A new term for swimming lessons started in June, and due to some fun summer virus we missed the first couple of classes. When we returned it was a new group of Mums and bubs in our class, some younger and some older than Noah. Class begins with "Humpty Dumpty" where the babies sit on the side of the pool and we encourage them to jump off into our arms. Noah has this pretty mastered after a year of classes and often needs encouragement to stay on the wall until the line, "..had a great fall", rather than encouragement to jump off. He also doesn't like me standing too near him, but loves splashing into the water and kicking his little heart out to get to the surface and to me.
It was after this first game, that I noticed the other Mums in our new class staring wide eyed at me and my now sodden child - who was grinning ear to ear, and shouting "More! More!" whilst doing the hand sign for "more". The other babies were dry from the waste up, several were hysterical and none were smiling. The mothers shocked expressions turned from me to our instructor, Michael, who hurriedly explained, "Noah has been taking classes for a year. Your babies don't need to do what he does. He's Australian."
The rest of the class proceeded in much the same fashion with many anxious glances coming our way when Noah swam underwater between Michael and me, or when I got him floating on his back for the first time (Note: Noah no longer floats on his back as he has realised how easy it is to flip onto his belly and dive under the water - obviously a lot more fun). And every class since has been much of the same. Noah and I don't mind, I want him to keep learning and enjoying swimming and he does.
However, the shock and awe of other parents became even more evident on the weekend when we took Noah to a community pool in Thompkins Square Park. Noah had to be restrained from diving headlong into the pool whilst Mummy and Daddy undressed, and no sooner had we entered the water than Noah assumed the position for "Humpty Dumpty" and dove into the pool, kicking his way to the surface and into Daddy's arms, before flipping over and kicking back toward the side. The first comments could immediately be heard, "Wow! Did you see that baby?"
After a few more minutes of this and Noah swimming underwater between Mummy and Daddy the comments continued, "See that baby? He isn't scared of putting his face in the water. If that little baby can do it, so can you." "Look at that baby swimming underwater. I bet you can do that if he can." We were stopped by a number of parents asking how old he was, and how long he has been swimming for. And 2 sisters, aged around 7 and 8 proudly told us they had just learnt to blow bubbles that day. To this comment, Noah lowered his face to the water and blew bubbles. The 2 little girls looked a little deflated. They then asked Nathan to teach them to float on their backs.
All this may sound like Noah is a super fish, but I am quite certain that in Australia his swimming abilities would be just average, if not a little behind. Recently, Nathan and I watched a DVD by Laurie Lawrence in which 6 month old babies when dropped in the pool can swim to the surface and float fully clothed. An amazing life saving skill I would love to see Noah master. Water or pool safety is not something taught here in the US at very many swim schools. In fact until recently the American Academy of Pediatrics did not recommend swimming lessons for children under 4 years old. I have only found one swim school which offers advanced water safety for babies and toddlers near New York, and no instructors are available in Manhattan (although a fellow Aussie Mum is currently trying to encourage them to send an instructor to the city).
So until our return to the land Down Under, where swimming is second only to walking, I guess Noah will stand out in the pool!
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