Not so Swimmingly for Some

I enrolled Christian and Gaby in swim lessons. Christian swims quite well underwater and loves using his mask as he glides through the pool.

Here is Gaby swimming with his class playing. 

I went through the Five Stages of Grief within three days in trying to get Gaby to join his class. 

Stage 1:  Denial ("I know Gaby really wants to go swimming. We'll try again tomorrow.")

Stage 2:  Anger ("Why me?! I just paid for him not to go swimming!  &@&! You are going swimming, Mister!")

Stage 3: Bargaining ("I'll buy you an ice cream if you'll go swim with your class! We'll go to the Dollar Store and buy some toys!")

Stage 4: Depression ("Why bother trying to encourage this child to have fun and swim?")

Stage 5: Acceptance ("This child will always test my outer limits. Just accept it calmly when he does not want to do something and he will come around eventually.")

And he never went. He is that stubborn.  But he did want to go on the last day, which was when they turned on the sprinklers in the pool playground/slide.  I told him too bad he didn't want to go swimming because he's now missing out on the fun. Gaby did have a slight twinge of regret in his eyes.  I hope his first soccer experience this fall goes a little better.