Day 1 of survival swimming lessons. This video doesn't give the real picture because I just couldn't video the first 10 minutes of lessons. Austin put up a fight when she was teaching him to float on his back, and kept getting water in his mouth and nose while yelling and crying. I was trying too hard to just smile from the side so that if he looked at me he would know I was fine with what was going on, which I was, but every Mommy wants to help their child when they seem to be struggling. I actually had to call my friend Susan during part of this to have her support (her daughter Addison had just finished the lessons a few weeks before). It was hard to watch, but I knew that he was in the best hands. Glendy has been teaching survival swimming for 40 years! She is a remarkable teacher, and says that her gift is from God, so she continues to do it to glorify Him. When you see Day 4, you realize just how much it is worth it!Day 2, is much like day 1, but not nearly as much crying.
Day 3, Austin swims across the pool by himself. Amazing!
Day 4, Austin is jumping off the diving board! It is amazing that he has the skills to survive now in the water. I still have a lot more to do with him for the rest of the summer, but he has a fantastic start. I don't have video of Day 5 because it was spent with me in the water and Glendy teaching me how to work with him so that he can continue to gain confidence in the water. Survival swimming is just that, surviving in the water if you were to fall in. The goal is to learn to swim on their backs, get to the side, turn and grab on, and get out. Austin can do all of these things, but as with any other skill, he needs lots more practice before he can go swimming with others, so my job is to keep taking him at least 3 or 4 times a week to work on it.
This picture is from day 5, when I got to swim with him. I'd say he looks pretty happy, don't you think?
