I read once that multiples were late at everything (in our case I think it's late TO everything, seriously, ask my friends.) Well it is a two fold problem one they are developmentally delayed due to prematurity, low birth weight, etc and two they are delayed because they don't have enough one on one to keep up with a typical singleton birth milestones. I really get this now. My quads just turned seven. They can't ride bikes yet. They can't swim yet either. Here's the real kicker - I am a certified Water Safety Instructor and taught swim lessons to babies through adults of all developmental abilities for about 8 years. I had classes of 6 or 8 (that is of course more than the number of kids I have.)Why you are asking?
The answer I think is time. Also the fact that until this year there was no way I could keep more than two of them sitting still at a time so I would be off chasing the others or saving them from drowning one after the other. My husband refuses to pay for swim lessons since I am perfectly qualified but I just can't do it alone. It is a strange thing that kids will listen to a random person tell them how to do something but not their own loving mom.
This is causing me such anxiety as I don't want them left behind, having to wear swimmies and life jackets while all their friends are diving in the deep end and it makes me wonder - What the flit the Octo mom is going to do? And what about the Duggards with 19 offspring (and counting?) I know there is a solution out there but for now time is the enemy that and the fact that I can't clone myself!
my kids learned to swim last summer but i still want to continue lessons so they will be stronger swimmers. I think it was because we swam every day last year. Plus some good ole sibling competition to out do each other...lol.
ReplyDeleteI don't know everyone has their own timeline I guess.
My oldest is just now a "swimmer" and my middle is still using a floatie even though we took swim lessons last summer. I know some kids swim at 3 or 4 but I don't think that is the norm (unless you live in East Cobb and start swim team at age 4). In the grand scheme of life, it's not a big deal, although I know you sometimes long for that normalcy that comes with singletons.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your kids would react well to peer pressure. Like if you were teaching your five + my three, we'd have a whole class! (Seriously, think about it - teaching them to swim has been on my mind a LOT, but I don't know how I'd do it!)
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