Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Kellan concentrates on his strokes

13June2005b

Kellan is in swim class once a week at the YMCA. I'd like for him to be a proficient swimmer before long, as there is no excuse for being helpless in a substance that covers most of our planet. Both my sister and I could swim by the age of one, but we had intensive private instruction. I grew up in the water. My parents have always had a swimming pool and as a child I used to wake up, rip off my pajamas, and rush straight out to the pool each morning (I don't condone this parenting faux pas, but I'm still here today so I'll leave it in the past). I was on swim team from my earliest youth, practising every week, attending meets, and later doing the rough water swims in the ocean. Swimming has always been a part of my life. Living in the Midwest, its not going to be so easy for Kellan, as people don't have pools, the outdoor swim season is very brief, and the nearest beach is on Lake Michigan, 4 hours away. But we'll keep going to the YMCA class every week and swimming as often as possible during the summer months, so that hopefully my son will have the love of water inherent in his California genes.

1 comment:

Nicola said...

You'll get it, Betty. When I was about 14, my mom had my sister and I help to teach one of her friends how to swim. We just used our backyard pool and our years of experience in the water (we both had walls plastered with swim team ribbons) to help her. It took a few months, but we finally got her swimming the breast stroke (clumsily) and no longer helpless. She was in her mid 40s. Just give it time and patience, your body will learn the motions. Most of all, remember to relax. The water is a fun place to be!