Resistant or fearful students should (at first) attend as many lessons per week as possible. Attending once per week can work, but there will be accelerated success and improvement in attitude and skill, if the student can attend at least two or three days per week, (up to seven days per week). When they begin to enjoy the water and the process of learning, scheduling once or twice per week is acceptable.

SHOULD PARENTS BE VISIBLE DURING THE CHILD'S LESSON?

If the child is constantly asking for "Mommy or Daddy" throughout the lesson and if the teacher is having trouble competing for attention, it is generally best to have the parent "out of sight and out of mind" until the child begins to bond with and trust the teacher. Often, if the child thinks there is a sympathetic person close by who will "save them" from their "plight", they will likely become melodramatic and emotionally distressed. We want parents to watch the entire lesson, but often prefer that they hide whenever their child becomes distracted by the possibility that Mom or Dad might bail them out of their situation.

EAR INFECTIONS?

There are two types of ear infections: one is caused by middle ear build-up secondary to Eustachian tube congestion and the other is caused by pool or bath water not
drying up in the outer ear canal "Swimmers' Ear". To prevent the latter, parents can blow dry the ears or use alcohol & boric acid drops available at the school or local pharmacy. Swimming does not cause the middle ear infections. Children with ventilation tubes in their ears can still swim, but should wear ear plugs, a tight fitting cap, and should not swim deeper than a foot below the surface of the water

WHY START LEARNS SWIMMING SO YOUNG?

The younger the children, the more likely they are to accept the water and instruction. Human infants are adapted to swimming. The behaviors of automatic breath holding and swimming movements begin to fade as early as 3 months of age. Exposure to swimming provides the ideal exercise. They are not restricted to gravity and benefit from the cardiovascular exercise it provides. It gives babies a head start in learning basic swimming skills and improves bilateral coordination and balance

WINTER’S ALMOST HERE, SHOULD MY CHILD TAKE A BREAK FROM SWIMMING?

The pool in which your child takes swimming lessons is an indoor pool. The water is heated. While the weather outside may be unpredictable and cold, the pools will be the same warm temperature as they are during the summer months.

There are many ways to help your child stay warm and healthy during the winter months. First, bring an extra towel with you to your swimming classes, and be on hand at the side of the pool to wrap your child up as he or she exits the pool. Use the second towel to dry him or her off as he or she changes. Second, be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.

Children who have the opportunity to swim year round will progress faster through the program. Children who "take the winter off" can and will forget most of the skills they have learned. Children learn best through repetition. If your child remains in swimming lessons consistently now, you will see major improvements by next summer. If lessons are stopped until the weather gets warm again, your child can and will regress. All the levels in our program have specific goals that need to be mastered in order to move up to the next level. Stopping lessons for six to eight months could cause your child to move down a level or more on your return, as skills to master these goals are forgotten.