Swimming...

Last monday it was a big day for Lotte.
She would have her first swimming-lesson... and for us the opportunity to see how communication would be between Lotte and us and Lotte and the instructors.
We would be using sign-language when needed, but the instructors don't know sign.... Would Lotte focus on them to read their lips.??

She was exited. Swimming is very popular, and she loves to jump in the water from the starting blocks and dip under the surface.... the flotation devices on her arms keeping her head above water.....
But.. that's with daddy and her brother and sister around.....
She noticed we would not join her in the water.... Now the situation was completely new, and Lotte backed out slowly.


Then, one of the instructors actually did know a little sign, and when Lotte noticed, she allowed him to take her in the water. But not much more.... She kept climbing out and coming back to us.

It was funny when we wanted to put the coil on her head to explain to her what was going to happen. Lotte refused to have the CI on. She probably got it in her head that CI and swimming do not go together. Perhaps because she notices that no other children are using it..... She is becoming more and more aware of how she looks. (e.g. She doesn't like her hair a certain way because then" children will laugh")

Anyway....
As with other unknown situations, Lotte withdrew from the action. The same happens at birthday parties. Unknown situation, lots of action, and then she insists that one of us is close to her..)
She did not participate much in the educational part of the swimming session, but did participate the last 5 minutes of playing.... again.. only with the man that new some sign....

For us, it shows that no matter how much Lotte is prepared for a new situation, no matter how much she wants to do it, when the moment comes she needs time to adjust and get familiar with the situation.
With her new speech-therapist (when she started in the "hearing"-kindergarten in august 2006) it took 3 months... but that was 2 years ago....
Who knows how long it will take when she goes to school.
Because no matter how much she looks forward to that..... the insecurity that comes with being in an unknown situation will override that feeling!!!