We've got a swimmer (and a screamer)!

We had our first series of swim lessons this week. Mind you, these aren't the "swim classes" we were used to in California where the kids pretty much learn to blow bubbles and play with water toys and they giggle and splash and leave wanting more. Oh no - this was a whole different experience. We knew that living here meant we would need to have good swimmers and we are fully aware of the water dangers here on the island. So Veda and Eve completed a 5 day course of intense private swim lessons. INTENSE! Did I say intense? They both screamed through the first two lessons, then Veda had a break through on the third day. She was doing really well - jumping into the pool by herself and swimming to the other side. She was so excited and pleased with herself. But poor Eve. By the third lesson I couldn't take it any more. We both cried through the whole thing and I told the instructor that I didn't think she was ready for this. Travis felt really strongly that she should finish the last two days so he took her the next day. I took them both yesterday, graduation day. Veda still cried before she got in, but was smiling when she came out. She really learned a lot and I am confident she could hold her own in a pool should anything happen. Eve was so panicked and terrified that she absorbed very little of the technique and I feel like she was just tortured the whole week. I really feel terrible about it. I won't give details because I'm afraid someone will turn me into CPS for letting her go through it. I'll just say that the instructor would simulate a "fall" and then let Evie struggle through it. I know - I can't sleep at night.

She teaches them how to come up from under the water and swim on their back. After they master swimming on their back, she has them roll over and practice swimming face down. She had Veda practice jumping in the pool, coming up, putting her chin up, head back and floating on her back. Then she would swim to the side until her head touched the edge and reach up with one arm, grab the side of the pool, flip over, and climb out of the pool. I think it's a genius approach (for a four year old) because it teaches survival first.