Getting Ready for Swimming Class

Too many guardians show up for swimming classes un-prepared. I want you to get the most out of every single class. To that end I put together this hopefully helpful checklist to remind you of everything that needs to be done to prepare for each swimming lesson (depending on your child’s age).

You want to aim to be at class 5 minutes early so that you and your child are not STRESSED! If you show up on time or late and stressed it takes up class time to get your child in a relaxed swimming mode. Being relaxed is a CRITICAL element for swimming.

Before you LEAVE your house:

  • Enter my address into your GPS. You should already have me entered into your contacts address book. Please do NOT call and text me on your way to class asking me for my address. I am busy teaching another student and it is not fair to interrupt their lesson because you did not prepare for swimming lessons. If I have a child in my arms in the deep end I will not be responding to your phone calls and texts asking for my address. I may not even see your text or call in time to respond before your class starts.

  • If someone else is bringing your child/ren to lessons it is your responsibility to give them ALL of the information I gave to you so that they know where to go and what to expect. Too many grandparents, nannies, babysitters, significant others, and spouses are showing up to swimming lessons with the student/s and completely clueless as to what to do. They don’t have my address. They ring my front doorbell. They have no clue to go through the pedestrian gate and that it is unlocked. They apply sunscreen right before the child gets in the pool, etc. It’s a complete disaster and we end up with barely any time for the actual lessons because I have to help them sort out what is going on. It’s not fair to them, the student or me.

  • Check Waze to see if there is any road construction or accidents between you and lessons. Find an alternate route or leave earlier if necessary. In the summer months there tends to be extra road construction so keep this in mind when planning when to start getting ready for lessons. Plus, the Dollar Loan Center is now open and they have events that block traffic. You are welcome to come early and wait in the sunroom for your class to start.

  • REMOVE ALL BANDAGES! 99% of all bandages kids wear into the pool fall off within 5 minutes. Plus, that is ALL YOUR CHILD WILL TALK ABOUT! I want to teach your child to swim, not discuss their bandages and fish them out of the pool. This is also a sanitary issue.

  • APPLY SUNSCREEN! DO NOT APPLY SUNSCREEN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOUR CHILD GETS IN MY POOL!

    • It washes off your child IMMEDIATELY, which does not provide the sun protection you wanted. You child will have zero protection from the sun.

    • It runs into your child’s eyes, which then burns their eyes causing them to not be able to see and start crying. Class has stopped before it has even begun. We have not saved any time by waiting to put sunscreen on right before getting in the pool. In fact now we are actively wasting class time.

    • It then attaches to the tile on the side of the pool. That’s why you see me constantly cleaning the pool tile. If I don’t clean it off it gives bacteria and algae a place to grow.

    • It also throws off the chemical balance of the pool, which also allows bacteria and algea to grow.

    • It then builds up on the pool filter reducing it’s ability to clean the pool water.

    • As you can see there are a lot of problems caused by applying sunscreen right before you get into a pool. If you apply sunscreen to your child prior to them getting in to the pool I will require they use the outdoor shower or hose to wash off all the unabsorbed sunscreen so it doesn't immediately wash off into the pool. Your child will not appreciate the cold shower. Not fun.

    • And please take the time to apply it to all exposed areas evenly so your child doesn’t end up with a splotchy burn. Your child should not look like the picture above. That student needed her sunscreen rubbed in and smoothed out more.

    • Don’t forget their ears and lips!

  • Put a swimming diaper and plastic swim diaper pants on your toddler. I'm not kidding. I will not let your un-potty trained child in the pool without BOTH of these. Pack extra in case they soil this pair before class.

  • Put your child's bathing suit on. Check to make sure your child's bathing suit FITS! Bathing suits stretch out over the swimming season and when that happens they start to fall off. Boys suits need to have a STRING where they can tighten the waist so the bathing suit doesn't fall down when bobbing, diving or swimming in the Fastlane Pro.

  • Check your swim bag for tissues/wet wipes and hand sanitizer. These are NOT OPTIONAL! These are 100% mandatory for every single swimming lesson. I know you think you kid doesn't need them, but they do.

  • Pack dry clothes and underwear for your child to wear home. Parents tend to forget that it can be cold after swimming and wearing a wet bathing suit home may be very cold and uncomfortable. Besides, maybe you want to run an errand on the way home. It’s easier to do if your child isn’t wearing a wet bathing suit.

  • Remind your child/ren of any rules they are struggling to remember. We just want them safe.

  • Make sure your child is NOT CHEWING GUM! Unfortunately someone decided to chew gum and drop it in my turf. I do not have real grass so I cannot easily remove it. Someone else dropped gum onto my pavers. Gum should be disposed of in a trash can, but since it causes significant damage to turf, it is not allowed on my property any longer. 

  • Make sure your child is not hungry! Too many times classes are spent with my student constantly complaining they are hungry. They need energy for class. If it's really close to class just give them a little snack, not a full meal. We don't want them throwing up in the pool.

  • Make sure your child is hydrated and water bottle is packed. Kids will use the excuse they are thirsty to get out of doing a difficult or scary skill. 

  • Make your child go to the bathroom! Even if they say they don't have to make them go anyway. They’ll probably want to go again when they get to lessons. That’s fine as long as they don’t go in the pool! :)

  • Did you pack the cash/check or send the Zelle payment for rest of your sessions lessons? Class will not start without payment for the balance of the session on day one.

  • On the drive to class talk about being positive and trying even if they fail to succeed at any of the skills we practice. It's ok to fail. Trying is the most important thing. Having a positive "I can do it" mind set makes a huge difference over kids who try, fail and don't want to try and possibly fail again. Talk about what they want to do in class that day. Ask what was fun about the last class.

Wow! That's a lot! Don't wait until the last minute to start getting ready for swimming lessons. It's best to try to get to class 5 minutes early so your child is relaxed and not stressed out from rushing out the door late and forgetting things needed for class.