Sky wrote:

> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:20:59 -0500, Kathleen
>>fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>>
>>
>>>In my experience, kids who are terrified of water (TOW) invariably have
>>>at least one parent who is also TOW. It can be overcome, but not in the
>>>presence of the fearful parent. Parents who are afraid of water need to
>>>go get a cup of coffee during their kid's swimming lesson. Nothing an
>>>instructor can say to reassure a frightened child can counteract the
>>>effect of an anxious parent in the stands bending the railing into an
>>>S-curve.
>>
>>We moved to Miami FL when my kids were 2 and 4 and, having a pool in
>>the backyard, it only made sense to give them swimming lessons so they
>>were at least "pool safe." I had a WSI in those days, but knew enough
>>not to try to teach the kids myself, so went to another WSI-certified
>>teacher. The older of the two kids took to swimming as if born in a
>>pool. The younger one was *terrified* of water, which I blame on a
>>sailing accident the family had experienced just before we moved from
>>Houston. He was nearly catatonic for hours after we capsized.
>>
>>The swim teacher tried for 2 months and the kid just let himself
>>*sink* rather than even *try* to swim. She was his first failure in 20
>>years. After that debacle, I tried teaching him myself, which resulted
>>in more trauma, but a kid who knew how to get himself out of a pool if
>>he fell in - and every time he espied me coming at him in a bathing
>>suit, he ran for the hills, as he knew another lesson was upcoming.
>>
>>Of course, grown men have been known to take off running since time
>>out of mind when I show up in a bathing suit... [drum roll, please]
>>
>>Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
>
>
> Sometimes, some innate fears are so overwhelming, it takes a LOT of
> "professional" intervention to overcome, maybe?? And the fear of water
> can be so very primal. Why is it many 'critters' can instictively swim,
> but humans cannot?

Because in four-legged animals the motions and body posture required for
swimming are the same as those for walking, only slightly exaggerated.

There's a lot more involved for us bi-pedal types.