My dear, sweet 25th project participant came to Dive California for his lesson. Luke is five years old and wears TWO, yes TWO, lifejackets when he swims.

I had heard that Matthew loved to swim, but wore a life jacket when he was in water over his head. This allowed him to play with his friends and have a great time in the water, but as he got older, he realized that the life jacket acted as a ‘crutch’ and he was more than ready to learn how to swim without it.

Emma was doing well, but I noticed she would cling to mom and wasn't progressing as quickly as I knew she could. This is really common- a child fussing to mom when they don't want to do something. Emma's mom is awesome and was open to whatever was best for Emma.

Every time I came even remotely close to getting her face wet, Mellissa would try to distact me by talking and turning my attention away from the water. I accepted her challenge and was able to get her face wet and even get her underwater.

It all comes down to the right balance between fun teacher and authoritative teacher, which is necessary, but not always easy.

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.

Alexis seemed to love learning how to not only float, but kick on her back without sinking. This made her day. I'd start her out, then she would roll over on her back and kick with a big smile on her face. If her legs started to sink, I would yell, "Get your toes up! Make little splashes! Point your toes like a ballerina!" She was awesome. By the end, she didn't even need my help to start on her back!

Aydan and I spent the first few minutes on the steps where she could stand, blowing bubbles, pouring water over our heads on a cue, and getting our chins, mouth, ears and noses wet. The one-on-one time with her was amazing and just what she needed.

If your child is having difficulty relaxing in on her back, keep these suggestions in mind:- RELAX: Yes, I said the 'r' word again. But this time, it's directed at you. If you are in the water with your child, show her that you are relaxed and confident. If your body is tense, then she will pick up on that and also tense up.