Little Kicks Swim School

Please read and take into consideration before signing up for swim lessons.

1. It is recommended that the parent can not be seen by the child for the first 2 weeks, 4 lessons (or longer).  It’s best if parents “hide out” and not be seen, but may always peak in to see the lesson.

Babies will cry due to the separation from their parents but will warm up in about two weeks or so.  Hearing a child cry is better than not hearing a child at all due to drowning in a pool or other body of water.  I know how to calm and soothe as much as I can, all kids are different.  Some take much longer to calm down.  But, they will.  Stay strong.

2. If a parent can not stay hidden while their child is crying or upset for the first 2 weeks, 4 lessons (or longer), the parent is not ready for their child to do swim lessons.  You can also have someone else bring your child, like a grandparent who may be stronger.

A lot of parents think their child is not ready and it’s not true at all.  Kids are ready to swim right away, I just happen to start at 14-18 months when they are starting to walk and talk.  The best success I’ve had from both parents is the courage to walk away from their kids to I have their undivided attention in the water.  You can do it.

Swim instructors are very different from one another.  Some are caring and not aggressive enough; too aggressive and not caring enough; dont’ have enough experience; have too much experience to know better and some are just right!  You may have to go through many instructors and swim program to find the right one.  And that’s okay, be prepared to do that.

In the past I have changed my swim format to suit the parents, but I can not do that anymore.  All lessons are a half hour only.  If the child is learning stroke technique we may do an hour.  I’ve been asked to push a student into the water to see if they are safe and I will no longer do this at all.  If a parent wants to see, the parent may push their child in the pool but I can not do this for you.  I must charge the amount per swim lesson at you see on the blog.  Discounts are giving in the winter months (please see blog).  I may say or do something that upsets another parent, but others do not know the situation at hand and it would not be fair to judge.  Every parent and child are different for the instructor and maybe 1 out of 50 clients have a problem with what I’ve said or have done during a swim lesson.  It was the best I could at the moment, and I went off my instinct.  Swim teachers are just people too.   We are under stress sometimes and our job is stressful (although we love it too much to give it up).

A message to all swim instructors.  Never let a parent get you down.  Keep doing your best, that’s all you can do.  Every one of us is special in our own ways.  You may make mistakes along the way, like myself but learn from it and become better.  That’s what I try to do, that’s what I must do and that’s what I will do. Just keep trying to save lives.

Thank you so much for understand this delicate process, and having faith that it will all work out in the end.  Be strong for your kids because they need you to be.