This summer we have spent a lot of time at the pool (those of you that have seen the kids and I can tell by the tans we have) and Easton has absolutely NO fear of anything...well, he didn't until the other day...he has been jumping off the diving board without any floaties or anything and swimming to me and then I bring him up for air and then he swims to the ladder. Well, Jason came with us to see how he was doing and Easton fell off the diving board (not because of Jason-really because some guy was trying to be nice and thought Easton was too little, but it made Easton move away from him and towards the side of the board--and he slipped off--landing about 4 feet down on the concrete on the side of his head). When this happened, he screamed and cried and didn't want to have anything to do with the board anymore...
This was my dilemna...I liked that he now had a little bit of thought before he ran to the end and tried to do a summersault--but I DON'T want him to be scared--so I asked him to go back with me...the thing that that scared me was what if he said no...was I going to make him do it? Right after he injured himself? Thankfully, it only took a little prompting and he went back and jumped to Jason and swam to the side...later, he asked to go back and was more cautious, but more himself...
Earlier in the week, he had been going down the slide over and over and a little girl decided she was too scared and started screaming and her mother came up and got her and allowed her to come down--so Easton said he wanted to come down...I told him no. I told him to slide down and he wouldn't have to slide anymore. He wouldn't, so I went up and sent him down the slide...some of the moms really looked at me, but again, I don't want him to be afraid and he had loved the slide--he was scared because the little girl was scared--after he did it that time, he did it another 50 times...
Anyone have any thoughts on this? I have had so many conversations with people this summer about their children being fearful of the water, and how they just want them to enjoy it right now--but being fearful has to be tied to confidence--not fun, right? I don't know, maybe I am being the devil's advocate here, I guess the water really scares me too--so I go to the extreme, and thankfully both of my kids are strong swimmers now...
About Me
- rinewaltfam
- Jason and I have been living in Tyler now for the past 4 years with our children Elle and Easton. We are members of Green Acres and a WONDERFUL Sunday School class. I was so sad to leave McKinney, but I knew that the Lord was bringing us to Tyler--so we went...and He has blessed us to the point of overflowing at times! We have two of the best children I could ever have asked for--even with Easton's high maintenance food issues and Elle's drama--which we actually love... Jason works hard and I have taken on another day this year with work. Without family support here in Tyler--even though we are never without support--our friends are fantastic! Again, God has blessed us!
