One of the many exciting activities that I’ve looked forward to doing with Esme is swimming. When I'm on location for a shoot, I’ve seen how much fun it is for parents and children, and I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself. It’s not just a bit of fun for our baby but also quality family time. I had already picked out a variety of cute little swimsuits well before she was born. I might add they are highly impractical now but it seemed like a great idea at the time! So the moment she was old enough, I booked her in for baby swim lessons. The night before, I was packing for what seems like weeks away overseas. Its incredible how much you need to pack for one tiny human.
With most new experiences as first time parents came a wave of anxiety. What about her naps? What do we pack? What about slippery floors and the risk of dropping her? Will they make us dunk her under the water?! Best not to Google that, otherwise you end up looking at all sorts of terrifying things. We made our way there and stood around doe eyed like other first timers not knowing what was happening. We engaged in chitchat with other parents and felt a little better knowing they were just as confused as we were.
Esme spent the whole lesson looking like she was enjoying a giant bath. Some babies squealed with excitement splashing about and others looked like it was the worst time of their life. There was plenty of encouragement, long exclamations of, “yay!!" and, “well done!!” My husband and I had been joking about the threat of a “code brown” since our daughter hadn’t pooped in a week. Sure enough as the lesson ended I was standing in the shower to see it leaked out the sides of her nappy! Delightful. Thankfully, another mum helped me out and my husband was there with a towel and lots of wipes.
When I’m at work it’s quite a different experience. I absolutely love being on location and seeing the joy and intimacy of a parent and child relationship in the water. My absolute favourite is seeing babies and parents, mostly because that is close to my heart as a new mum. Now that I’ve started baby swim it’s made our working experience more personal. Gwen and I have differing parenting styles and our children are different ages and abilities in the water. He’s a confident person in the water (a human fish!), as he has spent his personal and professional life in water based activities. I have a background in creative arts and early childhood education. This is what attracted me to WaterPixies; its combines my passion for the arts and working with children. Together, we have a shared vision.
The lesson was a lot of fun for Esme and us. I loved seeing Esme and her daddy bonding. I can’t wait to put on another cute frilly swimsuit for her next lesson. For Esme, not me!
I’ll be back with more updates of swimming and some underwater photos once we gain enough confidence with the dunking.
Ciao!
Sim Business Development Water Pixies