**This post contains affiliate links. I have been compensated by SwimKids with 4 free lessons in thanks for helping share about their swimming lessons, but as always the thoughts expressed are my own.
One thing that always comes to mind when you think of Summer is swimming lessons.
Learning to swim is such an important skill for anyone – but especially young children as they can find themselves in some scary situations throughout childhood. It only takes 3-5 minutes of a child being under water to cause permanent brain damage, and those minutes can pass before you even know your child is in the water.
Last year my toddler who had no fear of the water at the time decided to just run and jump into the deep end of the pool. The life guard on duty saw what he was doing before he even hit the water and was able to jump in and save him before he was in real danger. Making sure my kids are safe around water has been on my mind since. My daughter took lessons when she was 5 or 6 at our local rec center, but honestly did not get much out of it. She was terrified of the water for one, was freezing cold, but the biggest thing was being in a class of 8-10 kids did not help her situation at all – the instructor just did not have the time to help her feel comfortable and help her progress. When I heard about SwimKids I was instantly intrigued and wanted to see for myself what sets them apart when teaching kids such an important life skill.
The owner, Liz Walker, had a near drowning experience as a child. When she became a mother and had moved near a canal with her own small children, the need to know they would be safe in the water became her mission. She used her education in child development and child psychology to make her program what it is today. With over 35 years experience, and a 98% retention rate, they liken their swimming lessons to riding a bike – something that your child will never forget when they find themselves in a situation in the water that could be potentially fatal. Because every child is so different, the individual lessons are tailor made to help your child overcome any fears and master the skills to keep them safe. They found over the years that they use over 1800 signs, signals, methods to cater to each child, helping them find success in the water.
I will never promote something that I have not tried myself, and I was honestly so impressed in just the first lesson for my son. He was hesitant to get in the water, but the one on one instruction was just what he needed. Keeping the water at 90 degrees makes a big difference in helping the child be calm. Within the first minute or two he was floating on his back – something we had tried to teach him when we went to the pool as a family and never mastered. The instructor was able to talk to him on his level, help him understand the “how to”, and that big smile on his face made my mama heart so happy when he saw he could float on his own. The high fives and praise kept him going throughout the 15 minute lesson as he learned to put his face in the water and breathe as well. He did not want to get out of the water and could not wait to go back! He has still been a bit hesitant with his lessons when its time to get in the water, but within a minute of being in the water they help him feel at ease and begin teaching the skill for that day with fun activities and he quickly forgets his fear.
15 minutes?! You may think that is not enough time to learn anything – but they had him doing more in those 15 minutes than my daughter ever did in her lessons at the rec-center! The method they use teaches survival without scaring the kids, allowing them to go at their own pace and have success. They say the children typically master all these skills in about 16 lessons – some children take less, some a few more, but they will not have them move on to the next step until they have the skill mastered.
SwimKids have indoor locations in Holladay, Provo, and St. George. They offer outdoor lessons in Midvale, Sandy/Draper, Herriman, and Lehi starting June 10th. They are also building in Riverton and will open there this coming Fall.
They offer parent/tot classes starting at just 3 months on up to 28 months, private lessons starting at 2 years old, and group lessons starting at 4 years old – even Summer camps – something for everyone!
Its no wonder with such an amazing program and an incredible retention rate that people actually come from other states to have their children take lessons over their vacation time as a family with SwimKids. Their lessons have saved many lives and helped children gain confidence in and out of the water. The staff there have been amazing to us – even so kind when I wrote the wrong time down and arrived 45 minutes late for his lesson- they found someone willing to stay a bit later than their shift to accommodate my mistake!
I have been nothing but impressed with SwimKids and I am so glad we have our son in the program!
Head over to SwimKids Site to register. For the first 10 people who sign up with my discount code skkusilife25 they will receive $25 off and a pair of swim goggles!
Let me know if you sign up, I would love to hear what you think!
See the Happy!
Thank you! We just signed up our little guy for lessons!