Swimming Break Through

For the last 5 1/2 years I have been attempting to teach Roman to swim. Now I have taught several younger cousins and nieces and nephew to swim. Kids who's parents never thought it would ever happen, I seem to have a knack for getting them comfortable and confident and the water. But my son?? Not happening!

Roman as a baby, at a prime time in life to start basic swimming and water confidence, living in Florida of all places... Roman a a baby was petrified of the water. Now don't get me wrong, he LOVED the beach playing and splashing in the surf and he liked to ride around in his little floaty in the pool and he looked forward to bath time every day, but if you tried to hold him in the pool he would glue himself to you and want you got out you were finally able to pry him from you, all the while he's screaming bloody murder.

As Roman hit the toddler years there was no change. Around age 3 in preparation of our cruise I worked hard with him on swimming and the only success achieved was that he no longer screamed, just held on for dear life! At age 4 I began cracking down and tried to push the issue a bit. He was now old enough to touch the bottom of the low end of the pool and the shore side of the dock at the lake. He did great... as long as his feet touched the bottom! Otherwise he would hold on for dear life. I attempted some basic practices like holding on to the side and kicking his feet out behind him.... yeah right! Or just get in a float and pick his feet up off the bottom to float, even for a mere millisecond... no way!

Well, with the addition of our little pool in the backyard, I, Julie Trettel, mommy to Roman Trettel IV have achieved the impossible!!!! After 5 1/2 long, frustrating, challenging years, we have our very first swimming break through!

In a matter of 15 minutes time he went from the description described above to a child willingly and without hestitation FLOATING in the water! He was using a ring float and began by just picking his feet off the bottom of the pool and kicking straight down, like he was riding a bicycle. Then I had him hold on to the kick board (with the ring float still around him) and with him feeling confident he wan't going under I was able to get him to allow me to pull his legs out behind him and help him kick his feet in actual swimming fashion. This of course was quite awkward with him still hestitant with me and the help of 2 floatation devices, so we slowed down a bit and started with basic floating. I calmly began talking with him and started floating on my back as I did. He completely relaxed in the water for the first time ever and within seconds had ditched the kick board and with only the ring float began relaxing and floating around the pool completely stretched out. We pretended to sleep in the pool and stretch out big and tall in our "bed". This worked GREAT!

FINALLY, we are to a starting point where I can begin to teach him how to swim! Oh, and when it was time to get out of the pool, he asked if it would be okay if he just slept in the pool tonight!