Development Breakthroughs for the 4 y.o.

Miss J has been a nightmare at swim class.

The last two lessons, she wouldn't get in the water and clung to me like a koala.

I felt like an idiot. All the other kiddies got into the water and had such fun splashing around and playing with the toys, but mine just refused to untangle herself from Mummy.

At $16 a pop, lessons aren't cheap.

After being publicly embarrassed twice, I decided it was time Daddy took over.

I switched Miss J to an evening class and instructed hubby that henceforth, it was his duty to take Miss J to swimming and to make sure she got in the water.

Last night was the first of these evening classes.

Everything went well. Miss J got into her bathers and was actually looking forward to having dad take her swimming.

Then hubby called to say his car had broken down.

We all got in the car to "rescue Daddy", and reached Paul Sadler midway through the lesson.

As usual, Miss J changed her mind about getting in the water, and clung like a koala.

The elderly gent in the group sitting behind me joked that perhaps we should throw her in anyway.

I saw the swim coach signal to a colleague, and soon, a dazzling blonde customer service officer with a megawatt smile came by to greet us and to suggest that with our consent, she would get a colleague to go in the water with Miss J.

The colleague came, a reserved and unsmiling looking girl with a rasher vest marked TRAINEE.

Miss J was finally prised off me and lifted into the water.

I cannot tell you how good it was to see her finally in the water. She turned sideways to give us a look of betrayal (which I noticed but hubby ignored), but she didn't have a meltdown or anything. After a few minutes, she was actually smiling and enjoying herself as the trainee teacher talked to her and played with her.

The rest of the lesson went well and at the end, Miss J climbed out of the big pool (by herself!) and walked over to us with a smile on her face.

I am looking forward to the next lesson to see how she goes.

Hope Miss J is too!