Danko Family Scoop: Swimming Twins

I enrolled the boys in swim lesson on Ft Bragg. Most activities are cheaper on Ft Bragg than in the civilian sector, but after their first session, I'm pretty sure I will look for lessons elsewhere. They put 5 preschoolers with 1 instructor which made me very anxious to begin with. The teacher didn't really engage Brandon and Connor in what she wanted them to do. Within the first 5 minutes of class, she was trying to get them to put their heads under the water. Now, in my opinion, they shouldn't be asked to put their head underwater in their first class. I was the only mom sitting right behind the kids in the pool...Eric was there too. The other moms were on the other side of the aquatic center..chit chatting and paying no attention to their own kids...and they were all misbehaving. I will never understand some parents, but "to each their own."

The next thing we knew, Brandon was totally under the water and unable to get out. I had to rush over and pull him out myself. The teacher had her back turned to the kids who were standing up against the wall and the lifeguard was definitely off in la la land. As a former lifeguard myself, YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR EYES OF THE LITTLE ONES! Brandon was a little hysterical when I pulled him out which was understandable. My concern was that Brandon would be scared of the water now. I held him for a while to get him calmed back down. I slowly inched closer to the pool and he did end up finishing the class by sitting on the edge of the pool with his feet in.

I tried to talk to the aquatics director about switching to "mommy and me" class with the boys. They aren't quiet ready for formal lessons...if that's how the lesson are going to be. He wasn't super cooperative, but he and the instructor did agree to let me in the pool with them next week. I don't want to be one of THOSE moms who is over protective, but after the incident of Brandon getting stuck under water...I'm a little nervous. Yes, I can teach them some basics myself, but for once I just wanted them to be in a class where someone else taught them! Sometimes I feel like I have very unrealistic expectations of other people when it comes to the boys. No wonder so many people home school their kids!

We have to finish out the month since they won't refund my money, but I'm on a mission to find somewhere else for them to take lessons. I also hate to be THAT mom that pulls their kids out of every activity if I don't like it, but this is about my boys' safety! It may seem that I'm mad about this whole thing, but I'm really just more disappointed in the staff at the pool. Never the less, we got a few cute pictures of them!