Learning to swim can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% if children participate in formal swimming lessons between ages 1 – 4. Swimming has also shown to improve sleep quality, increase cognitive skills development, and offer a healthy activity for growing bodies. But where do you start in looking for a swim school? Here are some things to look for:
- Developmentally and age appropriate activities and learning
- A positive and fun environment that focuses on the needs of the learner
- Progressive development with rewards along the way to keep your swimmer motivated and excited to learn, remember learning to swim is a process
- A friendly and helpful staff that is inclusive and strives to meet your family’s needs, one that includes parents in the process
- A safe environment with vigilant supervision by staff with completed background checks, proper use of equipment and water safety training included in lessons
- Well qualified staff with ongoing training
- A clean facility that includes clear, well sanitized water
- Small class sizes for young children and beginners as well as shorter lessons in warm water for young children
- Professionalism, including participation in a national association such as the US Swim School Association
The Wendy Fereday Swim School recently shared with us a letter they received from swim mom Erin. “We took the boys to our pool in the neighborhood for a quick swim yesterday evening to get out some bedtime energy. Decker and Jax were playing with an inflatable water polo goal they recently got. Ames, age 3, went to check it out and I had my eyes on him the whole time from where I was sitting. He leaned over at the edge of the pool and reached too far in the water and fell in head first in the pool. I instantly got up from my chair and ran to help him (I was close enough where I knew I could get to him if I needed to) but I stopped at the edge of the pool because I could see him do the “turn around and save yourself” routine. He was kicking his legs and reaching to the edge of the pool just like you’ve taught him since he was tiny! After he grabbed the edge of the pool, he started to pull himself out of the pool and he was crying. I hugged him and told him “Ames, you did it. You turned around and saved yourself!” He kept crying and saying “I fell in the pool” and I just kept saying over and over again “you turned around and saved yourself” and gave him lots of big hugs. Then the boys came over and told him good job for saving himself and he got so proud of himself.”