So Maybe I Was Wrong, But Still . . .

In an earlier post I said that forcing kids off the diving board would not work to get them over their fear of jumping off. Today I observed kids jumping happily and proudly off the diving board. Some of these were just last week screaming in terror as they were being pushed off. Not to turn a blind eye to the evidence, I must retract my previous statements regarding the effectiveness of this teaching method.

I still don't agree with it, and I won't let either of my children be subject to it. Today I had that resolve put to the test. Katie's instructors announced that they were going to put on life jackets and go the deep pool today. Katie immediately started crying. I came over, calmed her down, and told her that she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to. I didn't even bother confronting her teachers about it, just let it be clear that it was Katie's choice. She actually surprised me and marched over with the rest of her class. It wasn't long before she was paddling around, happy as a clam. She even allowed one teacher to lower her off the diving board into the arms of the other. She was beaming with pride! I don't think she would have felt the same about her accomplishment if it had been forced from her.