Chapter 15: Just Keep Swimming

There comes a point in every parent’s life, when they have to convince their kids to do something they do not want to do. For Eloise, it was swimming. Or more precisely, not drowning.

She comes by her need-for-control honestly. She’s apprehensive in new situations and hates to disappoint others. So I wasn’t too surprised when she just had to go to the bathroom 10 minutes into her 1st lesson. And 2nd. And 3rd. She would shuffle to the locker room, sit focused on the toilet, wash her hands as if preparing for surgery, and then saunter back to the pool just in time to say goodbye.

I asked her peppy swim instructor for advice and she chirped, “Just practice! If you build up her confidence, she won’t be so scared.” Obvious. And ingenious! We drove to Cindy’s “resort-style pool” for some practice disguised as playing. I told her we were going to play swimming lessons; she would be the teacher, Duke and I would be the victims/students. Eloise showed us how to swim and in the process, practiced her swimming.

With each visit to the pool her confidence grew, until one day she scolded me to get out of the water so she could swim across. By herself. Duke and I chanted “You can do it, you can do it, YOU CAN DO IT!” as she dog-paddled to the other side. I would like to say that she looked up at me, grinning, and thanked me for encouraging her to never give up. But instead she yelled, “I want to do it again!” And I was okay with that too.