There's a Shark in the water

Duunnn dun… dun dun… dun dun dun dun…the Jaws theme song rang through my ears as the water flooded my senses. A toy watering can simultaneously hit me across the head. I could feel his little feet scale my body to get to my shoulders; he had me now; he was preparing for his final move, "The backflip" into the water from the shoulder position. To stop and protect him, I had to dip under the water and fully extend my arms with all my upper body strength (which isn't at any Olympic standard). Water was splashing everywhere. The swimming teacher graciously swam over like a swan and gently took Francois, my son, who wasn't a shark but my 2-year-old, in his baby swim class. The sound of Twinkle Star replaced the terrifying Jaws soundtrack in my mind, and as I merged from the water, the ah-ahs and oohs of babies smiling at their parents came into focus.

I felt defeated; I questioned myself and my ability to hold my child in the water in those moments. Watching the teacher command him, I thought, "What was I doing wrong'? She looked effortless as she played monkey crawl on the side of the pool with him. I fixed my twisted swimming hat and tried to shake it off my emotions. Just as I motioned over towards him, he was off again. He crawled out of the pool and waved his little hand at her on his way to jump in. I told myself, oh no, you don't, the little daredevil. In a flash, I pulled myself out of the water, this time in an athletic movement (if I do say myself) and got a hold of him.

He didn't settle in the class after that. I carried him out of the pool, a little shaken, as if jaws took a piece of my nervous system. The teacher advised me that some children are just not ready for classes and don't do well with order and discipline if they aren't ready. I took this on the chin, hung my head, and went to the changing room.

I looked forward to spending time with him in the pool, creating a bond and having our mommy-son time. It didn't turn out as I imagined; I was sorely disappointed. I got us dressed so fast that I left my pool shoes behind. I sat in the car, red-faced and pensive, as he laughed in the back and sang away to himself.

While beating myself up, I realised that Francois is no average 2-year-old. He came into this world two weeks early; at 38 weeks, he was 4kgs in weight and 58 cm long. There was no percentage line at his first doctor appointment; his stats were off the charts. Now two years old, he is over 20 kilos. He is physically the size of a 4-year-old but still my little teddy bear. With all this in mind, I thought maybe it wasn't a matter of "He isn't ready for lessons", but more, the lessons were not suitable for him.

A few weeks later, I took him to the pool again. This time, I had a new mission. I put arm bands on him; he strutted over the tiles like John Travolta in "Staying Alive". When he reached the pool's edge, he glided one little foot over and back, skimming the top of the water. I curiously watched as he did this, and then he jumped in and paddled. I was, in part, shocked and proud. Francois didn't want to be held and sang to in the pool. He now swims on his back, puts his head under the water and happily plays in the pool.

I learned much about my child and myself during the "Jaws" swimming experience. I guess no matter what age you are or what you have done in life, don't forget to let your instincts guide you and look at what is in front of you. See things for what they are and not what you imagined, and yes, children never cease to surprise me.

Kind regards,

Working from Hawaii