinct that I know he's safe in the water.
I noticed that he floats fine on his back and kept swimming increasing distances on his back. So I kept taking him further from the edge and let him float on his back and kick to the wall. Finally, this evening I told him to get into a back float on his own and start swimming on his back.
From standing on the steps, he pushed off backward into the water (his whole head going under/covered by a wave of water). Didn't faze him at all. He closed his eyes when the water washed over him, opened it when he surfaced, and started kicking.
I realized that if I took him to the middle of the pool and told him to tread water and get himself into a backfloat position and start kicking to the wall, he could do it. So I held him to the middle of the pool, explained that I was going to let him kick back to the wall. Sure enough, after I let go from him in a standing position, he sunk under the water, surfaced a second later, and immediately started kicking until he was in a backfloat and then he started kicking until he got to the wall.
I told him if he ever falls into the pool, just get on his back like that and kick until he reaches the wall. He said he got it, and he said "the wall is the safest place in the pool" as he has been taught during his swim lessons.
The most important things: 1. He can get to the wall unassisted from the middle of the pool, 2. He does not panic or get fazed when water washes over his head.
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