This Water Safety post is brought to you by Goldfish Swim School. While I was provided lessons in exchange for this review, all opinions are 100% my own.
Hi readers! How have you been? We’re enjoying the last little bit of summer here, almost 90 degrees all week.
Most pools here close after Labor day, but we’re still in the water every weekend! Isla has been in classes at Goldfish Swim School for almost 2 months now, so I wanted to share a little update.
All ready for class to start!
When we started her in swim lessons at 8 months old, I wasn’t sure how much she would really pick up. I am pleasantly surprised at what’s she’s learned so far, she’s made some great progress in the last 7 weeks.
Last week was WATER safety week at GSS – which is a big deal in our house if you read my last Goldfish post. Even though the outdoor pools have closed, water safety is a year-round issue!
Source: Goldfish Swim School
The WATER acronym stands for:
Wear your life jacket!
Act. Throw! Don’t go.
Take swimming lessons.
Educate, learn swim safety skills.
Respect, play it cool and follow the rules.
“Mini 1” WATER Safety Awareness
In our class we focused on staying within an arm’s length of baby when they are in the bathtub (or near any body of water, really), and practicing conditioning, floating, holding on to the edge of the pool, and climbing out.
She was in the water with daddy this last week, while I cheered them on. It’s such great bonding time with her during class, so we alternate who gets to go in every week.
Chasing Bubbles!
On my “out of the pool” days, I often leave with sore cheeks from smiling so hard watching them in the water together. She’s learning a ton, and having fun with her dad at the same time. It’s precious.
Conditioning is so much fun!
I have noticed that while Isla is still completely unafraid of the water, she has a newfound respect for it. She’s learning to take a breath and hold it before she goes underwater, so now there’s no more swallowing and choking when she’s taken for dips under the surface.
Bouncing: great practice for holding on to the side of the pool.
I’ve seen her practice this in the bathtub as well. Little lady has been pulling up to standing in the tub, and sometimes falls back into the water. I’m right there to make sure she’s okay, but I’ll watch for a second (seriously, like .02 seconds) to see how she handles the situation, and she’ll usually make sure she rights herself first. Sometimes tears follow, but it’s amazing to watch her focus on making sure she is safe and can breathe before she gets upset.
She’s also started to float on her back, on her own – that’s her default position, and one of the best skills she’s learned thus far. The babies are learning that if they fall into a body of water, the first thing to do is to flip yourself on your back so you can breathe.
Like a little baby otter.
Now when we’re in the pool with her, she tries to sprawl out on her back and float. It’s amazing to watch, and hilarious when we’re supposed to be doing something else.
At the end of the class, Isla earned her WATER safety guard ribbon! I love these little milestones – it’s still so much fun for us to watch her progress.
So excited for her Water Safety ribbon!
I’m thrilled with how far she’s come. I definitely feel like these lessons have been invaluable for her safety as well as for our peace of mind. We love our Saturday mornings in the pool with her!
If you’re looking for swim lessons for your water babies (or big kids), you can find a local Goldfish Swim School at their center locator, and more information below:
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Have you had an awesome experience at Goldfish Swim School? Would love to hear your stories in the comments!
