The best blog for new moms with babies is one with personal recommendation from another mom. My recommendation today is to consider swimming lessons with two schools: Goldfish Swim Schools and the British Swim School as they can be a magical experience with unbelievable results. Not only do they provide a fun, physical activity that could potentially last a lifetime, they also give children the confidence to explore their boundaries safely. Water safety is an essential skill that all parents should encourage, and learning to swim early can open up a world of opportunities for your little one!
And let's not forget the sheer fun of it! Swimming can be a great way to get kids excited about exercise and active play. With games, floats, toys, and music, swimming classes can make learning to swim a kid-friendly and kid-approved experience. There's nothing quite like seeing your child beam with joy as they master a new skill.
Goldfish Swim School, with its 15 locations in the Chicagoland area, focuses on “giving kids the platform to build essential life skills that will help them make waves in life”. With its safe, inviting, and tropical-themed centers, Goldfish Swim School was designed by parents and touts the “Science of SwimPlay,” a holistic swim school philosophy, which develops life skills in and out of the water. With perpetual lessons that are held throughout the year, Goldfish offers 30 minute private or group lesson (4:1 instructor) experiences.
Children are assessed by their trained kid-friendly instructors and then placed in a program tailored to their needs. Mini (Baby), Junior (Beginner through Intermediate), Glider (Beginner through Intermediate) and Pro (Intermediate to Advanced) skills classes are available. The first two levels in the Mini Swim require parent or guardian participation, so make sure you put your suit on!
Similarly, The British Swim School offers much of the same for kids, with an enhanced parallel curriculum. This school, however, contracts space in many local fitness center pools, or even those at local hotels. One thing that sets the British Swim School apart is that they offer two levels of parent assisted swim: Tadpole and Swimboree, both beginning at three months of age and six levels beyond: Seahorse, Starfish, Minnow, Turtle, Shark and Pre-Swim Team. The class ratio is typically 6 students to one kid-friendly instructor. My son and daughter learned water safety, survival, and skills through British Swim School. With classes once a week year-round over the course of about three years, my kids have become independent, confident but situationally aware swimmers. They know the strokes and how to signal for help if needed. This necessary skill was a fun one for them to learn - and for me to watch them learn.
Additionally, BSS offers an Adaptive Aquatics Program, specifically tailored to kids of all ages with special needs. This award-winning adaptive program allows all children the opportunity to learn the lifelong skills of water safety, and experience the same enjoyment of the water as their peers.
If you’re still waiting to make a splash, consider the following: Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise for children that offers many physical and mental benefits. Benefits of swimming are endless! Here are a few highlights you’ll see in your child after enrolling in swimming lessons:
Dana H