Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons and other lessons have been hard for me to figure out. We've moved around (different states) enough for me to have enough experience with different lessons to know what I like and what I don't. Everytime we take swimming lessons, I'm always hoping the teacher will just have my kids swim laps. But that rarely happens. I also like lessons to be 45 minutes to an hour - otherwise they seem too short. Currently, I haven't found swimming lessons that fit my criteria. They are all short - 30 minutes. It seems like you just get in the water before you're getting out.

So we decided to try a new approach to swimming lessons. We decided to buy a one month pass to our swimming pool and treat it like it was swimming lessons (as an added bonus it cost as much as swimming lessons for 2 kids - we have four kids). We committed to go swimming at least 3 days a week, with the option of going more days. Our kids committed to swimming their age in laps each time we went, and then they could play the rest of the time.

It has been fabulous! Everyone has become much better swimmers. It's not always easy to get ourselves to the pool, but we committed and we've done it. Most weeks we've made it four times a week. Our 2 year old has figured out how to use a life jacket and float on his back with it. He swims around by himself and especially likes to play at the "playground" in the water. Our 5 year old also figured out how to use a life jacket and loves to do the lazy river on his own, throw his goggles and swim after them, and swim back and forth on the bridge. Our 9 year old learned to "butterfly" (and is really good), has learned to swim her laps faster, and has almost learned how to do a handstand in the water. Finally, our 11 year old has become an expert at the weird things in the pool. He likes to swim around under the water and look at what goes on under the water. He has gotten lots faster at swimming his laps and even did 20 laps one day without stopping!

Organizing is about figuring out what works for you. When I couldn't find swimming lessons that worked for us, I figured out something that would. It has exceeded my expectations and hopes. With only one week left of our month at the swimming pool, we're working to fit more visits in, looking forward to summer when we can use our new skills, and excited for April when we'll have time for something new!