So far this year Ryan has been to the pool twice. Last year, we took him several times, but he didn’t go into the pool that much, and when he did, he was less than thrilled. We usually stuffed him into a spiffy little ladybug-themed spring float that used to be Alyssa’s, and towed him around like a little tugboat. This year, we decided to try him out with just his swim sweater. Yesterday, after five minutes of steady screaming, he finally settled down, and within 10-15 minutes he was smiling, laughing and giggling. But he was also clinging to me so tightly that I had to work extra hard to keep myself above water (we were in the deep end, where is virtually empty most of the time).
Today, however, Ryan did much better. We started out as we did yesterday, with me in the deep end and Ryan wearing his swim sweater and being in my arms. But I kept unwrapping him from my neck and waist and showing him that he could float on his own. He progressed from twining about me like seaweed, to holding onto my hands, to holding onto my swimsuit strap, to just being near me, to this:
Just as Alyssa wears her swim sweater and is ALL over the pool (depths up to 12 feet!), Ryan is also quite happy to paddle and kick himself about. He was chasing Alyssa around the pool, going after our beach ball, and just having a grand time moving about.
And I am quite happy to know that he is much more independent in the water, while being safe, and while having a good time! In fact, he threw quite the shit fit when we left tonight, which honestly made me very happy. I love the pool, Alyssa loves the pool, and now Ryan loves the pool too!
GO RYAN!!! :D The video is SO SUPER cute! He’s just kicking away lol. I want a swim sweater…
Good luck with tomorrow. <3
Wait .. . . . so while your toddler child was in the pool alone, you were filming him on the sidelines? What would have happened if he started struggling or drowning? You know that are supposed to be in arms reach of children under 8 at all times, right?
Great parenting skills.
awww so cute! At first I thought that was you talking in the video and I thought, “WOW, Jenn has such a deep voice!” Haha.
@Kat: I was in the pool, along with a friend of ours. My husband was filming. Maybe if you didn’t come here just to look for something to criticize, you would have noticed that.
Dumb ass.
Yes, my whole intention was to criticize you. ‘Cause I’m a troll like that.
Actually, I said what I did because it didn’t look like there was anybody with your child at all. I just saw a child, appearing to be alone.
Obviously I was wrong, but that doesn’t make me a dumb ass.