This boy was ready to get in the pool the moment he arrived- with or without an adult. There's a difficult stage some kids go through when learning how to swim.

It is common for a child to have separation anxiety- typically mom (or dad, or caregiver) does everything for her and makes her feel protected. I come along to take her away from that safe person and do something beyond her comfort zone, so she cries. Or screams. Or kicks. Or whines. She does whatever she needs to do for mom to make her feel safe again. This is the tough part. This is where the apron strings come in, and sometimes they are tied very tight.

I have to admit I wasn't quite sure how the lesson would go and doubted I would get her face in the water in just an hour. Fortunately, my guest mermaid photographer, Elizabeth, Age 8, took Alice under her wing.

Hunter didn't mind being in the water, as long as he was on the steps. He definitely  wasn't all that fired up to let the water drip down on his face. His shoulders scrunched up, his grip on me grew tighter, then he tried to push the cup of water away.