Breakthrough....or not?

Tonight we went to Grant Park pool after dinner. The pool was cold rather than refreshing; I think it works best when we're there and it's 90+ degrees outside (which it will get to by mid-week, the forecast says). We both got in and were swimming around (actually, Rachel was floating) when I told her she needed to put her face in the water.

Back and forth we went. Last Saturday was the last week of swim lessons, and Rachel won't be able to progress past pre-penguin because she won't put her face or head in. She complains that water gets up her nose, that she needs goggles like the other kids, etc. The one time I just dunked her in in two weeks ago, she got very upset and so I've avoided doing that again.

But tonight I was really tempted. I know there are kids her age who can dive for pennies on the pool floor and I'm frustrated at her progress in swim lessons (it doesn't help that Portland Parks & Rec has several weeks between classes, so she gets out of the habit of going in the water). I kept telling her that if she wants to be a big girl and swim like the big kids and get goggles, she MUST put her face in the water. I told her to pinch her nose. I OFFERED to pinch her nose for her. She refused. I just sat next to her and she could tell I was disappointed. Then I tried to dunk her head in and she shrieked, "NO! I want to do it myself!" This took 15 minutes, with me getting colder and colder in the water and warning her that we'd have to go home soon.

Finally she started putting her little face in by degrees....and then she suddenly put her face in all at once. "LOOK, MOMMY!" she said, coming up. I hugged her hard, exclaimed, "I'm so PROUD of you!" and she looked dubious until I said, "Did you die?"

She shook her head.

"Did your arm fall off?"

She started laughing.

"Did your leg fall off?"

She laughed harder.

 Then we relaxed for the next 10 minutes until we got out of the pool. On the way home she said, "I put my face in the water ALL BY MYSELF!" and when we were a block away from home we ran into some folks coming back from a private pool. When I announced that Rachel had put her face in the water for the first time, the mom bent down and said, "CONGRATULATIONS!" and Rachel looked so pleased; she said "thank you!" very nicely.

"That was FUN!" she said on the way home. I asked her if she wanted to wait before telling Daddy and she said no, I could tell him. So, everyone, now you know.