When looking into swim lessons for your youngsters, how can you possibly choose the best program? There are lots of options available and they all offer value in many different ways. For me, water safety has become more important than anything since my children have started swim lessons. I'm not sure that I even knew how important that component was before we began. 

The amount of small children who drown every year is staggering but according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, research has shown a reduced risk of drowning in preschoolers who had taken swimming lessons. This is because operations like Goldfish Swim School prioritize water safety above all else. Wrapped into a fun and exciting environment of course! 

It can take quite a few years for a child to become a truly independent swimmer. But in the meantime, learning life saving water skills are invaluable when they are at an age most at risk for drowning. I love seeing my young 2 year old crawling along the side of the pool using her hands, and then pulling herself out of the water. She does this absolutely every week, burning into memory what she would have to do if she fell into a pool. She even did it at the public pools this summer just because she thinks its a fun thing to do and I love that she's continuously building enough strength to pull herself out of a pool on her own. 

The "wall crawl" is just one of the many life saving techniques that my children learn during their swim lessons. The back float being another important technique to save energy when trying to swim a longer distance. Considering how fast a stressed child can tire out, to know how to roll over to their back and relax is a wonderful skill. 

So yes, the in class swim safety is superb. But did you know that Goldfish Swim School also has a wonderful community outreach program? They actually go out into the community and educate children on the importance of swim safety! For FREE! The program offers a 25 minute session to area preschools, elementary schools, scout troops, and parent groups (Hello mom groups out there! How awesome would this be?) For 2016 alone, 4500 children were educated through Goldfish water safety presentations. This is truly life saving knowledge and it's so amazing that it's offered free of charge, whether you are interested in their swim lessons or not. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation, contact diane.cowgill@goldfish.com 

And if you don't want to take my word for it, Lizzie Cowgirl and Lisa Armitage actually got to present at the Goldfish annual conference on the success of their water safety program! Kudos Goldfish, keep on doing what you're doing. 

Happy (and safe) swimming!!