AGE

You can learn to swim at any age. SLWM works with swimmers from 6 months to adults. No really - the oldest client we have taught is 70 years old. The best time to start is now and we always recommend starting the earlier the better.

BABIES

SLWM recommends coming in for a parent baby water acclimation class when your child is 6 - 18 months. In place of this, you could also complete 4 - 8 weeks of private lessons. This is to ensure your child grows comfortable with water on their face/eyes/ears at an early age. This also helps get them introduced and comfortable in a new environment, socialized with the idea of working with an instructor and with correct body positioning, horizontal in the water on their tummies and back. Early exposure allows for greater comfortability and familiarity when it’s time to start 1-1 lessons.

TODDLERS

Age 2 - 3 is the perfect age range to begin private lessons. SLWM will begin working on safety milestones, to ensure that your child is water safe. There are lots of factors that weigh into progression - personality, learning style, fear level, consistency. Your instructor will work with you to set realistic goals based off your child’s needs. We see some 2 year olds that progress very quickly, have completed baby acclimation sessions and are very comforable in the pool and working with an instructor. We see others who are very fearful, this is their first time separating from mom and working with someone new, or aren’t great with their listening ears yet and can take a bit longer. This is all part of the learning and growth process for them and the SLWM team is prepared to help each individual grow and progress no matter the situation.

CONSISTENCY, PROGRESSION & PRACTICE

Consistency is key for learning anything, but especially learning to swim. It’s important to ensure you’re coming to lessons as least once weekly. For a ‘fast track’ approach, or for new swimmers that are especially fearful, we recommend coming in twice weekly (at least in the beginning). Practicing new skills at home between lessons is also critical for keeping up skills and progressing more quickly. There are a lot of ways for new swimmers to practice at home in the bathtub or pool - red light / green light kicks, back floats, bubbles, eyes in the pool, etc. Your instructor can provide you with additional resources or ideas for practicing between lessons. For toddlers that are new to the pool and swim lessons, even just talking about swim lessons at home is helpful for creating excitement and positivity around learning something new.

FIRST LESSONS -TODDLERS

The first lesson for toddlers can be tough. It’s a new environment, instructor, they’re leaving mom/dad for the first time, the list goes on. But it’s also so exciting to watch your little one learn something new that they’ll come to love and enjoy. SLWM’s best tips for a successful first lesson (or the first few): Leading up to the big day, talk with your toddler about the pool, swim lessons, what kinds of animals swim - help get them excited and prepped for this process. They’ll be much more excited. This is also a great strategy between the first few lessons as well. Tears are normal. This is a part of the learning process. By lesson 3 or 4, if you follow our recommendations, they will be excited to come to swimming and will not be crying anymore Building rapport with their instructor is key. We recommend leaving the pool deck completely for the first 3 - 4 lessons in order for your instructor to build trust with your swimmer and for the swimmer to get used to the format of lessons, and having an instructor work with them. We’d love for you to watch from somewhere out of sight (behind the windows or glass doors or poke your head in). We have taught over 25,000 swim lessons, and this first step is critical for making progress with your child. We have a ton of toys/games/songs - we will pull out all the stops to get your child excited and LOVING the water. We want them to be water safe first and foremost, but we also want them to enjoy this lifelong sport! If we need to go above and beyond and bring a special toy, we will. Whatever it takes.

FIRST LESSONS - ADULTS

Learning to swim as an adult is a huge accomplishment! Congrats on taking the first step in your swimming journey. SLWM has many adult swimmers that work with our team and we are so proud of each one. We know many adults come to swim lessons with real fears, and sometimes prior negative experiences. Our instructors are ready to work with you at your pace and we are humbled to be a part of this amazing journey and accomplishment with you.

GOGGLES AND PUDDLE JUMPERS

We recommend every student bring goggles to lessons that are over the age of 2. We have some recommendations and links on the website for goggles and other gear for all ages. Goggles are a great tool for getting beginner swimmers comfortable with their face in the water, however, we do work on skills without goggles to practice water safety skills in case they were to fall in without goggles. Puddle jumpers are a no from the SLWM team. They restrict the arms and encourage a vertical positioning, face above water and feet below. This is not a swimming position. We recommend practicing with your swimmers as much as possible in the pool and if you must be out of reach, a US Coast Guard approved lifejacket is the best way to go, as it will allow some arm movement and horizontal positioning.

SWIM DIAPERS

At SLWM, we prioritize pool cleanliness to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for all swimmers. For our non-potty-trained swimmers, we require the Happy Nappy Duo for defense at each lesson. This provides an extra layer of security, allowing for the crucial 3-5 minute window recommended by the CDC to prevent leaks. It is the only swim diaper that kills pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, E.Coli and COVID 19 in its unique silver lining. 

SLWM instructors will check with parents of non-potty trained students before each lesson to ensure their child has the Happy Nappy Duo on before entering the water, and non-potty trained students will not be able to participate without it. SLWM does not allow the use of any type of disposable diaper in the pool. These diapers do not keep solids from entering the pool. Thank you for your help keeping a sparkling clean pool and great experience for all of our swimmers and staff. 

WATER SAFETY LAYERS & KEEPING UP WITH LESSONS

There are many layers to water safety - swim lessons, a pool fence, a designated water watcher, life jackets, a pool cover, alarms. It’s critical that all the layers are deployed to create a safe environment. It’s important to start and continue lessons early and often. Children under the age of 4 will not remember swim skills if they take the school year off and are only in the pool during the summer months. Bringing your kiddos in for maintenance lessons throughout the school year is critical for retaining what they’ve learned. If it’s your kiddo’s first time, start taking lessons about 6 months in advance of when you want them water safe, to ensure you have enough time for progression and practice.