Learning to Fly...I mean Swim

Why is it that we are afraid to let our kids go free? We place so many safety nets around them, and yet we clip their wings sometimes. We keep them from progressing further and sometimes quicker. I started teaching my son to swim when he was 3. We placed him in classes and he just did not progress. He was bored. The summer he turned 4 we placed him in his final formal swimming class. After spending about 1k within a year for these "intense" swimming classes, we said enough is enough. The summer he turned 5 I just started taking him to the pool. He began to explore beyond his boundaries. I had his floaties on and then he told me to take them off. He was free. He was in the shallow end, but he was free. He was jumping around, letting go of the wall, putting his head under water and he was happy. He was free. Eventually, we found this guy who was a life guard who was willing to show my son a few things. He talked to Dillon, demonstrated things for him in the pool and Dillon sat there watching and listening. One day he said, "Mom I need to go to the pool now. I've been thinking about swimming and I think I'm ready." So I took him. He literally ripped off his clothes and just jumped into the pool and started swimming. By the end of that summer he was swimming in the deep end for short stretches. This summer he has taken it to a whole new level, he discovered on his own that if he just lets his body go, then he will float. So no matter how deep water is,if he doesn't fight it, he will float. He taught this to himself. Yesterday, as we were swimming a little 6 yr old girl had her floaties on. She looked at Dillon. She took her floaties off and came to me and said, "I can't swim, but I can float, see?" She showed me that she could float. In 30 seconds, while holding my 2 yr old daughter, I simply said, "Well if you can float, you can swim. Dillon show her how you move your arms and legs." Dillon demonstrates for her. IN 30 SECONDS that little girl was swimming across the pool. The grandmother runs to the edge of the pool and says, "She's doing that without her floaties??? She's never done that before. Thank you!" All she had to do was remove her floaties and try a little freedom. I was there to protect the kids, but I let them free and they learned to fly...I mean swim. Now enrolling grades K4-12th.