I joined a local fitness club this summer JUST so we could visit the pool whenever we wanted! It was a little bit more than the local public pool, but I also get a lot more than at a public pool. (2 hours per day of childcare, access to gym equipment, family locker rooms with private rooms to change, air conditioned locker rooms, keys for lockers, etc.) It also has an indoor AND outdoor pool and they are both zero entry, which is perfect for Christian!
We have tried to go swimming at least twice a week and we always go about an hour before swimming lessons on Wednesday night. This is usually the time when Christian is at childcare and I can work with the girls on their strokes. Then I can send them off to swimming lessons with everything fresh in their minds.
They have been taking swimming lessons for about 6 weeks now and it is a continuous sort of lessons. They are every Wednesday night and once they pass to the next level, they just move up the following week. I believe these lessons go year round.
Wednesday after lessons, Megan's teacher came up to me and told me that Megan was ready to move up! She had passed her level! I was so proud of her! We had been working on her freestyle all summer and trying to get her not to "slap" the water when she swims. She finally got it and she can breathe to the side! Her stroke looks so much better than just six weeks ago and her teacher was also amazed at how well it is!
Courtney is the level below Megan and is also improving tremendously! She could barely float when we started and now we are past that and working on our freestyle. She is still having trouble floating on her back, her bottom seems to have lead in it. :) I think within a month or so, she will be able to move up levels too if she keeps working hard.
But despite this, she made great strides this week too. Our gym has a policy that if you cannot swim 25 yards by yourself without touching the bottom, you have to be within 10 feet of an adult, even though the entire pool is only 4 feet! I had never let Courtney take the swim test because she was just getting the hang of floating and kicking, but last Monday we went swimming with some friends and she had to stay close to me the entire time. She could not go off by herself with her friends and she was not happy!
Since then, we have been working on swimming across the pool and yesterday, she took the swim test and passed!! She made it 25 yards without touching the bottom! I was thrilled and she was too! She worked hard and made it! Even though she could barely walk when she was done because she had kicked so hard! But now she can go off with her friends and sister and she doesn't have to stay with me and Christian anymore! I hope this really gives her a boost in her confidence!
Now, can I talk them into swim team next year??
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