What to Expect

What to expect:

You can expect safe and fun swim lessons for you and your baby. Although we have loads of fun in these classes singing and splashing around, our lesson plans are designed around water safety and learning through repetition. Because studies show that babies learn and master skills through repetition, our classes use a curriculum that focuses on reviewing skills prior to any new skills introduced. So, if the lessons feel very similar each week, it’s for the benefit of your baby! Lessons must also be fun to keep the baby engaged, and by following our philosophy of ‘Play with Purpose‘, this results in quicker learning and improved retention of skills. The added joy is the bonding and playing with your baby, meeting other parents, learning about your baby’s development, and watching your baby relish and learn in the water environment.

What not to expect. 

You should not expect your baby to be swimming on their own or be water safe by the end of the 16 lesson minimum requirement. Learning to swim the right way is a skill that takes time and lots of practice. Studies have shown that:

• Babies who begin to learn to swim between the ages of 6 months and 18 months will take around a year and a half to two years to learn swim independently and to be safer in the water (78-104 swim lessons)
• Children who start swimming lessons between the ages of 18 months and 3 years will take about one year to learn to be safer in the water (about 52 swim lessons). This does not mean you should wait until your child is around this age to “learn more quickly.” Studies have also shown that formal swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. We believe a big role in that is the respect children gain for water while in lessons.

*All swimmers are different, so times may vary.

If you are interested in your baby becoming safer in the water in a short period of time, this program is not for you. We believe in teaching babies and children to swim by respecting the water and growing with the water. There are programs out there (Infant Resource Swimming) that we do not recommend, as this forces babies and children to learn to swim through fear, resulting in them learning quicker but also crying throughout the entire lesson as if they’re being tortured. This fear usually carries with them throughout their entire life. Respecting and loving the water is much better than fearing and hating the water, at least to us.