Today we start swim lessons and I can't help but remember last year. While all the other moms would talk and read and check their email, looking up every 5 minutes to check on their children's progress, I continually scanned the pool (they were all on a different level and in different parts of the pool) to ensure I gathered enough information for the drive home. "Mom, did you see me dive into the pool?" "Mom, were you watching my backstroke?" "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, where you watching ME?" Someone with 1 child could spend 10 minutes observing their child's progress and 50 minutes relaxing. If I spend 10 minutes a child, I do nothing else the whole time.
This year I have all 6 kids in lessons (last year Matthew was out due to a cast on his left arm) each in a different level. I've decided to save myself the hassle of watching all of the kids by choosing favorites. That's right, I said I'm choosing favorites. I've seen it done before. One child can get the majority of the attention while the others are given an attention level barely above ignored. It is a good plan, but I need to figure out which child to pick.
I was thinking of staging a trampoline cage match, but couldn't decide if the winner or loser should get the favored position. Perhaps I should use a sword in the stone technique, but then I'd have to deal with the whining over who got the first turn. I would go with the most clean and organized, but none of them qualify. A writing essay wouldn't be fair to the kids who can't read yet.
Maybe I should narrow it down to two favorites. Surely I can pick my top half? Two thirds? I think I have it now. I can, without any effort, chose my top 6 children. I will focus my attention on them for now. See, choosing favorites is a great idea.
*Updated*
Just got home from lessons and decided the best plan is to ignore them all equally. Next lesson I might drop them off and go to Dunkin Donuts by myself. Just kidding. Sort of.
Go to Dunkin Donuts! We just finished up swimming lessons, and found a place where they won't let the parents watch. That's right - they locked us out until the last lesson! Very liberating.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for choosing favorites. I just watched a show this morning (while ignoring ALL my children) about a brother offering a ticket to a wrestling cage match to whichever brother could kiss up the best. That sounds like fun...make them work to be number 1. But DD is a good choice too.
ReplyDeleteWe just started swimming lessons today also!!! Thanks for helping me see another advantage to have two children at once. I just have to watch one class!
ReplyDeleteha ha, sounds like fun. I'm all for the donuts too.
ReplyDeleteI say do the dunkin doughnuts. You are probably paying good money for the "babysitter" to teach your kids to swim. Take the time to yourself.
ReplyDeleteClaudia- I want to go to your place. I think I have to be there in case the younger two need to use the bathroom (they took Joseph out to me last year).
ReplyDeleteEmma Jo- I like the idea of seeing who can kiss up to me the best. Or we could trade- I'll pick your favorite and you can pick mine!
Jenn- I guess I should have had all mine at the same time. Of course, that hasn't worked out too well for certain famous couples...
Davis family- Fun is not the word I would use, unless specifically referencing the doughnuts!
ReplyDeleteMom at Our House- The best part about our swim lessons is their is a max fee per family. Still not cheap, but better than it could be.
Ummm...what happened to the sixth child? I only see five there. Did everyone survive the deep end? I guess now we know who the UN-favorite is.
ReplyDelete"Dunkin" doughnuts. Kind of punny in relation to pool talk.
I vote for the trampoline cage fight, as long as you post the video on your blog sans pay-per-view fees.
I'm glad you find value in swim lessons. My oldest was asked to repeat her most recent level thrice, which is when I started wondering what I was paying these people for. Why is it so hard to teach strokes when you only have four students per teacher? I decided we were permanently through with swim lessons and I would just teach them myself whenever we went swimming. So now none of my kids can pass the swim test and they all cry about being stuck in the shallow pools until they are tall enough to roam beyond the rope. Just one more proof of why I would be bad at home schooling!
Mary- You caught me, in my laziness I didn't take a picture of the kids this year yet. That was last year's photo.
ReplyDeleteI will consider the pay per view. And I would have the same problem home schooling.
I think I might go crazy with six in the pool! Em dunking herself underwater and screaming 'LOOK' is enough to drive me crazy. I think I better stop now! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love this post. You make me smile. Sneaking out for donuts never hurt anyone's kids.
ReplyDeleteShalise- The younger three have one on one teachers, so it isn't too scary.
ReplyDeleteBikmans- Sneaking out for donuts hurts nothing but my waistline, which is always willing to take one for the team.
Hmmm Dunkin Donuts. I'm trying to teach Maddie how to swim this year. It's hard because she can't hear me while in the water and I can't use my hands because I'm holding her up.
ReplyDeleteBoyer That would definitely make things more difficult. Jared will have to stay by the side of the pool to sign what you say out loud or something. But then she probably is so focused on the water (and not drowning) that she wouldn't pay attention to him, either.
ReplyDelete