I know it sounds like child neglect, especially in Florida, to say that my five-year-old still cannot swim.
It's atrocious, I know.
Yes, I've put her in swim lessons. She's been through lessons three times.
And I used to be a swim instructor, teaching little kids just like Lily. And on top of all of that, we have a pool in our backyard, that she's been in since she was two weeks old.
But Lily is a fearful child, as I blogged about recently. She is a very feminine, fragile little "flower'' who looks athletic but is in actuality the dancer who would go flying off the stage and land in a pile of music stands.
I'm not criticizing her; I'm explaining her. She's an affectionate little love bug, and she just wasn't made for sustained physical exertion, or anything scary.
At times, I've committed myself to teaching her. I've had her in the pool every night after work, for lessons.
But for reasons unknown, she screams bloody murder. Last year, she screamed in bloodcurdling fashion, "Don't let me drown. I don't want to DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!''
The neighbors probably thought they were ear-witnessing a murder.
The subject came up recently, and she told us that the reason she cannot swim is that "I can't breathe under water.''
Really?
She's made some advancement. If you threw her in, (please don't), she could possibly swim to the stairs if they were close enough. It probably would not resemble any swim stroke, though.
And it never fails, from infancy to now, when she comes up for air, she has a look of absolute terror on her face. Her eyes are open as wide as they'll go, and she looks like she's come face to face with the grim reaper.
I'm not quite sure what to do. Apparently some of Broward's schools offer swim instruction, according to this story by Nick Sortal. Lily starts school in August, at Plantation Park Elementary.
Her brother, Creed, could swim when he was two and a half.
But it's looking like Lily will never embrace the idea of swimming in the deep end.
Is it possible she will reach adulthood still clinging to the edge of the pool?

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