Since I'm their mother, there is little hope that my children will ever be athletically inclined. However, I do demand that they at least be able to swim a little. My seven year old has been taking lessons since June and has gotten fairly competent, although he still doesn't want to put his face in the water or bring his arms out enough. My four year old started taking lessons in November and spent every week crying and clinging to the instructor even while holding a noodle and wearing a life vest.

This week I decided I had had enough lessons for the younger one with absolutely no progress. I told her if she actually let go of the teacher and floated (with all the flotation devices attached) I would take her to the Dollar Tree and let her pick out a treat. Amazingly enough, it actually worked and by the next lesson she was actually letting go of the teacher for longer periods and not freaking out so much. Finally, I don't feel like every trip to the pool is a waste of money. The dollar spent on crummy plastic junk was totally worth it.

Now I'm trying to convince my two year old that if she'll poop in the potty she can wear pretty Dora underwear. So far she seems more resistant to bribery incentives.