I teach an essential skill to young children. I teach them to swim. This makes them cry, weep, wail, and sometimes even kick and/or hit me. In the end, I win and the kids learn this super essential and important skill.
Not all kids are the same when it comes to water, some are deathly afraid of it and learning to swim provokes the greatest of angst in some of them. This week I am working with a challenging group of little ones. One of them says the oddest of things while we are working together and perhaps the best line I've ever heard from a kid:
Not all kids are the same when it comes to water, some are deathly afraid of it and learning to swim provokes the greatest of angst in some of them. This week I am working with a challenging group of little ones. One of them says the oddest of things while we are working together and perhaps the best line I've ever heard from a kid:
"I'd rather work at Chick-Fil-A that learn to swim."
Personally, I love Chick-Fil-A but maybe this young man doesn't but his fear was real. Every child is different. Sometimes I have kids who are just happy and ready to jump in. Others, like this young man, take some work to alleviate fears and establish trust.
Through our 30 minutes together I have a hold of him and talk to him, encourage him, and then I do the worst, I let him go. However an amazing thing happened with this young man: he swam on his own and did exactly what he was told. When he reached them wall, the rants and mean comments continued, but he still did it.
Now, you might think I get enjoyment from the fear in these children. Not so. I do enjoy the outrageous comments I sometimes hear. What I enjoy the most-establishing trust and teaching them this super important life skill that may one day save their life.
Through our 30 minutes together I have a hold of him and talk to him, encourage him, and then I do the worst, I let him go. However an amazing thing happened with this young man: he swam on his own and did exactly what he was told. When he reached them wall, the rants and mean comments continued, but he still did it.
Now, you might think I get enjoyment from the fear in these children. Not so. I do enjoy the outrageous comments I sometimes hear. What I enjoy the most-establishing trust and teaching them this super important life skill that may one day save their life.