All of my children have learned to swim from an early age.

Imogen and Madeline started when they were about 18 months old and Lily was even younger.

AJ and Mal had their first lessons the year they moved in.

For me, learning to swim is an important skill to have.

Especially when a large part of our Australian Summers are spent in or around water.

The thing is, because of Ivy’s illness the littlest members of our family have not had any lessons

and subsequently do not know how to swim. 

The last couple of Summers have consisted of  me avoiding any pool like the plague because Ivy would only need to get a whiff of  a public area and  we would land ourselves in hospital for a week.

This Summer Noah and Ivy will be four and they still have no idea how to move to the side of a pool for safety or tread water until an adult reaches them.

My big kids are pretty careful, when it comes to locking the gate

and Dave and I are vigilant as well

but I still have an innate fear that, because they do not have any swimming skills, they will fall into the pool and not be able to help themselves.

I want them to learn how to swim.

The ENT doctor and the paed have given me all the tools I need to get Ivy into the water.  We’ve had those for a couple of years now and despite their use, Ivy still manages to get sick.

Her ears,

a virus

an infection

and then hospital.

So I am of two minds as to what to do.

She has had well over twelve months of IVIG but the question remains;

should I risk it

and will I regret having children who cannot swim if I don’t?