We had the most beautiful evening at the beach last night. We went down to Jade Bay in Kal Park and had the beach to ourselves. It was dusk and a bit cool but the water was beautiful and so clean.
I watched a birthing video this week about women who give birth in the Black Sea - that's right - I said in the Black Sea. The women at this Russian birth camp swim with their babies on their backs from a very early age and these babies are so at home in the water. I mean they were swimming - really swimming at less than a year. I was inspired to try swimming with my girls on my back to see if that would help them feel more comfortable in the water. Liv has always been a little afraid but wants to swim so badly. Ivy has less fear but still hesitates a little. Anyhow - I tried it out and it was so cool! They loved it and I can see how regular practice could teach them to swim pretty fast. They can see my strokes from where they are perched, their legs were kicking with mine, and their bodies were parallel to the surface of the water instead of perpendicular to it like they are in a floaty.
It made me realize how much fear and tension I usually bring into the water with my girls. I usually hold Ivy above the surface and gently dip in careful not to startle her or get water on her face. I know Ivy would be fine in the water, but my handling of her suggests otherwise. I wonder how much of my fear and protectiveness is passed on to her? If I am protective the conclusion she must draw is that she is not safe. If she feels that she is not safe and becomes tense and panicky in the water, she won't be safe. So maybe the key if for me to believe in their natural ability to swim and guide them into it without fear.
2 comments:
wow, that's cool. My dad used to swim with us on his back but I always sink with my kids on my back (well, not all of them at once, of course)...I guess I am not a strong enough swimmer myself...
This resonates so strongly with me, Jill! I've always believed in my children's inate ability to swim. I've always told Annika that she doesn't need to LEARN to swim, she just needs to REMEMBER how because she knew how when she was born. But this was what I was missing when I was actually in the water with them. Thanks for the insight!
p.s.
I watched that video before Annika was born and if I'd had the money would have FLOWN my enormous self over to the black sea to birth!!
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