Parent Participation
- A parent or caregiver must attend all lessons. A familiar adult provides security during an unfamiliar activity.
- Watching lessons helps parents continue to practice at home.
- The same adult attending daily is helpful, but not required.
- Parents do not get into the water.
What to Bring to lessons
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- A swim diaper is required for every child under age 4, regardless of potty training status. In our experience, even long potty trained children can have accidents in the very warm 90 degree water, especially when they are distracted or nervous. An accident means cancelled lessons for multiple children, so we have this policy in an abundance of caution.
- Nothing else is allowed. Please do not bring goggles to class.
Parent Do’s & Dont’s
- Do NOT talk about swim lessons, tell your child not to cry, or negotiate with your child prior to lessons.
- Do arrive with a positive attitude. Your confidence will transfer to your child.
- Do pay close attention to Mike’s pre-class instructions.
- Do NOT swim during the 8-day lesson period — this will interrupt progress.
- Do practice regularly once your child’s 8-day session has finished. (See After Your Session for more details.)
- Do NOT use floaties or goggles. If you have, we strongly recommend that you discontinue the regular use of any floatation devices in the water between now and your lessons. These devices not only provide a false sense of security in a non-swimmer, but they also orient a child’s body in a vertical position (which is the opposite of correct body position for swimming). This habit has to be “undone” during the lesson process and can be challenging to overcome when strength and muscle memory has been developed in the incorrect position.
- Do enjoy pool time with a parent in the water leading up to lessons, with consistent supervision and without props.
Crying / Adjustment Period
It’s common for young children to be cautious or emotional in new situations. Most stop crying within a few days as confidence builds. Following the above recommendations will help your child overcome this stage.