Happy Blogaversary

Wow it's been a year since i started posting here about my trials and tribulations as a mum. And well, I haven't got any better at it. In fact this week I REALLY LOST my cool.

Readers of this blog will see this as a recurring theme - the swimming lesson. For 3 lesson's straight my son has refused to get into the pool for his lesson. All week he talks rationally about it. Yes he likes the teacher, yes he likes swimming, yes he wants the next badge, etc. But when we get there he just wants to play in the other side of the pool and not do the lesson.

the teacher suggested that this week I brought my stuff but didn't get changed - then as a reward for a good and attentive lesson I would change and play with him in the other side. We talked about this plan all week and yes he would 'try'.

On the drive to the pool he decided that it was 'not a good deal'. Then in the changing rooms when he realised I wasn't going to change the tears started. As a result we finally made it poolside when he lesson was just starting.

initially it looked good. He jumped in - then screamed and jumped out. I tried to put his goggles on - more screams.

He then petulantly pointed at the other side of the pool and said 'ay'.
I calmly repeated my mantra: when you've done your lesson, mummy will get changed and we'll play on the other side'.
NO!
Well we'll go home then, is that what you want to do.
(screams)
this repeated in various formats over 20 minutes until I eventually carried him out to the changing rooms.
He then ran back into the pool side and we repeated the process. Eventually I gave up and told the teacher I would call her and left.

Once he realised that he was being put back into his clothes and he wasn't going to get to play he then started screaming again - except this time 'wimmin'.

There was absolutely no way he could be persuaded to change his mind and he wasn't backing down and I had to be so strong not to back down and stick to my guns. The other members who were in the pool and spa probably wish I'd enforced the rule a little earlier but I really couldn't believe he wasn't going to get in and do his lesson.

I still have to ring the teacher ...

The affected baby speech is one of the things he knows annoys me as he's always been a good speaker.

So a year on the naughty step and we haven't cracked it yet. So you may still see me on one of those awful 'nanny' programmes ;-)