We have tried a few different places that did not work out. Until I thought Stuff it Im going to ask at my old swim school (where I taught under 3 year olds and where the boys used to swim when we first moved up here) I asked If I could cap the class at 2 kids ( mine)and have the best teacher and explained the reasons (one being Peanut and Shrimples tend to walk all over doormats like most kids their age). They made a lesson time for us before anyone else started 8:30am and gave us bubbles (a happy 35 - 40 year old english woman who is super enthusiastic and seems to really enjoy her job - even though I know she is underpaid and stinging and stinking with the chlorine after each shift).
Peanut screamed all the way through his last lessons at the special needs swimming program just 5 months earlier, he would not listen and not kick or blow bubbles or float on his back, and Shrimples had not been to swimming lessons in 6 months and those lessons where parent & baby lessons cause we just could not afford to have both of them in lessons.
We got our services providers to make up some visuals and I went last week to chat to the teacher and informed her if she treated Peanut as if he was not capable he would act that way.
The lessons started great she greeted them told them to sit on the edge, peanut started to point at the noodles and said "noodles now, now noodles", she was fun but firm and told him they were going to play games, They sat on the side kicking their legs Shrimples was a little champ and Bubbles asked Peanut to watch Shrimples. They used the kick boards, played games and Peanut did everything he was asked, as she took each one out deeper the other had to watch on the side at times and this was a struggles for both of them Shrimples had to be told twice to go back and wait and Peanut about 4/5 times but he GOT IT !!! he was waiting on the edge jumping up and down constantly happily stimming through out the whole lesson.
Shrimples was a little star and I was so impressed with him he listened well and was so good! Peanut has a little bit further to go but my god she got him jumping off the side blowing bubbles kicking his legs and floating on his back! they both kept their goggles on for the whole lesson!
There was lots of clapping and praise for both boys and they loved it !!
As I sat on the side watching I was so proud, Proud I had made this decision and stuck to it, proud I had stood up and told them what I wanted out of the lessons and got everything organised (sometimes I can just book something in and let others take charge forgetting I know my kids best and when things go wrong I sit and say nothing and just pull them out), Proud of Shrimples being so good at listening and doing so well at swimming and giving everything a good go and proud of Peanut for over coming things that were a struggle for him in the past with no help from anyone from the start of the lesson to the end he had mastered things that he couldn't in a previous 10 week block.
Watching Peanut jumping up and down stimming away with the biggest grin on his face while Shrimples would turn and give me a thumbs up my eyes started to well up.
Together we can do anything, we just got to find our groove!
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