Swimming lessons...

Last week Kate & Luke started swim lessons. We go once a week for one-on-one, 15 minute lessons. Kate LOVES it, is totally fearless, and (according to her instructor, Scott) is learning really fast. The swim school teaches a method of swimming that involves rolling over into a back float to take breaths. Kate is doing really well since she no longer struggles to pick her head up, take a breath, and keep swimming. With Luke, Scott is working on getting him comfortable with floating on his back. They do this with babies as young as 2 months old! It's a survival skill that can help them if they were to fall into water- they immediately turn over and float until help arrives. We watched them do a "survival test" with a little guy no older than 2-years-old. They threw him into the pool with all his clothes & shoes on and he rolled over and waited for the instructor to come and get him! It was amazing. I'm having a hard time picturing Luke getting to that point since he screams almost the entire time but Scott is very patient and calm with him so I have no doubt he'll soon be fine. He doesn't mind putting his face in the water but fights like crazy when they make him float. Here some pictures from their first lesson.

Check out these success stories from the swim school:

20 month old Taylor loved the water but couldn't swim, a scary combination. She fought her lessons, but eventually learned to appreciate her ability to back float, especially when she had to use it at the River. Taylor followed her dad out into the water, lost her footing…fell in and saved herself. When her father turned around, he found her floating confidently on her back and he simply picked her up with praise and relief.


3 year old Jamie was riding her tricycle around the swimming pool, caught her wheel on the edge, fell in, back floated, rolled back over, swam to the wall, climbed out and was only upset because her precious tricycle had sunk to the bottom.


Nancy was missing. Mom ran out to the pool and discovered her toddler back floating, fully clothed.


After a panicky search for 11 month old Chad, he was found peacefully back-floating in the family's fenced pool. He had begun lessons at the age of 6 months.


Noah, age 2, was found back-floating underneath his babysitter's spa cover…safe because he learned the "survival turn and back-float".


“Our 18 month old rolled over into a safe back-float position after stumbling in the water at the bay…so glad he learned to swim during the spring so he could safely enjoy summer swimming.” - Castro family


The full bathtub at the Munz home wouldn't drain and was awaiting the assistance of a plumber. In the meantime, little 24 month old Westie was discovered missing and then found, back-floating the tub, hands under his head, just as he had been taught.