Talks at the swimming pool: Children are making questions…

I believe that every parent gives a countless number of answers on daily basis… I am one of them. A thousand questions require a thousand answers… It’s not quite easy. To be honest, I often leave them in silence without an answer at that very moment since I get surprised by a question of a child who is only 3.5 years old. On the other hand, I also love “bombing” them with questions, to see the way they think, and observe things, and this is how I learn lots.

For the two decades I have worked with children of different age, «small and big» swimmers, I have been using the method called «our secrets from the pool’s edge». Before we start with the class, I enjoy sitting with them at the pool’s edge and discussing «important» topics, so that all the «unimportant» thoughts could leave their heads and they could swim freely. By doing so I learn a lot: how they are doing at kindergarten or school, who scratched whom, who kissed, things mum told dad, things dad bought for mum, what granny made for lunch, etc. The cleverest ones are those five-year-old swimmers.

I used this method yesterday with the swimmers aged from 3 to 5. We talked about why they loved swimming, what they were and were not allowed to do at the swimming pool.. and I learnt a lot of new things, very interesting things about the pool from a child’s perspective, and I’m sharing them with you.

The funny side of the pool!

I asked the «little» swimmers the following questions:

Should we eat before the training? Sometimes, but after lunch we can swim only on our back, because it’s not good to swim with a full stomach!
Why can’t we run around the pool? Weeell, because we’re not wearing trainers!
Do you shower before the pool? Yes, it’s obligatory to shower before the class. Because if you’re dry you won’t slide well through the water!
Have you ever had cramps? Not me, but my elder brother who is much faster than me has cramps quite often, but he’s so brave and runs away from them…
What should we wear at the pool? I swim in my bathing slips, while the coaches wear T-shirts because they’re cold! Big swimmers wear nylon bathing slips so they could swim much faster than they do in a training!
Should we wear swim caps while swimming? Yes, but I don’t like them. When I have them on I can’t hear my coach properly, and I don’t want to have lop ears like my brother!
Why do you love swimming? Mmmmm, I love swimming when I swim in a big pool, because it’s always “decorated” with colourful flags even though it’s not my birthday, or a New Year’s Eve!
What are the things you don’t like doing in the water? I don’t like making underwater rolls, because then my nose itches!
What would you ask “big” swimmers, the medal winners: Why do they, while swimming, sometimes wear those “straws” (Snorkels)? Yeah, why are the “big” swimmers always in a rush and are looking at that biiiig clock all the time during the training, is that the reason why they swim that fast?!

I was asked by “little” swimmers the following questions:

Why do the “underwater windows” have no curtains or blinds? I shrugged, but then I heard their answer, Oh my, so that we could have more light while we are swimming!
Why do “big” swimmers sometimes “dig” in a training? At first I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about, but then it dawned on me. This was their answer: Well, coach, they always carry hand paddles with themselves! It’s amazing how children make logical connections between things.
Why aren’t “kickboards” made of wood when they are called boards? This is a good one.
Why don’t goggles have wipers like my dad’s car, since they always get misty!?

I’ve promised them that one day when they grow up I would get them the wipers, and in the meanwhile I’ve shown them how to clean their goggles in a second…