On her last lap

Franny has been going to swim lessons since she turned one. Because she has always been in love with the water, it has always been one of the highlights of her weekly routine. Recently, however, her enthusiasm has definitely waned, and she has decided she'd like to move on and try something else. Since it is supposed to be all about fun, I completely support her decision to try something new and explore new interests. There is a part of me, however, that is very sad that next week will be her last swim session. Partly because she is such a great swimmer, and is so much fun to watch, and partly just because she has been going non-stop for the past three years and it seems to be such a part of her. I suspect that part of the reason she is wanting to move on is that she has reached a level where the songs and games are gone and they focus heavily on water safety. A majority of every class is doing U-turns, where they dive into the water and then swim back to the wall; and roll-overs, where they dive in and either float on their back or continue to swim on their back across the pool. Everything is geared toward being safe in the water, which is great, but I don't think the five minutes of play-time at the end of each class is quite enough for Franny's preference.

She has learned a lot, though, and the teachers she has had have been truly exceptional in their kindness, patience, and ability to connect with young kids. Franny has been swimming unassisted for just short of two years, and her skills in the water have improved tremendously. I hope someday down the line she decides to return to the pool, but ultimately that decision will be her own.

This past week, I took this video of Franny. She's the one in the middle; she starts with a sit-dive, rolls over onto her back for a starfish float, then rolls back over for a short swim to the wall, all of which she is doing completely by herself. Pretty impressive for an almost-four-year-old--but that's why we call her the little fish!

Roll-over and starfish float from T on Vimeo.