Last year my daughter Ruby was 4 years old and I took her for swimming classes. She was disinterested and would even cry at the thought of going to swim. She held on to me and would not listen to her swimming coach. One day I went by the pool and found a mother screaming at her daughter who was crying as she was being taught; that girl was probably Ruby’s age. She was telling her how she was crying for no reason and would have to keep swimming and would not get out of the pool until she stopped crying. I think she was afraid, I am not sure. That was the last time I took Ruby for those swimming classes. I told myself I will not be that mother screaming at my child like that. That was it! I figured she is probably not ready and I would give it another year and we would try again. In May this year, we resumed and lo and behold…she was ready!!! She is always eager to go to the pool, listens to her instructor, works hard and has really persevered. At home she even has swimming games and will put on her costume on non-swimming days. She has made significant progress with swimming and I couldn’t be more proud. There are days I really feel like giving up because progress is slow or she is not in the mood but we keep going.
Moral of the story: Understand your child. Maybe you are pushing them into an activity that they are not ready for, or maybe that is just not for them. I pray that God will give us parents the wisdom to discern when we need to stop, take a break or persevere. I pray God will give us wisdom to know what is best for them, when it is best for them.
Thank you Diana for sharing this story
This Is good food for thought but also a reminder as we parent our chn.