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Water Safety Tips for Vacation

**This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School, though all opinions are my own.

Spring and summer break is right around the corner and that inevitably means your kids will be around water. Whether you’re searching for warmer weather at the beach or hitting up a hotel pool, your kids need to know how to be safe around water.

On Vacation

We just got back from vacation and I’m so thankful that we’ve been working on our water safety skills at Goldfish Swim School. During vacation, we were at a couple different locations that had pools, all of which were deep enough that my daughter couldn’t touch while having her head above water.

Because she’s a Glider 2 at Goldfish Swim School she’s working on turning over on her back while she swims to catch her breath. This was extremely helpful during this trip because she was calm enough to think ahead when she was running out of energy or air and turn herself over. She also had amazing confidence in the water which I hadn’t seen in her before.

Our smaller swimmer was excited to practice some of the drills she learned in class such as the otter float, jumping into my arms in the pool, and climbing out of the pool herself.

Swim Safety Tips for Vacation

Goldfish Swim’s TOP priority is swim safety and in class, we learned:

  1. About lifeguards. What their job is and how to recognize them. TIP: Always know if and when lifeguards are on duty, and don’t swim alone if there are no lifeguards on duty.
  2. Posted signs. Pay attention to posted swim times. The times may be when lifeguards are on duty or when the pool is open, but the times are listed for a reason – so heed them.
  3. Scope things out. Check out pool first – for the depth throughout, any ledges on the sides to be aware of if jumping in, where ladders are, etc. At the beach, notice any boundaries and be sure to wade through the water and notice any drop-offs and what the bottom of the water is like.

These tips were especially helpful for us on our trip because we were in both indoor pools, outdoor pools, and the ocean. You can never be too cautious when dealing with water.

Stop into a Goldfish Swim School location near you today and sign up your kids for swimming lessons! They’re committed to providing WOW! customer service and they’ll have you and your kids celebrating some extraordinary results in no time!

Related posts:

Loving Our Hearts at Goldfish Swim School

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Top 5 Tips for Mommy and Me Swim Lessons

This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School, though all opinions are my own.

Swimming with babies and toddlers is amazing and a fabulous way to bond with your baby, but if you are not confident in water it can be daunting. The whole point of swim lessons is to teach water safety and confidence to our children. With these tips you’ll feel ready to help your little one learn a necessary life skill. Here are my top 5 tips for Mommy and Me swim lessons.

Top 5 tips for mommy and me swim lessons

Top 5 Tips for Mommy and Me Swim Lessons

  1. Expose your baby to water as often as you can. Between regular weekly swim lessons, splashing in the bathtub and swimming at a local pool, your child will be very comfortable with getting their face wet.
  2. Ask questions in class. Never be afraid to ask the purpose of an activity during swim class. The instructors want you to fully understand what you’re achieving by doing these motions with your child. It’s likely another parent has the same question.
  3. Encourage your baby to be on their back. Your class will likely be teaching floating by having your child on their back with your assistance. This is easier done with a young baby but there will be resistance in the toddler years. Continue to practice this important safety skill with your child no matter how much they complain.
  4. Show a happy smile. You may personally feel uncomfortable in the water or uncomfortable with how your child is reacting to the water. Children can sense our unease so no matter your feelings put on a happy face so baby can learn that being in the water is a good thing.
  5. Enjoy the bonding time. Some days may be hard to get all the gear together and take your child to lessons but consistently going with your baby will be great for both of you. Not only for the sake of adapting to the water but for bonding time with each other!

My daughter started swim lessons at 6 months and has been going weekly for 8 months and she absolutely loves water. We scheduled our swim lessons for Friday morning so we can start our Friday Fun Day off with one of her favorite activities. We’ve loved our lessons at Goldfish Swim School! Check them out to see if there is one near you.

Related posts to Top 5 Tips for Mommy and Me Swim Lessons:

When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons

When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons

You Asked: Answers About Goldfish Swim School

You Asked: Answers About Goldfish Swim School Lessons

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Goldfish Swim School Review After 6 Months

**This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School, though all opinions are my own.

Goldfish Swim School Review- My five year old and one year old have been taking swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School for six months. I wanted to share our experience with swim lessons because they’ve been such a positive asset to our lives.

Goldfish Swim School practices Heart Health month February DIY Mama

Our five year old daughter has taken a few swim lessons off and on since she was about six months old. She has always been happy to swim and go under water but we worried about her safety if she were to ever fall in the deep end or a lake. Drowning can take seconds and we want to prepare our daughters to save themselves.

Sophia started out happy to play around at swim lessons but soon learned that she was actually learning how to swim and be confident in herself.
Goldfish Swim School said it perfectly:

By taking swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School, kids learn even more skills that are important in school as well. Like what? Waiting for their turn, being patient, following directions, comprehension, listening to teachers, and even more!

Great Skills for School

Our daughter now knows that when she’s in swim lessons it’s a time to be patient, respectful of her teacher and other students and be a good listener. She has felt so proud each time she gets a ribbon showing she’s mastered a new skill. She hangs them on a cork board we have at home as little reminders of her swimming journey.

Goldfish-Baby-Swim-Lesson

We do the same for Lilly although she has no idea what’s going on most of the time! She has definitely improved from six months ago. She started at six months of age and was kind of just there. Now she’s happily kicking and paddling through the pool. She can listen to instructions when the teacher says to put the balls in the box! I will continue to keep Lilly in swim lessons each week until she’s (at least) mastered rolling over when she falls in. Consistency is key with swimming lessons because they can forget so quickly at this young age.

Goldfish Swim School Review

Overall, I give Goldfish Swim School an A+ on teaching my girls how to be confident in the water. We have been happy with all of the staff, the ease of switching around lesson times and the facilities are amazing. If you’re considering signing up for lessons, ask me any questions you might have! You can also check out the FAQ I’ve gotten here.

Goldfish Swim School has a Back-to-School Membership offer going on now through October 1st:

Offer includes:

6 months of swim lessons
4 casual lessons
Free family swim passes for 6 months
Goggles
Towel
Pricing: $529

Stop by the Goldfish Swim School front desk at Carmel or Fishers to learn more.

Related Posts:

When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons
Choosing the Right Activities for Your Kids

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You Asked: Answers About Goldfish Swim School Lessons

Goldfish Swim School has been such a great asset to our weekly routine. We are so proud of the improvements both girls have made over the past few months. I posted for people to ask questions on my IG stories last week and here are the most asked questions answered for you.

Q: Is there time to just practice?

A: Not during their 30 min swimming lesson but they do offer free family swim from 12-1p Monday – Friday for members. They also have Family Night Out events once per month where you can spend $5/person, $15 max per family and enjoy snacks and swimming from 6:30-8p.

Q: How often do you go? Once a week or more?

Swim lessons are once per week but they also offer Jump Start Clinics. These clinics are 5 consecutive 30 minute lessons, same time, same instructor M-F.

Q: How long is each class cycle? Or year round classes?

Goldfish Swim School lessons are continuous rather than session-based. They believe a consistent approach to swimming is important for swim skill development and water safety awareness. Personally, we’re going year around to keep both girls confident in the water.

Q: What age do you recommend they start lessons?

4 months is the youngest they accept children for swimming lessons. We started Lilly at 6 months and it was amazing. Watching her learn and improve and be excited for lessons each week has been so fun! I wrote a post about our experience here.

Q: What are the age groups?

They go by skill level rather than age groups. You will give Goldfish Swim an idea of what your child’s abilities are and they will place them in the corresponding level. Throughout their classes there will be milestones they’ll need to hit and they’ll receive ribbons for achieving those goals. As they progress through the level they’ll then move up to the next and continue on with this cycle.

Q: What are the prices and how long does the program last?

Prices vary depending on skill level and location. Goldfish Swim School is all over the US. Check with your local swim school for pricing. Classes are indefinite until you cancel your membership. You must cancel 30 days in advance of your last lesson.

Q: At what age do they do classes by themselves without parents?

Classes are sorted by skill level rather than age. Junior 1 is the first level they’re able to be in the water without an adult. That class typically starts at age 3 with no prior swim instructions.

Q: What do you bring with you?

When we first started we brought all the things. We started during the winter and had our winter coats and boots and I carried a full diaper bag along with our swim bag. Now that I’ve wised up and the weather has warmed up we’re able to only take one bag. For us, with a 10 month old and 5 year old taking lessons we pack:
– 2 beach towels
– Wet bag for suits
– Swim cover ups (or underwear if we’re going somewhere after)
– Detangling spray and brush
– Goggles
– Quarters for a snack or candy
– Diaper

I’d love to answer any other questions you have about Goldfish Swim School or any other swim lesson related question. If you don’t currently have your kids in swim lessons, why not?

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When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons

When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons? When you’re a new mom, there are 1000 questions like this per day. ‘When should I start….’ When it comes to teaching babies safety, it’s so important to teach them as early as possible. At most swim schools you can take your babies as early as 6 months. We go to Goldfish Swim School and you can start lessons at 4 months! We started Lilly at 6 months and she has come such a long way in the 3 months we’ve been attending.

Goldfish-Baby-Swim-Lesson

5 Reasons to Start Your Baby in Swim Lessons

Aside from the obvious reason of starting early for safety’s sake, there are 5 other awesome reasons to start them young. Goldfish Swim School talks about the 5 reasons in class but I wanted to share with you how I’ve seen them work for our baby.

Balance

Core balance is crucial to little babies learning to sit up, crawl and eventually stand, walk and run! Lilly is in the crawling phase where she’s able to pull herself up on furniture and swim lessons have helped her shoulder muscles be strong enough to do that at an early age. She sits up on the ducky mats and learns to control her body while crawling on a floating mat. All of this core work out is essential for making sure she has excellent balance going forward.

Confidence

Babies, like us, fear what they are unfamiliar with. When we first started, Lilly was curious to watch others but not as interested in participating. Now, she’s splashing, kicking and pinching with the rest of the babies and squealing with excitement throughout. She’s now comfortable doing the sea otter float the entire length of the pool and back on my shoulder where a month ago she was constantly trying to sit up. Today, she leaned forward into my arms from sitting on the side. This was the first time she’s ever done this part of the class correctly! She’s confident in herself and bold enough to try new things!

Socialization

I am a stay-at-home parent. We get out a lot because that is my nature. I am used to exploring and adventuring with our oldest daughter so Lilly has become familiar with tagging along. At the same time, she doesn’t see many babies at the events we usually go to. At swim lessons she gets to see babies and it always makes her so happy to splash with them! It’s also a chance to be around a few adults which is always a plus.

Entertainment

It can be hard to fill the day with little ones who don’t yet speak. I remember being very lonely when I only had one baby (which is why I started this blog!) Swim days are now our favorite day of the week. All of us have a chance to move our bodies, get out of the house, learn new things and have fun! Swim days also make for the best nap days.

Building Strength

Swim lessons always seem to short to me but for babies they’re the perfect amount of time. 30 minutes is ideal for them to be active, learning, and exercising without being overstimulated. When you’re sleeping 12-14 hours per day, 30 minutes of exercise is substantial. My tiny swimmer has definitely gotten stronger through these lessons and is just weeks away from walking!

Are you ready to sign your child up for swim lessons? Goldfish Swim School has different levels for kids ages 4 months and older.

Find a location near you and sign up today!

Photo courtesy Goldfish Swim School Blog

Related Posts to When Should My Baby Start Swim Lessons:

Loving Our Hearts at Goldfish Swim School
Choosing the Right Activities for Your Kids

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