In our house it’s all about the princesses, unicorns and mermaids. Coming off a Mermaid Party dance season and a vacay at the beach, mermaids are a big deal in our house. We’ve got mermaid Barbies that we play with in the bath, numerous mermaid costumes and we’ve recently discovered the movie Scales: Mermaids are Real.
Mermaid Training
Naturally both girls want to be mermaids and so we signed them up for swim lessons to get them ready. Bailey was in swim lessons when she was about 6 months old to get her comfortable with the water but there really wasn’t anything more advanced for her age level until now. Sienna never had any formal lessons, but she’s been in the water since she was tiny so she has always been comfortable.
Water safety was our main drive behind the lessons because as they get more independent we wanted them to have the awareness and the skills needed to play safely this summer. There have been far too many stories in the news of accidental drownings and even though we try to be hyper aware when the girls are near the water, they also need to have the skills and confidence to know what to do. Plus the lessons help us teach the girls what to do and what to watch for, so win-win!
We have been talking about our upcoming lessons and what to expect. Bailey mentioned several times that she did not want to go all the way under the water because it was scary. She also thought that she was just going to get thrown in and didn’t want to go in without her floaties. We kept telling her that she would be with other kids that did not know how to swim either and that they would all work with a teacher that would help them. We also read Fancy Nancy and watched the episode where she overcame her fear of the water. She was still a little weary, but willing to try.
We signed the girls both up for the first swim lessons session of the summer with Olathe Parks & Rec. It was a 2-week, Monday – Thursday course at the pool up the street. Bailey’s class was first and Sienna’s Parent-Child class was right after. Brian had Monday & Tuesday off the first week of lessons which worked out perfectly since I was battling bronchitis and a double ear infection (winning!). The girls were a little nervous but excited to try something new.
Bailey’s class was called first and all the little nervous swimmers gathered around waiting to hear their name called. You could almost see the butterflies in the tummies while they waited to see what came next. Luckily, their instructor Kathy got them warming up and laughing before they got in the water.
The First Dip
It was time to get in the pool. Everyone sat down and the instructor went down the line showing each student how to safely slide into the pool. It was a little chilly but they had them bobbing and kicking in no time. Bailey kept peering up at us over the ledge to make sure we were watching before she glued her eyes back on the instructor.
They worked on bubbles and tried to get each swimmer to dip their heads in underwater to no avail. I think each made it just past their nose/eyes. Bailey got most of her face in but she shook her head when they asked her to try to go further. Then they got the kids comfortable with kicking and going out with the instructors in a series of activities.
Bailey was beaming at the end of her lesson and was already planning a trip back to the pool to practice! She didn’t get her head all the way under but she did a lot of bubbles and was excited to try again. Then it was time for Sienna’s lesson and Daddy and Sienna headed for the pool. They got to splash around in the shallow end of a while before heading to the deep area to practice kicks, rainbow arms and even some jumps!
Sienna had a blast splashing with Daddy and couldn’t wait to get back to the pool.
Getting Back in the Water
The next day the girls were excited to get back into the action. Bailey did really well listening to her teachers and trying new things but we still avoided going completely under the water. I tried to get a bunch of pictures and videos of Sienna because it was Dad’s last day with us at lessons and I wouldn’t be able to capture much more from the pool.
Going Under
The next morning before leaving for the pool Bailey pulled me to the side and told me she was ready to try and go all the way under the water. She had such determination in her eyes and I told her that she should do whatever she felt comfortable with. She edged herself into the pool slowly and the teacher called on her to try dunking her head in.
She did it! Not only did she go all the way under but she was the example for the rest of her class! She was beaming…more like radiating with pride when she got back over to wall.
I was overwhelmed with pride and excitement. Just a few short days ago, this little girl was scared to put her face in and now she was dunking herself all the way under. I couldn’t believe it! Then it seemed to all fall into place, she was blowing bubbles, floating on her back and rocketing off the side.
Bailey was so excited to show Daddy her new skills that we had him meet up with us at the pool after work to show off her skills. She showed him her dunks and how she learned how to stay afloat on her back. Sienna showed him her rockets off the side and how she climbed in and out of the water safely. They were both doing so well and the next day at class, Bailey tried swimming on her own and she did it! She learned so much in such a short period of time, we can’t wait to see how much more she can advance this summer!
I am so unbelievably proud of our little mermaids. They worked so hard these past two weeks and pushed past their comfort zones. They are definitely ready to take their new skills to the pool this summer! We want to especially thank the wonderful instructors and lifeguards with Olathe Parks and Rec. They all went above and beyond to give each student an amazing experience.
Love these two mermaids and can’t wait to spend endless time in the pool with them both! Happy first two weeks of summer!
