Sink or Swim

My 4-year old daughter can “out swim me”. It’s pretty embarrassing. She could literally lap me around the pool. What’s up with that? I know what’s up with that. After hauling her across town to weekly swim lessons for the past year and a half, she outta be able to channel her inner Michael Phelps and find her way around the pool just fine.

When I was growing up, no one took swim lessons. Easley, SC didn’t have Little Otter, Charlotte Aquatics, Charlotte Swim Academy, ISR or MAC. One day, your daddy just threw you in the pool (or typically in the lake…remember, it’s SC) and you “swam” like hell. That was about the only swim lesson I ever got. And I’m here to tell you, it didn’t stick. Some of my friends went on to become great swimmers after that first fateful lesson. Not me. I can back float and tread water with the best of them. However, my technique and form for freestyle swimming leaves a lot to be desired. I’m eager to learn better breath control, form and overall be a better swimmer so I can take up swimming as a form of exercise. Better on the back and knees than running!

So, that’s what I’m doing this fall. Swim lessons! Little Otter wouldn’t take me so I’m going to Charlotte Aquatics. This has been on the “to do” list for years and I’m a subscriber to the philosophy better late than never. I almost bagged the whole thing because I was having big trouble finding swim instruction to fit my zany schedule. Charlotte Aquatics has a Monday 8PM class and by 8 PM, the kids are asleep, my husband is home from work and I am typically in this time zone (I try really hard not to travel for work on Mondays). This was meant to be!

So far, I’ve been four times and it has been so therapeutic and relaxing as well as hard as heck to swim those laps. After my first “lesson”, I had to get a swim cap for my unruly hair that was always up in my face and a sensible bathing suit. Swimming laps is awesome exercise!

Next summer, I’m going to challenge my daughter to a little one-on-one swim meet. Just me and her in the pool…may the best swimmer win. By that time, she will have another year of swim lessons under her belt and she’ll likely take me to school. A girl can have dreams though, right?

Our friends at Little Otter Swim School have an awesome deal for CSP readers (this is for the kiddies though, sorry Susan:-)
Sign up for an opening in classes Monday through Wednesday mornings that meet between 9:30 and 2:30 and receive 20% off tuition for classes through the end of the year. You must enroll before October 31st and offer is valid for anyone not currently enrolled, including families that took a break and want to return.

From John Kirk at Little Otter:
“Swimming is a great activity in the winter. If you want your child to learn to swim as quickly as possible, then year-round swimming provides the best results. Swim lessons take place in many different climates around the world. Children learn to swim in far lower temperatures than our 90 degree pool. Our year-round facility is designed for the comfort of your children.

Putting old wives tales to rest. Your child won’t catch a cold from the water. Colds are viruses and your child probably has more chance of catching a virus from attending daycare, preschool, school or playgroup than from the treated water in a swimming pool. We also don’t avoid showers and bathing during the winter we just take care to dry off before we go outside.

Children who participate in swimming during the winter do not get more coughs and colds than their non swimming counterparts. In fact, parents of children who participate in year-round programs report that their child has had their best winter yet. This is not surprising as we know that exercise strengthens the immune system and that swimming is a very healthy activity, especially for the lungs.

This is a great time to start getting your children ready for summer swimming.”

Thanks, Little Otter for the discount – don’t forget to sign up, Smarties!