EVEN WORSE!! :-(
This time Cora started crying on the way to the pool. She cried getting dressed and she screamed when her Daddy dropped her off. She screamed and ran towards him to try to follow him out but Daddy put her on the bench and said that if she wasn't swimming then she was going to sit and watch and he left. I know it broke his heart and he felt like a big jerk (because he told me that is how he felt) but he felt he needed to make her stay.
To compound the situation and add to the stress level - the swim lessons were severely understaffed. There were 13 children and only ONE instructor and NO lifeguards!! When Dave asked what was going on in the front they told him that they were trying to get another instructor. After 20 minutes of watching Cora cry and no other instructor walk in Dave went in and got her (many other parents were yanking their kids out of the pool as well due to the serious lack of supervision).
After getting her changed he went back to the front desk to discuss the situation and the person at the desk sharply stated, "If you don't feel like your child is safe, remove her from the class and get your money back." Lucky for that lady it was Dave there and not me. . . because she would have heard a piece (or twelve) of my mind and then some - although I am trying to behave better so I may have just walked away before . . .
So we may be finished with swim class after all, due to rudeness and lack of supervision (it is against the LAW for that many kids to be in the pool with only one instructor and no lifeguard). I guess we will have to spend the summer getting Cora ready to try again in the Fall (probably someplace else). Dave is going to follow up with the safety issue while I think through the crying issue.
This is disappointing on so many levels. . . first because we have belonged to the YMCA for years because we wanted our kids to take swim lessons there and to be on the swim team, second, because I was so excited for Cora to have swim lessons, third because I don't want her to think if she cries hard enough she can get out of things. . . I am so frustrated that I am typing away at this keyboard and I may have broken some keys with the emotional outpouring of thoughts!?!?! I really wanted her to do well - I know this is just the beginning of her liking/not liking things "I" think she should like. . . but really - what am I supposed to do - force her to sit there and scream the whole class!?!? try again later?!?! let her give up?!?!
Hmmmmm. . . . this parenting thing is hard!!!!!
2 comments:
you can still make her jump in the pool without the unsafe swim class. I would have lost it, WTF! BOO rude girl at the conter. I would definately follow up with not only that Y member, but also the state!
Again, I am *so* thankful to have you as a friend and to learn from your parenting! I would feel exactly the same way.
I think the message that I would send is the importance of commitment. So yes, even if you just go and watch, you made the commitment to go, so we'll go. But it is OK to just watch. Although I have got to tell you I find it a bit much that they are making 3 year olds jump in on the second lesson! Did the teacher realize what a big deal this was for Cora?
Um, and I would be on the phone with the National YMCA offices to give them hell after finishing off everyone at the local YMCA. The number in the class was unacceptable but the response to it was just plain wrong.
I bet she does well before the swim season is over. She's three! I agree finding activities for kids is hard because you don't want to put so much of yourself on them, but they also need some direction. But you know, what the heck do I know????
Big hugs to all of you.