Swimming Assessment Meltdown

Oh. My. Goodness.

Marty and I had decided ages ago that when the kids turn 5 we will start them in swimming lessons, being the great parents that we are.  Well, Jaimee turned 5 and so I, being the wonderfully organised mummy that I am, rang the swimming centre.

"I want to book my 5 year old into lessons please"
"ok...can she float on her back"
"ummm....."
"why don't you bring her in and we will do an assessment on her"

Right.  So we gathered the new togs, the goggles and the towel up and off we went (dropping Luke off at Granmas on the way - 2 kids is bad enough to take to the pools, let alone 3!) for a swimming assessment.

Let's just stop right there and explain something about Jaimee.  She is not so great at coping with anything new.  For example, this is how the first few weeks of school went:
First time doing PE outside.....Cried, wouldn't do it.
First time going to assembly..... Cried, teacher had to hold her through it.
First time going to the library.....Cried, would only go with the teacher aide, not the buddy.
Cross Country.....Cried, daddy had to run with her the whole way round.

....you get the picture.  So I gave her a lovely pep talk on the way to the pools.  I kindly explained that she would be in the pool and the lady would ask her to do some things and that she was to try her best.  We discussed a "can do" attitude, and that even if she couldn't do it, she must try her very best.  Jaimee agreed happily all the way this speech happily.

So she gets to the pools, gets changed and the lovely lady shows her how to get safely in the pool.  All good, and I start to relax.  Then the lovely lady asks Jaimee if she can blow bubbles in the water.

Pause here: Before Jaimee had her hip operations, I took the girls to the pools every week.  Jaimee was able to swim with a kickboard, head in the water, blowing bubbles etc - all the way down the ADULT length pool.  After her casts came off, she had physio in the hospital pool and she went to a daycare which had an indoor heated pool (i know, that is SO cool eh?).  So basically blowing bubbles is nothing new for this girl....

Back to the story: Jaimee looked at the lovely lady and burst into tears.  And that was that.  The teacher looked to me with a "help" face.  I got down and encouraged Jaimee to blow bubbles, just like at Rascals.  Wailing, Jaimee replied "ITS COOOOLLLLD".  I felt the water.  It was like a bath.  More encouraging followed.  The lovely lady suggested to Jaimee that she show her what she did at Rascals in the water.   Jaimee ignored her and continued the loud sobbing. The lovely lady and her peer looked at each other.  I could tell they weren't quite sure about this child.  I apologised profuslely, and started some other tactics.  I tried the old bribe (I will give you a lolly bracelet if you do as she asks).  More tears.  I tried being firm (Come on Jaimee, do as you are told please).  More tears.  I almost tried threatening that if she didn't do as she was asked then there would be no lessons....but then I remembered that I really want her to do lessons.

In the end, we got her out. Lovely lady suggested that they would pop Jaimee into a preschoolers class to begin with( since they had no clue what she could do).  Lovely lady also suggested a Saturday morning class with only 2 other kids in it (since she is clearly going to be a handful for the poor teacher).

We went to get dressed, Jaimee still in tears because, after all, she really did want a lolly bracelet.  "Mummy, I will do it, I will listen this time".  Back into the togs.  Back in the pool.  The lovely lady tentatively returned and asked her to duck under the water.  No problem.  LOTS of "Good girls" from lovely lady.  Now Jaimee swims across the pool with a kickboard. Great!  Ok, so she didn't hold the kickboard at the bottom like she was asked, but we have progress. I start to relax.  Lovely lady asks the big question next.....can you float on your back.  Jaimee looks at her.  Lovely lady says that she will support her, just to try.  Jaimee bursts into tears. Sigh.  Out we get again.

I think you get the picture.  Stay tuned to find out how her first lesson next Saturday goes....I bet the swimming instructors are looking forward to it just as much as I am!!!