How to Save a Life!

I have heard some parents say that the biggest payoff they have as parents is when there most difficult children have a breakthrough and start rising to the occasion. As some know, I have gone through it all with my middle daughter. It has been a roller coaster of mixed emotion as I struggle to find a happy medium with my energetic, strongly independent, adventurous daughter. We battle daily of little things, whether it be she wears crocks that I know she won't be able to walk in for 10 minutes to whether she is the first to drink water before her brother before they go to sleep. It can be almost anything. I knew I had to find something for her to do; an activity or sport to get her to feel good about herself. Well, I have found it. My little girl is a swimmer! I put Elijah on the local swim team thinking it would be a good sport for him since he had no fear of the water and he would excel at it which he has, but I had no idea that while he was going everyday to the pool, Julianna would ask me everyday if she can do it too. I had my reservations because I have put her in things before such as dance and she would show alot of interest at first, but then the candle would burn out after the 2nd day. So, I assumed that the same would manifest and it was too much money to have that be the case. So, we went on and still she was persistent to swim. I asked Elijah's coach if Julianna could sit in for a week to see if she would still want to do it without paying. That was it. Her first day she was the best listener of the group ( which if you know anything about my little girl, she struggles with that quite a bit) and was swimming like she had been for months. I was dumbstruck and still remain that everyday I see her crush all the expectations. The best thing is that the attitude that she has shown in swimming has trickled into home life. She is showing me that she is more confident and happy. She is becoming a great helper around the house by fixing breakfast for her brother and baby sister. She tells me she loves me 20 times a day if not more. I feel strongly that if you put a child in sports, whatever if be, it does wonders for them! Swimming has been a time sucker, but I am so thrilled to see my little girl find herself and I am liking what I see!