Sometimes It Takes A Friend

I feel like I've been trying to teach Kayla the fundamentals of swinging forever. Years, anyway.

I think she's been fully capable of swinging on her own, she just hasn't been interested or motivated. She much prefers to be pushed. Or if her feet can reach the ground she just likes to give herself a push off using the ground. But having someone push her is the best.

Once I've given her several pushes to get her going I'll swing next to her and try to show her how I'm pumping my legs and tell her to swing her legs in and out. She's just never put much effort in to it. She didn't seem to get the coordination of the rhythm you need to move your legs and the right timing to pumping them together, or the pendulum needed when you lean back and pull yourself forward.

So a few weeks ago she was swinging and I heard her say she was pumping her legs 'back and forth,' 'back and forth.' I looked over and saw her doing what I've been trying to show her all along. I saw her in perfect rhythmic motion pumping her legs, leaning back, getting momentum, propelling herself forward. Up until that moment I hadn't seen her swinging fluidly like that.

Of course I had to grab the video camera; it's what you do when your child finally reaches a milestone you've been working on! Then I asked her several questions to figure out just how she came to finally learn to swing herself. Turns out, a peer from class...a friend...was the motivating/helpful factor. Just listen to our conversation:

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