Most kids signed up for a Beginner I class don't want to put their face in the water. The first few times we work with each child we go slowly and reassure them . By the end of the first class we are usually taking all of the children under the water. We are always truthful and tell them what they are going to do. After we once take a child under he soon learns that every time we work with him he will be going under and always in the same manner ("1, 2, 3 under, bubbles, kick"). This way, there are no surprises.

If they are not used to going under water, they usually complain and say they don't want to do it at this point. We will reassure them and tell them it is ok to be afraid but we will not let anything happen to them. We also will tell them the more they go under the water, the sooner they will get use to it and begin liking it. This is why once we start taking them under we do it every time we work with them.

If your child is crying because he is not comfortable going under the water, try not to worry about it!! This is the hardest thing for some parents. Your child is not going to dislike the water forever. It is completely normal for them to be crying until they feel comfortable in this new environment. If we did not insist on taking them under the water, it would end up being a waste of time and money because they wouldn't learn anything. The only way we can teach them to swim is to take them under the water. If you will have some patience, chances are your child will be loving the water by the end of the two week session.

Once your child starts swim lessons, we recommend you do not use floaties or any flotation device when they are in a pool. Actually, we NEVER recommend the use of such devices. They give the child a false sense of confidence. A small child who always wears floaties in a pool thinks he can swim. Consequently, when they are around water, they think nothing of jumping in, not stopping to think if they have their floaties on or not. Parents also get a false sense of confidence if their child is wearing floaties. Remember, floaties can easily slide off of the arm and if that happens, the child could quickly be in trouble. This does not mean floatation devices should not be used when boating. Children always should use life jackets when boating, even after they have learned to swim.

Another skill we think is very important is the ability to swim in the deep as well as the shallow. It does little good to teach a child how to swim if they think they can only do it in the shallow. The only way they gain confidence in swimming in the deep is to do it. Thus, we make it a point to spend at least 20-30 minutes of most classes in the deep end of the pool. We always have the child swim to the side of the pool rather than to a person. That way, if they ever fall in a pool, they are conditioned to swim directly to the side rather than to Mom or Dad (if they happen to be out in the middle of the pool).