Face in the Water!

Swimming classes are going well for the children and John (the more cautious one) is now putting his face fully in the water for six whole seconds. I have successfully hidden from him my fear of the water, so he has no idea that you'd have to pay me a whole lot of money for me to put my face in the water.

John worked out a great deal with his instructor that he thought of all on his own: he hated how the instructor would gently but spontaneously dip his face in the water (whether up to just his lips or his nose or his eyes or entirely underwater). John is not a kid who likes surprises, although that technique seems to work very well for all the other children I'm watching in the classes. So, John asked his instructor if she would not dunk him under, but instead ask him to dunk himself under and then he would do it. She did so and now he does it all by himself! I'm doubly pleased that he thought of a mature, reasonable solution (without involving me at all) and he gets his face wet now.