Swim lessons again this morning. Last Saturday had gone well for both kids until Emily's teacher introduced the idea of going into the water head-first from a position sitting on the side. Emily refused with tears and the teacher (who is the head teacher for this program) let her slide down into the water in her arms, head well above water. That lesson ended without further problem.
Fast forward to today. Emily was fine, regular morning, excited to put on the new swim suit and cover-up again, enjoyed the pre-pool warm shower and went to her class without complaint. She participated for the first 15 or 20 minutes, then began to complain of tummy hurting, goggles too tight and having to go potty. The tears started and her teacher brought her to me. I wasn't sure if something really was wrong, so erred on the gentle side and dried her off and got her dressed. The malady seemed to disappear as soon as she was dressed and didn't return the rest of the day. I talked with her teacher afterwards and she observed that the problem seemed to be related to the concept of going under water. I can relate to the tummy-ache that appears when something unpleasant is on the horizon; if I recall correctly, I suffered (or perhaps one could say more accurately that my mother suffered) from my having that context-specific malady a lot when I was younger.
I do believe her tummy really does hurt, for I know the physical manifestations of emotions are very real. Now to guide her through it and train her up in the way "she should go", taking into account her individual frame. Thankfully God knows her frame and has promised to provide wisdom when we ask for it. I signed the kids up for another month of lessons, so we will have several more opportunities to work through this specific situation, hopefully in a way that exudes grace.
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