Stressful Swimming

Yesterday was the last day of swimming lessons for the winter season & it was horrible. Let me clarify, it was horrible for Sophie. Sadie absolutely LOVES swimming if you haven't figured that out by now & I can hardly get her out of the water. I would love to stop paying for swimming lessons because she doesn't need them, but she asks to have them so we are letting her continue in case this is the sport she chooses long term. She it a little too young for swim team yet, but we are leaving that on the table as an option when she is old enough.

 

Definitely not for Sophie:

 

 

They take class in the afternoon so I have to wake her up from her nap to go & every time she tells me "No!". And then we drive in the car & as soon as we get there she tells me "No!". I feel like we are torturing her by making her take lessons because she obviously does not enjoy swimming like her sister & that's ok. I don't expect her to choose swimming as her favorite activity, but we have a pool in our back yard so she has to be able to do the basics to survive. And we travel to the beach a lot so I want her to feel comfortable. She actually started doing pretty good as the semester went, but yesterday was her worst day by far:

 

 

Bryan technically had the day off yesterday (he worked most of the day) so he stopped by gymnastics & swimming to see the girls. Sophie is such a daddy's girl that she didn't want to leave his side. She cried the entire time she was in the water even if he was sitting right there by the pool. It was also worse since her teacher was sick so there was a substitute, someone she didn't recognize. These pictures are after class when I was trying to get her ready - she was still freaking out & wanting her daddy. He thought it was funny & videotaped the entire thing. Oh Sophie, what are we going to do with you?!

 

Luckily she calmed down when we were walking out because they gave both of the girls a ribbon & a prize for completing the course:

 

 

They start the spring semester next week so that will keep them swimming inside until the end of May & then we will take them out of lessons for the summer. We are going on vacation in a month or so & I'm hoping by spending the week at the beach/pool she will get more comfortable with the rest of us. This girl has a long road ahead of her if she doesn't learn to love the water like the rest of her family!