Swimming Object Lessons

In my daughter's swimming class there are 4 other children besides her. She is the only child in the class that will not do the bobs. She will put her face in the water, but she will not go under.

The first couple of days her teacher was extremely patient and kind, but in our last class, she seemed extremely impatient. First, she threatened to push my daughter under the water if she didn't do the bobs and as if that wasn't enough, she started comparing her to all of the other children in the class who do not have a problem with bobbing.

So finally, after my daughter would not budge, she said to her in a very mean voice, "Well I cannot stop this class for you!"

What in the world??? I was so upset. I sat calmly and patiently until I knew I was calm enough to speak.

I called my daughter out of the water and instructed her to go and get her towel. The teacher asked me if she was finished for the day. "No", I responded. "She'll be back."

I sat her down near the pool and explained to her that she does not have to go under the water because the other children in this class are going under the water. She must go under the water, because it is a requirement for swimming. "Is it your desire to learn how to swim"? "Yes", she answered.
"Then set a goal of being able to put your head under the water. Don't ever do other things because people in your class are doing them."

I asked her to get back into the water and go down into the water to her chin. We continued to go deeper until she went down with the top of her nose covered. I told her that I would buy her a book if she would go under with her eyes covered. She tried so hard. I could see the fear in her eyes. She didn't make it, but she has a new goal and a reward set for when she obtains that goal.

I was so upset when the instructor was encouraging my daughter to be like the rest of the class, but then as I thought about it, I was grateful that I had another opportunity to tell her that the ONLY person that we want to be like is Jesus.

Praise God that we have someone we can be like.