Pooling

There is no doubt that my two kids love the water.  Their relationship with it is a little different though.  Ollie loves to be in the pool, and he is not hesitant at all about going underwater and can hold his breath for a long time.  He won't, however, let go of me if he's in water that he can't easily stand in.  I've gotten him to do so with a small float, but not with just arm floaties that require him to do a little work to keep himself above water.  He won't jump off a step in the pool or the side of the pool unless he can reach my hands.  And yet -- he'll go down water slides and two of my parents' houses -- one into deep water that requires an adult to grab him after he kicks away from the drop off.  It's not at all logical -- but then, he's not quite four.  He's done well in swim lessons, and I think that with continued time in the water, he'll eventually get the courage to let go and try to swim.  One pool in particular at my parents' house was really good for this.  It was maybe 1-2 feet deep, and it allowed Oliver to jump on his belly, kick and stroke a little, and then be able to put his feet down on his own.  He was in the water, underwater, and on his own most of the time when we were in the pool.

Emme, on the other hand, has no fear -- almost to her own detriment.  She'll walk around in shallow water, jump from ledges whether someone's ready to catch her or not (if she hears "jump," she goes).  She'll put herself or just her face underwater and then stand up if able (I always tried to let her do it herself before grabbing her).  She's learning to close her mouth, but not her eyes, or blow bubbles in the water.  But mostly -- she just wants in.  We were in the pool every day for the last four days, and she had swimming lessons the two days before that this past week.  For kids who don't have regular access to the water, that's a lot!  I think it landed her with a cold, but it didn't deter her from wanting to swim.  She'll go in the deep water with a float and be on it without anyone holding on.  She can kick her legs and even move her arms some to stroke.  She even went down the tiny water slide at one pool.  She's definitely a water bug. I'm hoping she doesn't lose her bravery as she gets older.