Noah actually just finished his 7th week of ISR swimming and we couldn't be more proud of him. If you didn't read about his first summer session you can check it out here, but I really wanted to share his improved skills from his second session.
I was extremely hesitant in signing him up for his second session... I just assumed he was too young to absorb more from the lessons and yes they are fairly expensive, but boy was I wrong for doubting!
His movements in the water are so fluid(hah water pun) now. He doesn't in any way seem labored or frustrated when he swims, just confident and determined to push boundaries. He really likes putting his face in the water and seeing how long he can swim without flipping over on his back for air which freaks me out, but he does not get scared so I try and keep my cool.
As much as I LOVE Infant Swim Resource and think it has been the perfect swimming class for Noah, I can see where it might not work for every child/parent. Some kids do not like getting water in their face and have a hard time letting go of mommy or daddy in the water. This is an important step to the class. Your child will not learn to trust their own instincts if they cannot let go and of course they are going to have to get their face wet because there is LOTS of face-in-the-water swimming in this class! Noah has never had this issue. He has LOVED getting his face wet since he was just a few months old and by the time he was six months old he was putting his whole face in the bath tub water blowing bubbles. He also gladly glides from person to person in the pool. He likes to keep moving and doesn't like being stuck in one spot.
The class also only works if you really trust the swim instructors. They have your child's life in their hands...so it would be understandably difficult to watch your very young child with his/her face in the water for an extended period of time. I think it has a lot to do with a parent's comfort level. You have to be okay with watching your child be upset from time to time because they are learning something instead of getting to play and do what they like 100% of the time and try to not confuse that with the instructor being "too tough" on them. Which is really difficult. It is nothing personal... the instructor is trying to teach your baby life-saving skills. They are obviously passionate about saving children's lives or else they would not be teaching a survival swim class for hours on end every day.
Anyways, there has been such a huge difference in the two sessions. I tried to video Noah more regularly so that we could keep track of his progression. Now our greatest trick will be finding a great place for him to practice his swimming more often. One of the issues we have out in Venice/Santa Monica is that while it is gorgeous weather and around 70-75 degrees most of the year, the swimming pools are usually around 65 degrees which might be fine for jumping in and out of the pool, but for a swimming baby, it really shocks their system and does not make for a pleasant swimming experience. Noah has swam in both warm and cool water and I can definitely see a BIG difference in his mood and stamina.
So there you have it! Hope you enjoy watching Noah swim!
Wow! It's pretty amazing what he can do now. Noah you can come and practice at our pool anytime!
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