This morning I headed out to swim my laps once again at pool #4. I normally do not swim at this pool. From my previous post, “As Fate Would Have It”…you know I swam there Monday due to 3 other pools being unavailable.
Swimming laps for me, is a special time where I can just be in the zone, while smoothly and joyfully moving through the water. Being at one with the water and the universe. Healthy body, calm clear mind and soaring spirit. What I witnessed next was the complete polar opposite.
Today about 20 minutes into my swim, the same swim teacher I witnessed teaching on Monday showed up again in lane #1. Soon after, the little girl I saw on Monday, arrived with her grandparents. As this program goes 5 x per week, I am pretty sure this was lesson #3. This time the grandparents appeared worried, almost defeated as they waited for the lesson to start. The baby was OK until the grandmother handed her over to the teacher. The screaming began immediately, even before the dunking began. The same 10 minutes of screaming went on as it did on Monday. A lady in the lane next to me said, “Oh my God!” The lesson ended and the listless baby was once again laid on her side and wrapped in her towel like a mummy.
I swam some more laps.
The 3 year boy came in next. This time both his mom and dad came to the lesson. His mom talked to the teacher looking extremely concerned for nearly 15 minutes prior to the boy’s lesson. The nervous parents handed the boy over to the teacher, and immediately the hysterical screaming began.
This lesson followed the format below.
Repeat for 10 minutes:
Defenseless, frightened boy screaming.
Teacher telling boy how great he was doing in a sweet voice.
Swim (actually shove) the boy to the steps
Defenseless, frightened boy screaming
repeat sequence again and again for 10 minutes
Then after the lesson, they wrapped the listless boy in a towel like a mummy.
The teacher told the worried parents how great the poor little boy was doing.
Some parents eventually realize that something is amiss, despite the teacher’s attempt to convince them otherwise.
It is my hope that someday the awareness and consciousness of aggressive teaching will evolve to a level of kindness and understanding toward the young child.
There is another way. A gentler way that respects the child as a sentient human being…a person…a soul.
This is a violation of the child’s basic rights and in another scenario would be against the law. Torturing children is bad, treating them with love and kindness is good. It’s that simple. Learning to swim and learning water safety skills does not need to be abusive.
Children can learn to swim at their pace, learn age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate safety skills and also enjoy the water. It is the humane way to treat a child.
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About the Author:
Rob and Kathy McKay have devoted their adult careers to developing the most stimulating, child friendly, educationally sound and developmentally appropriate swim school possible. The very tangible result of their mission is the nationally acclaimed Serenity Swim at Lifestyle Swim School in Boca Raton, the couple’s award-winning video series, Diaper Dolphins, their book Learn to Swim (DK Publishing), their website www.babyswimming.com and their contribution to The Experts Guide to the Baby Years (Clarkson Potter).