Diving In Head First

On Monday of this week, Little Man was moved up two lanes at Swim Team.  I think he had mentally prepared himself to move up one lane, but totally panicked about moving up two lanes.  The first day in the new lane he cried all the way through it.  At one point he got out to use the bathroom and told me that he couldn't touch the ground in the new lane and he was scared and wanted to move down one lane.  I just hugged him and told him how proud I am of him and asked him to keep with it through the practice.  That night he kept telling Papa Bear that he moved up two whole levels but then asked us if he could move down one level.  We talked it through with him and tried to explain that the pool is just as deep in the lane he wants to go into but I don't think he believed us.  We talked and talked about it and the next day he asked again if he could move down a level.  I told him that he had to stay where he was for the whole week (only 4 more days) and if he was still nervous and sad I would talk to his coaches.  Each day he would ask how many more days until he could move down a level.  He was doing great, but still had it in his head that he needed to move down.  Today was supposed to be his last day that he had to stay in his current level and on the way to the pool he told me that he didn't want to move anymore and that he thought he could stay in his new lane but he didn't want to dive in.  I told him that he probably wouldn't have to dive in for a long time because that is only for the bigger kids.  What do I know?  Apparently, nothing.  Because guess what they worked on today.  Diving.  When they told him what he was going to do he turned and found me with the other parents, put his hands on his hips and glared at me.  But you know what he did next?  He tried!  And by the end of our swim day today he was diving into the pool and swimming around over and over.  I am so insanely proud of him.