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Swim
Thursday, January 05, 2012 by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
Although I understand the process of development, I am always floored by the product.
It's incredible when you really stop and think about it.
How do our children get from here to there when it comes to skill development?
Less than three months ago, our family was vacationing. We split the cost of a beach house and were enjoying a week of fun (and chaos) with our cousins and our combined seven little people. It was during this week our little girl - almost four and a half years old - started swimming. Okay, it wasn't quite swimming, but she was pretty darn close. She was able to keep herself afloat and used her arms and legs to propel her in motion. I spent much of the rest of the week looking to "motivate" my child to swim. Swim. Swim. I'd offered up plenty of "positive reinforcement" (that's the fancy word for bribery - lol), including ice cream sandwiches.
I'd been waiting for this moment for a while. Actually, for about four years. Oh yes, I realize that physically, children most often have the ability to learn to swim around age four or five years, but perhaps I'm just a tad impatient. Off and on, we'd been in swim lessons since she was an infant. Though she always tolerated swim class, she wasn't one of those fish kids I'd often admired jumping in and swimming around as though they had been born with that skill.
Tonight, I was transported back to her huge developmental milestones. Just like the first time she smiled, and rolled over, and laughed, and stood and walked, I experienced that feeling of winning a championship game as I watched her happily submerge herself under water and swim. Swim. Swim.
I tried to control my gloating as I found myself smirking as I watched my child, now one of the "fish kids" who jumped in and was swimming around like she had always had this skill.
Thinking back, it's been a long process. It's been baby steps. It's been toes in the water one day, and the next month, maybe her arms and legs. It's been patience. It's been cheering for her and loving her even when she wouldn't go under the water. It's been quite a process indeed!
It's been a good reminder to me that development is about the process. It's not always about the product (though the product is definitely fun to celebrate!).
What skill is your child working on obtaining?
What has been the process of them developing this skill?
Do you try to motivate your child to obtain the skill? If so, how?
As always, enjoy the ride!
