swimmabun
The Bun has been quite enthusiastic about water lately - he loves playing in it and swimming (if we can call it that) in pools, splashing about in the shower, and has no qualms dousing his entire head with a small bucket of water, which is more than I can say for myself. So when my sister-in-law told me about a private swim instructor and invited me along for a trial class, I agreed. My father was quite over-cautious when my sister and I were young, so we never had swim classes and the both of us only learnt to swim as adults, which was a bit embarrassing, but better late than never, right? I always knew that if I ever had children I would make sure they would learn how to swim, both for their own safety and for pleasure.
I was a bit apprehensive about how The Bun would take to the class, since he usually takes time to warm up to new environments and to strangers. When we arrived there was another class in session - a six-month-old baby with her father in the pool, alternately squawking and smiling. The Bun refused to play with his cousin Sarah, and clung to me. He did seem interested in the pool though, so I sat down poolside with him in my lap and talked to him quietly, pointing out the water, the swim coach, and the toys. After a few minutes he relaxed and by the time our class started he was eager to play and splash around.
The coach talked to us about the kids' previous experiences with water and if they were positive or negative, and started off with the kids sitting poolside kicking their legs in the water. Once we were in the water she encouraged them to splash the water with their hands so that their faces would get wet, then we did a round of exercises swishing and splashing the kids around, singing songs and just having fun. The Bun surprised me with his enthusiasm and fearlessness - he was able to move himself across the length of the pool using his hands and some bars affixed to the side of the pool, without me holding on to him. Since he had no issues with water pouring over his face, the coach briefly dunked him underwater a couple of times; The Bun came up surprised but smiling. He also felt confident enough to jump from a standing position across the water (a very short distance, really) into my arms. At one point, standing in the pool with the water at chest-level, he spontaneously broke into a happy dance. I guess someone's a water baby, for now at least.
It's a bit of a commute from where we live to the coach's house, where the lessons are held, but not any further than what we used to travel for gym class, so I've agreed to let him try out ten weeks of lessons, starting in a fortnight. The Bun's enthusiasm aside, I like the coach's relaxed, child-friendly manner, and most of all I like the pool, which is a small one built specially for teaching children how to swim. It is heated and has a retractable shade that covers most of it, great for keeping out the brutal sun. It has various fixings and plenty of toys around it to motivate and aid the children in their lessons, including a water slide which The Bun went down a couple of times. There's also a private outdoor bathroom so kids and parents can have a shower after class has ended, with several thoughtful provisions for the parents' convenience. The swim coach is a mother of four herself, so she knows what works and what doesn't for kids and their parents. We talked about ISR for children and she told me that she found it quite cruel and traumatising for young children, although she did agree that it taught very important survival skills. It appears that no one teaches it in Singapore but with The Bun's personality, going down the soft-and-slow approach is best for him anyway.
Each lesson is only thirty minutes long but they are tiring enough! The Bun conked out right after lunch (ah, bliss) and I'm tempted to nap myself, although I won't because there's dinner to cook, emails to return, and plenty else to do. Too bad I couldn't take any pictures because I spent all the time in the water! Now I'm keen to pop by our neighbourhood pool for a swim by myself...
I was a bit apprehensive about how The Bun would take to the class, since he usually takes time to warm up to new environments and to strangers. When we arrived there was another class in session - a six-month-old baby with her father in the pool, alternately squawking and smiling. The Bun refused to play with his cousin Sarah, and clung to me. He did seem interested in the pool though, so I sat down poolside with him in my lap and talked to him quietly, pointing out the water, the swim coach, and the toys. After a few minutes he relaxed and by the time our class started he was eager to play and splash around.
The coach talked to us about the kids' previous experiences with water and if they were positive or negative, and started off with the kids sitting poolside kicking their legs in the water. Once we were in the water she encouraged them to splash the water with their hands so that their faces would get wet, then we did a round of exercises swishing and splashing the kids around, singing songs and just having fun. The Bun surprised me with his enthusiasm and fearlessness - he was able to move himself across the length of the pool using his hands and some bars affixed to the side of the pool, without me holding on to him. Since he had no issues with water pouring over his face, the coach briefly dunked him underwater a couple of times; The Bun came up surprised but smiling. He also felt confident enough to jump from a standing position across the water (a very short distance, really) into my arms. At one point, standing in the pool with the water at chest-level, he spontaneously broke into a happy dance. I guess someone's a water baby, for now at least.
It's a bit of a commute from where we live to the coach's house, where the lessons are held, but not any further than what we used to travel for gym class, so I've agreed to let him try out ten weeks of lessons, starting in a fortnight. The Bun's enthusiasm aside, I like the coach's relaxed, child-friendly manner, and most of all I like the pool, which is a small one built specially for teaching children how to swim. It is heated and has a retractable shade that covers most of it, great for keeping out the brutal sun. It has various fixings and plenty of toys around it to motivate and aid the children in their lessons, including a water slide which The Bun went down a couple of times. There's also a private outdoor bathroom so kids and parents can have a shower after class has ended, with several thoughtful provisions for the parents' convenience. The swim coach is a mother of four herself, so she knows what works and what doesn't for kids and their parents. We talked about ISR for children and she told me that she found it quite cruel and traumatising for young children, although she did agree that it taught very important survival skills. It appears that no one teaches it in Singapore but with The Bun's personality, going down the soft-and-slow approach is best for him anyway.
Each lesson is only thirty minutes long but they are tiring enough! The Bun conked out right after lunch (ah, bliss) and I'm tempted to nap myself, although I won't because there's dinner to cook, emails to return, and plenty else to do. Too bad I couldn't take any pictures because I spent all the time in the water! Now I'm keen to pop by our neighbourhood pool for a swim by myself...