Learning to Swim, All Over Again

Disclosure:  I’m a SwimWays Swim Team Ambassador.  I was provided the items photographed below in order to facilitate my review.  All thoughts, opinions, and photographs are my own.

It’s summer and our pool is open!  Okay, technically, we don’t really close our pools here in South Florida like they do in many other places in the country, but it would be fair to say that our pool goes unused for about 5 months of the year (typically from late October to mid-April) due to “chilly” temperatures in the 60s and the lack of a pool heater.  #SouthFloridaProblems  But with record high temperatures setting in, we finally gave in to the girls begging requests to swim.  Our pool is most definitely open for business…and honestly, I’m a little anxious about it.

You see, swimming lessons were pretty much a bust last year.  And when I say bust, think yelling, screaming, crying on a weekly basis kinda bust.  Such a disaster.  After carefully seeking out a swim instructor with great recommendations that would come to our house, things started well.  The girls even looked forward to her coming to the house.  But somewhere around lesson number 4, fear set in for Greenleigh.  Suddenly, she was terrified.  And then bad weather set in – which seemed to only strike on lesson day, at lesson time – so there were large gaps in time between lessons.  The combination of fear and gaps in time, was bad news.

I kept thinking it would get better, but it just never did.  And while the fear never seemed to set in with Hazeline, Greenleigh’s fits were disruptive to her learning process…to say the very least.  We ended the summer much the same as we started it – with two beginner swimmers.  Since they can’t really swim on their own, one might even say they are non-swimmers (who love the water).

Greenleigh’s problem is confidence.  She can swim.  I’ve seen it and I know she can do it.  And while she doesn’t, I feel confident that she could and would be able to swim in an emergency situation.  The problem is, she doesn’t.  Without a life jacket or floaties on, she doesn’t believe that she can swim.  No amount of pushing or prodding can change that.

Hazeline’s problem is the polar opposite – she has too much confidence.  While Greenleigh is pitching a fit on the side of the pool, screaming and crying that she can’t and won’t swim, Hazeline is jumping into the pool, without knowing (or caring?) if there is anyone there to supervise.  She tries to swim short distances, but often sinks in the process…maybe she doesn’t have the strength just yet?  I don’t know.

I get anxious because we live in South Florida – my kids need to know how to swim.  While my pool is properly fenced, lots of pools aren’t, not to mention the vast number of rivers, lakes, and canals that kids drown in each year.  Learning to swim where we live isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

So this year, we’re approaching swimming a little differently.  In addition to swimming lessons, we’re using the SwimWays PowerSwimr.  Part of the Swim Steps Program, the PowerSwimr is designed to be training wheels in the water for your 3-6 year old.  The PowerSwimr contains a total of 9 hidden float pads – 4 in the front, 5 in the back – which can be removed as your child gets more comfortable in the water.By removing the pads one by one, your child learns to swim at their own pace – their body adjusting to the loss of the float pad without them knowing it – until they are swimming on their own.  It’s learning to swim in steps, or in our case, it’s essentially tricking Greenleigh into swimming on her own (and I’m okay with that).

Although we’ve only been using it for 2 or 3 week, I’d say it’s working.  We’ve already removed two of the float pads from Greenleigh’s PowerSwimr and she never even noticed.  We plan to remove another float pad in the next week or so.  And we’re going to keep removing them until she can swim on her own.  The PowerSwimr insists that she exert effort that life jackets didn’t.  It even seems to quietly force her body into the forward swimming position, instead of the upright position of a life jacket.  The PowerSwimr really is teaching her how to swim…and she doesn’t realize it.  Plus, she LOVES wearing it.  It gives her the security she needs, while providing me peace of mind while she learns.

We haven’t removed any float pads from Hazeline’s PowerSwimr, but that will probably happen soon.

And once Everett is ready to hit the water, his Baby Spring Float (intended for babies 9 months and older) will be ready.  I think he’s going to love it!

So there it is – our swim plan for this summer.  A new approach, which has already shown results.  And since I’ve signed on as a SwimWays ambassador this summer, be on the lookout for updates on our swimming journey.  If you’re ready to start yours, be sure to use the promo code SWIMSTEPS for 15% off any SwimSteps item on the SwimWays website (exp.  6/30)!