ISR Swim Lessons
So we have tried two different swim lessons with Melody, and neither worked with her. She still relied on her puddle jumper and floats. And she was petrified to put her face under water. First we tried lessons at the Y in 2018. Then we tried private lessons at my parents’ home in 2019. In 2020 we opted to skip lessons due to COVID. Then in 2021, lessons were impossible to get into around here. The best lessons we could find only had availability in the fall when Melody would be in school. But this year we were finally able to get into ISR lessons. I didn’t want to attempt the Y again. And my friend, Emily, had her son do the same type of lessons in the spring, and I was amazed that he was actually swimming just a few weeks after starting. So I knew this would be the best route for my highly fearful child. Lessons were still hard to find, but Emily was able to find a teacher with openings, so we did it!
As we expected, the first week was rough. Actually the first two days were ok because her teacher simply had her practicing how to float. There was no pressure to really go under water. But by day three, it was time to go under, and Melody was not having it. It was hard as a mom to watch, but I know she needed to conquer this fear and learn to swim.
By the middle of the second week, the fear was conquered. Melody was still set in her ways of how she wanted to do things, but she was at least going under the water without tears. She was really doing well swimming and floating, but she was still struggling with the transition between the two.
By the end of week three, she had taken off. She was swim-float-swimming from one side of the pool to the other. She was trying to see how long she could stay under without coming up, and she was really picking up on the virtual queues when we practiced at my parents.
During week five, she had to go to lessons fully clothed two of the days. One day she wore summer clothes, and the next she wore winter clothes. The idea is when kids typically fall into pools, they fall fully dressed. I was truly surprised at how well she did.
The cost of the lessons were high, but it was worth every single penny. I wished I knew about these lessons back in 2017. I would have signed her up in a heartbeat then. But I am still so glad I found them, and I am so proud at how far Melody came in just 5 weeks.
