THE GOAL OF SURVIVAL SWIM CLASSES IS SURVIVAL IN THE WATER
DID YOU KNOW: Last year in 2020 there was almost 4000 fatal drownings and over 8,000 non fatal drownings. Some of which I’ve looked up, and although a lot weren’t fatal, numerous lives were changed forever. Children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates! Survival swim classes teach your child starting age 6 months to 6 years how to save themselves in the event they fall into a body of water.
We are currently in the survival swim classes at Safety First Pediaquatics and have lessons MONDAY-FRIDAY for around 10 minutes with Ms. Trisha! If you’re local and reading this, Ms. Trisha has been amazing with Londyn, and Londyn looks forward to her lessons everyday! So far there has not been one tear shed!
The schedule for pediswim classes is 4-6 weeks depending on needs of the kiddo, everyday for 10-15 minutes a day, and cost is typically $400+ The everyday method teaches muscle memory and they retain the lessons better.
After the completion of the course you can pay for maintenance classes to keep their skills they learned in check!
below is our experience day by day in the first week!!
DAY 1– I knew going into it, that Londyn would be going underwater on the first day and was anxious (in a good way) to see her reaction. Before that day, we had never put her underwater. She did a great job when her face would get wet and never got upset in the pool so we figured she may like it. Turns out she did! Ms. Trisha introduced herself to Londyn and took her out. They grabbed a couple of water toys, and then she put Londyn underwater for the first time! They start teaching them right away how to hold their breath and close their mouths. The first day was really learning that, getting comfortable going underwater and small underwater strides to the riser in the pool.
DAY TWO– On day two Londyn went into the float position for the first time, one of the things I love about Safety First, is the founder Ms. Becky wrote a kids book called “Come Swim with Marley the Manatee” and it shows a little girl learning to swim and float. We read it to Londyn every night and it helps make her familiar with the things she’ll be doing I.E. floating. It helps to take away the shock factor or unfamiliar factor of learning new things or positions she’ll be in, which sometime can be scary for little kids. I highly recommend finding a children’s book that talks about swim classes so they can become familiar with the things they’ll be experiencing.
DAY THREE- By day three, Londyn was already getting a grasp for swimming underwater. Her biggest thing is learning to kick her feet. Before her lessons this day, there was a kid a little upset in the pool. Parents if I suggest one thing from this, don’t bring your kiddo in to watch before their lesson if another student is having a moment. It obviously will happen but I’m a big believer in little kids feed off of other kids’ energy. I never want the lessons to seem scary to her and want her to know swimming lessons are a great learning & positive experience for her, so far it has worked great!
DAY FOUR– On day four she tried her first swim to float position! She needs to remember to keep her mouth closed, head back and belly up, but the way they get taught is in such a natural smooth way it’s so interesting to watch!
DAY 5- On day 5, Ms. Trisha worked through everything she learned in her first week + added little fins to help her swim! I can’t believe the confidence I have seen come through Londyn while in the water in just her first week. It was nerve-racking for me to know I’m handing off my girl to someone else in the water to teach her life saving techniques but I know we made the absolute best choice at Safety First! Ms. Trisha and the other teachers make the kiddos feel comfortable and at home as soon as they hit the water, all while teaching them these techniques that are so needed!
I hope this week by week breakdown of what to expect in survival swim classes help any parents looking for more information or a first hand POV. If you have any specific questions, leave them below! Otherwise we’ll be back next week with week two info!!
