Building Confidence, One Stroke at a Time

Disclosure: This post is sponsored, however we do not partner with businesses we do not feel bring value to our readers. Opinions expressed by this writer are 100% her own.

Confidence. There is a difference between confident children and snooty, nose up in the air, know it all children. I’m hoping, and on my knees praying, that confidence is what radiates from my children as they begin to grow older (gahh. stop growing up already).

So many activities, words, relationships and life experiences can help develop our children’s levels of confidence. I had no idea, (in fact I was seriously clueless), that after 4 weeks of lessons at  Goldfish Swim School  that the confidence levels in my 4 and 2 yr old ladies would skyrocket. I mean SKYROCKET.

The occupational therapist in me adores so many of the benefits of structured swimming lessons – neurological development, bilateral coordination, direction following, multitasking, neural reorganization, social development. But, it is the increased level of confidence, in such a short amount of time, that has blown me away.

If you have not visited Goldfish Swim School , you should. No, you need to. From the moment you walk in it screams ‘kids paradise!’ The staff is welcoming, the colors are bright and warm, the theme is tropical, the fish in the tanks are alive & colorful, (yes, alive and swimming) and the structure of the lessons is one that seems to attract children.

They follow a perpetual lessons model which includes the following:

• One life-guard certified instructor for every four children
• Year-round swim lessons for children 4 months to 12 years and for swimmers of all abilities
• Curriculum focused on teaching swim and safety skills while building character
• Flexible scheduling to accommodate even the busiest family’s schedule

Sure, the gift bag both of my girls received on the first day did help with their adjustment (what little can say no to Goldfish crackers, a tshirt and a bag) but  more then that was the entire experience. Both of my littles were excited to start swimming, without mama mind you, but after just one day of lessons they were no longer excited, but rather ecstatic about their return. They feel loved and encouraged when in the water, and they WANT to try new things that they usually would not do when it’s mama or daddy in the pool with them. My youngest now goes all the way under the water, I am talking like 2 inches of water above her little dishwater-blonde furhead, and my eldest now floats on her back with assistance, AND goes all the way under the water.

Toward the end of each lesson their teachers review water safety with them. That’s right, at the ages of 4 and 2 my little people are learning REAL LIFE water safety. How to exit and enter the pool and where to go if they ‘fell in’ and needed to swim to a ledge or to a person. People. THIS IS MAJOR. We are currently rounding out our 2nd month at Goldfish Swim School and I love it just as much as my kids do.

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