Parenting 101

DISCLAIMER:  Marty has dutifully (and rightfully) stated that this entire event probably merits about 37 seconds worth of thought.   Not an entire blog post and definitely not this much analysis.  But that is what I do, I am a woman/mom.  You have been warned.  :)

I think I have learned an important parenting lesson this week.

A couple months ago, Elijah began swim lessons here.  He started in Level 2.  At the end of class he got a little certificate saying he advanced to Level 3.  Sweet!  Way to go Elijah.  :)

He was loving it so I signed him up for Level 3 which started the following week.   We spent some time talking about getting to swim in the big pool, etc to get him all prepared. On the first day of class there was a couple minute assessment and he was placed back in Level 2.  After the class I talked to the teacher and told her the week prior he had finished Level 2 and the teacher had recommended he go on to Level 3.  So, the next class he was placed in Level 3.

He has been in the Level 3 class for the past few weeks.  He's enjoying trying out the big pool, learning to float, putting his head in the water, etc.  Yesterday before class the teacher went around and handed out mid-way progress cards.  I was sitting with some other moms and she gave each mom a little blurb about her kid and told her whether she should sign her child up for Level 3 or Level 4 next session.  She didn't give me a blurb.  She just handed me the card and said "he needs to do better with his kicking" and quickly walked away.  I looked at the card and it said for the next session he is eligible for Level 2.  What?

I was annoyed.  A month ago he got a card saying he passed Level 2, now he has *nearly* completed Level 3 (there are 3 classes left), and he is being told to go back to Level 2. Without any communication about it at all. 

Now, here is where the true personality/character flaw comes out in me and the parenting lesson comes in.  There are a few things about this that frustrate me, but a big (silly) one is that there obviously is not consistency between the teachers if one thought he was ready for Level 3 more than a month ago and a 2nd teacher thinks that after an additional 4 weeks of classes, he should still be back in the previous level.  Anyone who knows me well, especially someone who has been my co-worker, knows that this is totally the type of thing that would bug me.  Not to mention the fact that after 10 weeks of swim lessons Elijah would still only be eligible to complete the same class he had originally started in.  Or the fact that it might be confusing to him to go from getting to swim in the big pool to going back to the class where they go down the little kid's slide -- wait, he would actually probably enjoy that.

I ultimately decide that the swim director definitely will want to hear this feedback.  I wasn't upset and I honestly thought it would be helpful to her and beneficial to Elijah & other families.   Uhmmm.... I don't think she was very interested in my feedback, or maybe I didn't communicate very well.... or maybe I came across as a crazy woman who was much too concerned about her 4 1/2 year-olds swim lessons. 

The lesson I think I learned: teachers aren't going to be consistent.  One teacher is going to say my child is meeting expectations and then a 2nd teacher is going to come along and say that he is isn't.  I am either going to make myself and my children crazy, or I am going to accept this fact and just encourage my child to do his best.  While I think there might be times where I will need to step in and say something, for the most part I think my children and their teachers will be a lot happier if I don't point out my frustrations and their inconsistencies..... instead I may just need to focus on the fact that the current goal is that my child learn to swim.  Who really cares if he is in Level 2 or Level 3?  I'm pretty sure he doesn't.... at least not at this point.

Wow.  Glad I am learning that lesson now. 

It is a whole new ballgame now that being a parent is also involving how other people treat and respond to my child.  I'm not sure that I am ready for this one yet.  I am sure that I have a lot to learn.  I'm still not even sure that I know how to adequately parent without involving additional parties.

I am thankful that God has grace for me and all the parenting mistakes that I make.  We're only 4 1/2 years into this parenting journey and I am sure there are many more mistakes I am still going to make.  Glad we have a big God.