Safety vs. Comfort: The “Bathtub Back-Float” Test

I can’t imagine a more tranquil feeling than floating on your back in calm water. Staring skywards, eyes wide open. Indulging in buoyancy.

But to my toddler-age daughter, back floats in swim class were pure terror.

This is the story of how she overcame that fear, and how I learned a few things about safety vs. comfort in the process.