Jump Into Summer

My son jumping into the pool.

 

Summer is finally here and school vacation has officially begun.  We were fortunate to spend the first day of summer vacation with some friends hanging by the pool. 

My son has taken swim lessons since he was 3 years old, each week for a half hour.  I've known for some time that he is a strong swimmer, but today I was struck by how confident he was participating in pool games.  There was no fear of water to hold him back.  Personally, I have always had a fear of water and it is why I am passionate my children learn to swim and be comfortable in the water.

The first activity I signed my son up for was swim instruction.  Same for my daughter.  I highly recommend if there is an extracurricular activity to participate in, you choose swimming.  Whether children take lessons at the local YMCA or summer camp, learning to swim means you'll be much safer whether at a pool party or swimming on vacation.  There were times over the years where my son hit plateaus during swim instruction and I felt that he should be progressing a little more quickly.  He would then have a breakthrough and achieve another benchmark during his lessons. 

Your children can enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the water, whether pool or beach, and be comfortable.  Trust me, I still get nervous when we are around water, inspite of my son's skill.  It only takes one second for something to go wrong.

Learning to swim also opens up possibilities of learning to kayak, surfing or other water sports.

What extracurricular activities do you think are important - whether for safety or self-confidence?  How confident are you when your children are around the water, beach or pool?