Swim Lessons 101 as A Single Parent

You might think 30 minutes of sitting on the bleachers watching your child sit nicely in the water, following the directions that the swim instructor hands out sounds nice. For many parents it is that way, myself not included.

You have to learn the tricks of the trade to run this night smoothly with my children.

This particular 30 minutes every Tuesday and Thursday night tend to be a tad exhausting for me. Its not just the 30 minute lesson I have to worry about we have to start with prepping for it. At least an hour before the lesson starts I have to begin. I get out our swim bag, then we need to find bathing suits, if I had time to live a more organized life I might know where they are each week, but I don't. Where they go after each swim lesson, I don't know. So yes each time we are finding swim suits. Now 2 towels, 2 water bottles and 2 small snack bags for the ride home (swimming does in fact make you hungry). Flip flops for each child because honestly by yourself with two small children trying to put on socks AND shoes, other single parents will know, enough said. Then pajamas for both children, as well as appropriate attire for the outside weather, fall swim lessons require coats and hats, otherwise you have wet heads catching colds thus creating more work for yourself in the future. If I am on the ball that can all be found in about 30 minutes. Why so long you ask? Single parent+full time job= mom doesn't put laundry away. Then 30 minutes to drive to the pool and change into swim suits.

 Now I will be the first to admit my dear sweet son is a bit over energized. Don't get me wrong, its not an ADHD type of thing, he hears you, and he can sit still, he just chooses not to. I have learned however with the right amount of threats as well as reward possibilities for good behavior I can get him to listen almost the entire 30 minutes now. My daughter is easy in the lesson, teachers favorite and listens well. Which is great since my son is still a bit over enthused in his lesson. Because of his enthusiasm which is what I like to call his crazy behavior, I now take a chair and sit on the side of the pool directly in front of him. The second he starts to get all crazy dunking himself down into the water acting like he knows how to swim instead of just learning, I just have to raise my finger and give him the look, which on most nights works. The nights it doesn't work he is pulled out and sits whith his arms crossed while his sister finishes her lesson. 

Thank goodness that's over right, probably just reading that was exhausting. But we are not finished yet. At this point my son has mellowed but my precious angel is getting a second wind. While dressing my son I am constantly telling her to stop swinging on the bar above the bench, that this locker room is really not a gymnastics practice area. Changing can take up to 15 minutes. Then the jabbering all the way to the car which includes, can I have french fries? can we get hot chocolate? I am thirsty, oh look a playground can we go play? At this point silence is the best way, I just don't acknowledge that they have actually spoken and I then easily avoid argument until we reach the car and load up. At this point snacks and water bottles are given and I have the lovely silence with just a touch of Gardetto crunching the rest of the way home.

Pro Status.