At the pool with my family
Every day since writing the post Put on That Swimsuit, I have received comments, tweets, Instagram tags and emails from moms who did it. They put on their swimsuits and made memories with their families.
It's been such a joy to read every note and see every picture, like these:
This is for @lisajobaker & @JessicaNTurner & all the others who are being brave & wearing bathing suits this summer! pic.twitter.com/G4NRUGjaQk
— Katie Reid (@ImprintsKatie) July 7, 2014
Spent an entire weekend on the beach in Sardinia just being happy.No wasting time being self conscious.Thanks for the nudge @JessicaNTurner
— Stephanie (@stephaniehowell) July 7, 2014
@ImprintsKatie @lisajobaker @JessicaNTurner I went to the beach in a swim suit! I thought I looked pregnant, ended up having a GREAT time!
— Marisa Slusarcyk (@TrendingMama) July 7, 2014
It has been incredibly moving to know that my words impacted women's summer experiences in such a profound way because it was so unexpected when I hit publish on that post. However, I am so glad that the message spread because I truly believe that the moments we spend jumping in the pool WITH our kids are moments they will remember forever.
And I know there are so many more stories and photos.
If you were prompted to go swimming with your kids after reading the post, would you share your story in the comments below? And even if you have photos, will you email me one or two to jessicanicoleturner (at) gmail (dot) com?
I'd love to curate a few so that we can together encourage more moms, aunts, grandmothers and friends to make beautiful summer memories with their kids. (So if you share your story or photos, that grants me permission to share online.)
You are beautiful. Your kids love you. Celebrate that this summer.
The day you wrote that blog post, I read it and thought “That’s what I should do – go swimming with my almost 2 year old son!” We headed to the neighbors house and he had an absolute ball…no fear & really enjoyed me being in the water while he continued to jump in on me! I’ll send you a picture of the silliness but while I was swimming I was thinking about your post and how we should just live & enjoy life more…worry less! Thanks for posting!
I’m that woman. The one with the extra weight and the bathing suit cover-up. The one sitting on a chair on the dock, cover-up OFF but faux-casually draped across my belly. That dock? Private. At my lake house. Where there is no one but my husband and me. And when I get up to go in the house, 40′ away, I PUT THE COVER-UP BACK ON.
Until this past weekend. I had read your post (I forget where I found it) about splashing with your kids, swimming with your kids, forgetting about the few extra pounds.
My kids are 35-almost-36 and 34. We’re not swimming or splashing together.
But this weekend? This weekend I walked around in a bathing suit in front of my husband. WITHOUT A COVER-UP ON. And I’m going to do the same thing when we go on vacation in two weeks.
And you know what? It’s less to do with the new bathing suit I bought and more to do with my husband’s comment: “Hey, you’re not wearing a cover-up! You look nice in that bathing suit!”
How would I ever had heard that, how would he ever have said it, if I didn’t TAKE OFF THE DARNED COVER-UP!?
Thanks for your post (and thanks to @stephaniehowell who reposted a link to it!)!
Last summer I put on my swim suit after spending a day at the beach with my granddaughter who will NOT get out of the water. The first time we went to the beach, I didn’t have my suit with me because I’m always cold and in a sweatshirt, but Katie wanted me to swim with her. Later that summer, we spent 3 days at Catalina Island. I wore my suit, and despite the cold water, swam, looked at rocks and shells, and talked and talked to her. This summer I kept the suit and since Katie is on a swim team, I asked her to give me pointers. A little cold water is nothing compared to the priceless treasure of a life-long, relationship-building hour or two with my granddaughter!
I very much dislike being in a bathing suit after having 3 kids! After I read your article, however, I took my bathing suit out, put it on, and looked at myself in the mirror. I thought of all the positive attributes of myself in that suit and then I took my kids to the local town pool and spent 3 hours in the water with them. It was so much fun. Thank-you for the inspiration! If we are able to take a picture of us on vacation next week, I will send it to you. 🙂
awesome. great message.
I’ve been several times this summer with my kids. We go to our big neighborhood pool or swim with our neighbors in their backyard. My son took swimming lessons for the very first time and actually learned to swim by himself this summer. I have loved having him swim into my arms, instead of me just watching. I had my neighbor video his new skill. I watched it several times and waited a bit and thought it over, and then I decided to stop analyzing how I looked and I shared it on Facebook. I wanted people to see his accomplishment and see us having fun! It was worth it!
After reading your blog, I talked myself into swimming with my girls at our community pool. I had built up my confidence all day and when I walked in…there was a fit, younger mother in a bikini looking fabulous!!! I almost backed out until my girls asked “mom are you going to swim with us this time?” And so I did, and we had a blast…we played in the water for a while and it brought back memories of me swimming with my dad. I loved that I was doing things with them the same way my dad did with me, without worry, and letting go of what others thought. I will continue to do this, no matter how hard this is!! Thank you for the inspiration.
At the resort we own a timeshare at, I commandeered another Mom with kids in roughly the same age bracket as ours and she and I floated in our swimsuits in the Lazy River with the kids. Neither one of us are young (nudging 50) both with smaller kids, borne later in our lives and both of us are a good size 14. Not being a size 0 is going to keep me from enjoying time with the kids God graciously gave us!
Just emailed you. Thanks for your inspiration!
Jessica,
I read that post prior to 4th of July weekend where we planned to go to the beach.
I donned that swimsuit, ran in the water, jumped up and down and even sat in the sand with my son. I have never felt as confident in a swimsuit as I did that day I wore that swimsuit after your post.
thank you. you made me a happy mama.
Yay for moms loving themselves enough to make memories with their kiddos!! I wrote a post about body image post-baby as well recently. Bathing suits don’t have to define us!
I went swimming and felt much more at ease with my body and much more in tune with my kids this year than in the past. Learning to let go of the folds and hold onto the memories is a process…and a good one. 😉 Thank you! Emailing you a pic…xoxo, Meredith
My sister and her kids came to visit and this year we got in the pool and had a blast with them. My college nephews even put my sister and I on their shoulders and we had an old school chicken fight. It was hilarious and fun. We haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.
Last weekend my whole family, brothers, sisters-in-law and ALL the nieces and nephews were at a lodge that my mom rented so that we could celebrate her retirement. As I was standing on the edge of the lake with my feet in the water while all the kid were swimming, I thought of your blog post. At that moment, I decided that rather than watch memories be made, I wanted to BE part of the memories being made. I went in the house and changed into my swimsuit and got in the lake with all the kids! We had a blast!
My son was so excited!:
“MOM! You’re going to go swimming?!?!”
It was the most fun he had that weekend….and me too!
Since I’m the one always taking the pictures, I don’t have one to share, but I do know that the memory will be forever in my mind! 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement!