Chicklet’s Year-Round Swim Update!

Okay, peeps.

This update has been a long time coming, but…it’s also been a long time coming for us to get into an official groove, so I didn’t want to share until things were settled.

The headline is this: my little fish is now a year-round swimmer! (Which probably surprises nobody who actually knows her, ha.)

Okay, now. Let’s rewind for some context (with a handful of lovely Chicklet pics thrown in for kicks)…

It’s no secret that my kiddos have been in swim lessons, in one capacity or another, for most of their young lives.

When they were little, it was a helpful diversion, and an important learning item.

Then, when we moved to SA, into a house with a pool, ongoing swim lessons was an absolute safety must.

Once the kiddos became adept swimmers, lessons continued (in the winter, when our backyard pool wasn’t an option), because they missed the water.

And…eventually, we got to the point where my kiddos had tapped out on basic lessons because they knew the mechanics well enough, so if they wanted to continue, swim team of some sort was the way to go.

Last summer, Chicklet lobbied to participate in a summer swim team session and it was a way to dip our toe in the water (though, it was more like a dunk, since it was every weekday, ha) to see if it was viable on an ongoing basis. And, no surprise, our girl was a happy little fish:

http://delappenings.blogspot.com/2024/07/my-little-chicklet-fish-wait-mermaid.html?m=1

So happy, in fact, that she really really wanted to continue with swim team year round (at Lifetime, where we’ve been participating, as it’s very convenient for us), which begins the next part of our journey…



Unfortunately, things were not so cut and dry as we settled into this new adventure.

For starters: a ton of kids love to do “swim team” in the summer, which results in a certain looser, more casual vibe.

But when things whittle down to peeps who want to swim year round, things get more serious. 

We’re talking exhausting lap work, longer sessions, less fun and more technique, and a different vibe of instructors.

Thus began what I’ll call the Goldilocks period where we kept trying (and mostly, failing) to get Chicklet placed in the level of swimming that was just right for her.

Too hard, too easy, too young, too old, different days, different instructors. OYE. It was a process.

A very negative process for my girl, who likes routine and is very black and white with her first impressions.

We spent the majority of September—November trying out different sessions, having disastrous experiences (for Chicklet), giving it time for her to stew and deliberate on how to proceed, and then…trying it all again.

I just knew in my heart that I couldn’t give up—for Chicklet’s sake—since she’s always, always had an affinity for the water.

There were many times when it was incredibly frustrating from a parental point of view, to feel like I was failing my kid, or that she was being close-minded as we muddled our way through.

In the end, it took a LOT of talking things through, making tiny agreements or bribes to encourage her to give it another go, and then just saying a lot of prayers and hoping we could get her in a groove.

Welp.

The prayers worked, but it wasn’t an overnight thing. 

Slowly but surely, Chicklet gained a bit of confidence, made some friends, got accustomed to foreign things they felt too difficult, and—if I’m being brutally honest—came to terms with the coach she has, even if it’s the not the coach she loves, ha.

We also geared her up with a swim bag, the boards and wedges she uses for practice, some Speedo bathing suits…you know, all the things to make her feel official. :)

Fast forward to a particular evening in December when I was driving my girl to her session. We were talking about a lot of things, and she shocked the ever-loving you-know-what out of me by thanking me (unprompted!) for helping her stick with it and find the fit for her.

I just about collapsed.

As most parents know, this is not something that comes from the mouths of babes often, and it was a pretty special moment for my Mama heart.

At this point and at this level, my girl goes Monday/Wednesday/Friday evenings and it takes commitment, but she’s happy to participate. :)

Monday and Wednesday are typically a bit more intense, and then Fridays feel a bit looser, with some competitive lap games thrown in. 

Sometimes, the kiddos even use some fun flippers or get to race down water slides, dive immediately into a giant lap routine and then repeat over and over. And on occasion, the instructors merge sessions so there is a greater age range of kiddos participating.



I have no idea if this will last for the remainder of the year, or for a long time into the future. I have no idea if Chicklet will pivot as she enters middle school in the Fall, or remain steadfast in her love of water.

But, for the time being, I’m so proud of my girl for battling through a tricky situation to find the best swim fit, and for participating in something so rigorous that she loves. :)

It takes a lot of work, as a parent, to fan the flames of kiddos’ interests, but the payoff can be so worth it.



Okay…more soon, peeps!

Until then: HAPPY MONDAY!

Over and out.