Elijah... "THAT kid."

We started swim lessons yesterday. Of course Elijah went every day last summer and loved his time there! I remember last summer, the first week- week & half started off a little iffy, but after that he LOVED swimming.

Well this summer we must be going through the same thing again. All I can think of, is Elijah is "that kid." You know who I'm talking about... the ONE kid who screams and cries and won't sit still, runs amok, whenever you go to a parent-child group function. The kid you sometimes look at, and wonder, "Is he spoiled rotten at home? Or is he just incredibly stubborn." The one you leave looking at that crazy kid and Mom thinking, "Poor Mom."

Talk about embarrassing! Here I thought Elijah would have no problems! I forgot, he's TWO now. I think there is a biological ticker in toddlers that goes off the day they turn 2. It tells them Don't listen to Mom and do everything for yourself!

Yesterday (first day), he was SO excited. We park, we walk by the gates to the pool. He spots the pool and is pointing and speaking Elijahlanguage in excitement. I had to convince him to wait the 5 minutes before our class started. We get in, the pool water is perfect, he's content for a couple minutes. Then he spots IT. Don't ask me what IT is, I really have no idea. I theorize IT is the grass, and he fixated on IT, spoke his Elijahlanguage telling me he's wanting IT. When I couldn't understand what he was saying, and he wasn't getting his way of getting out of the pool to get IT -- end of the world. He cried, and cried, and cried. He screamed, he kicked, he cried some more. The swim teacher tried to give him a toy, and he just hit her hand away. She looked taken back, and I felt terrible. I wanted to give the comfort of, "I'm sorry, he's really usually a sweet boy, he never hits and is usually an angel." But no, I couldn't lie, he's just like that at home when he doesn't get his way!

Today, it was SLIGHTLY better. But, he still has the mind of a 2 year old. His fit throwing today was just because he's not used to being designated to ONE location to stay and listen. He got int he pool, no problem. He found a toy that amused him for a couple minutes. Jumping in the pool was a blast for the first 5 minutes. Then TODDLER BRAIN kicks in. He wants out, he wants to run to the bleachers, he wants to jump back in the pool, he wants to play with the toy the other girl has, he wants to run through the grass, then he wants to swim, then he wants to sit at the bleachers. (He can't tell me any of this, I've just figured out how his brain works enough that when he's pointing at all these things, I know what he is getting at!) When I tell him we are staying in the pool, he'd kick, he'd cry, he'd scream. At least not as much today. Swim teacher tried to offer him a toy and talk to him again, and he'd usually just smack her hand away. She just said, "Wow he's just a tempermental one isn't he?" (Can I go hide my head in shame now??) Instead I just tried to laugh and say "He's always been a stubborn kid, and he's TWO. Bad combination." She laughed a bit and said, "I just hope he doesn't do this every day for you." Oh, and later he threw a toy at another kid. For once, I think it was a mistake. It seems like he was just throwing a toy into the pool but this other kid happened to get in the way. Nevertheless, he shouldn't have been throwing the toy anyways.

It stinks having the ONLY kid who acts rotten in the class. I know from working in the preschool, the only way he'll ever learn and improve is through continued attendance... now if only all the other parents and swim teacher who gives me THAT LOOK would understand that too. :/