Swimming Lessons...

For most of July Ashton was in swimming lessons. I put him in two back to back 7 day sessions (that lasted 2 weeks each). Let's just say he had kind of a love/hate relationship with them. He was so excited to start them until the first day when he realized that I wouldn't be able to stay and watch him each day. He had a complete meltdown and I ended up having to hand him off to his teacher screaming and crying. It broke my heart, but I knew he would be okay once he got in the water and settled down. That first day when I picked him up he was fine and had had fun, but the first words out of his mouth were that his teacher had told him to shut up! I felt bad for him and told him that the teacher never should have said that to him, but that he needed to just be quiet and listen so that he (and everyone else in his class) could learn.

This year I decided to take him to a lady in Logan who has a pool in her back yard. I heard that she did a great job and the kids really learn to swim.

Anyway after the first day he was fine most days during the first session. He got used to me dropping him off and picking him up half an hour later. However most days he would yell to me as I was leaving "Don't forget Mommy...come back for me in 30 minutes!!" Anyway he had a lot of fun in the first session and loved getting to show us all that he had learned when we were allowed to come watch on the last day. He really did learn a lot.

Then it was time to start the next session. He got nervous again the first day, then stayed and was okay, but then each day after that he began to dislike it more and more. He just said that it was a lot harder than before, and he had to do things that he didn't feel like he could do (all in the deep end)...so basically he was scared. And I gradually learned that his teacher was not only very strict, but pretty darn mean to a lot of the kids. As I watched a class that was ending before Ashton's class started one day, I felt so bad for one little boy that it made me cry...he was terrified and all she did was belittle him for it and make him more scared!

Of course I wanted Ashton to finish off the lessons we paid for, so he did and again we went and watched him on the last day. He was doing great and then I think he must have sucked in some water or something because he started to cry and get scared and tried to climb out of the pool. Well his teacher pretty much grabbed him and told him to "knock it off" a couple of times, so he tried to calm down and do what he was supposed to. Then he got scared again and really started crying. At which point she kind of raised her voice and started calling him a baby and saying "I'll send your Mom home!" Which she already knew was his biggest fear. Anyway all this is happening as we and all the other parents are sitting there watching! Lars just about lost it and told her off, but he restrained himself and Ashton finished off his last lesson.

So I guess I feel like he really learned a lot, but it broke my heart to see how he was treated...I think we'll look for somewhere else to go next year.

I'm so proud of you Ashton for facing your fears and finishing your lessons!

Good job buddy!