swim 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?

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.

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!

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