Swimming Lessons

My boys are currently on their first round of swimming lessons. The interesting question would be who is learning more, me or them...

Kelvin is a water baby. He LOVES to be there. He gets distracted, but he tries everything his teacher asks. He just automatically believes he can swim since he can manage to dog paddle his way back to the side.

Matt hates to get his face wet. He is slow to transition. He's always turning around to look at me. He refuses to try anything that MIGHT involve getting his face wet - stating matter-of-factly "I can't".

Am I surprised? Well,....... not really. What surprises me is how annoyed I still get with him because of it. I know he could learn this stuff if he were willing to try. And I really believe he would enjoy being at the pool more (if that's even possible) if he had the skills to do stuff without his lifejacket on.

So.... my lesson? I'm not in control. I can't MAKE Matt try. I can't MAKE Kel acknowledge his need of instruction. I can encourage and remind, but I do not control them. They make their own choices. They are going to choose and live out their own consequences. My job? Teach when there's an opening. Repeat, repeat, repeat - but without that "*sigh***** I've told you this a hundred times already" tone in my voice. Pray hard. Validate them. And stop attaching my OWN value to their behaviour - aka results.

*Whoo!* I'm musing some of this stuff as I write here....

Hmmm.... Is God any less when I mess up? Uh.... nope. So.... when my kids are taking their time learning stuff does that make me less? Uh.... nope again. So....if I'm going to measure something, it should be my own response to their particular learning curves. That is something I actually can control. It's my response, right?

So the tricky question is.... how can I respond in such a way as to encourage the attempt, without forcing the issue, or appearing to force the issue?

Interesting.

Feedback?