This post is brought to you by our friends at Goldfish Swim School. During our partnership, I’ll be sharing all about our experience and what the kids are learning.
I love seeing my kids smiling, laughing, and willing to just jump right into something new without hesitation. It means they are not only comfortable with the situation and the people involved but that they have the self-confidence needed to try new things. It’s one of the main reasons I like to see the kids involved in activities like baseball, cheerleading, soccer, and swim lessons. I don’t mind paying the participation fees, shopping for gear, spending an hour doing hair if it means they are truly enjoying the activity and having big takeaways from it.
With swimming, we’ve seen our kids do amazing things. I don’t know if the people at Goldfish Swim School put a magic spell on the water, or if they are pumping in fresh oxygen laced with feel-good vibes or what, but whatever it is, they can’t stop. The kids, even when feeling a little under the weather, are SO excited and so ready to work on their sea otter floats, kicks, pulls, and all the other skills they are mastering.
I see their confidence growing each week. Sure, we have moments where it’s a little scary – it’s new! That’s to be expected though, what matters is that they don’t give up because it’s a little scary, or because they aren’t floating or putting their eyes in yet.
Our oldest has cognitive delays and sensory issues, and I really worried about getting him in the pool. He’s not even a fan of being splashed, so I wasn’t really sure how a full-on in the pool experience would go. I see his hesitation each week, but what I don’t see is him giving up. I don’t see him asking to sit things out. I see him participating, trying his best, and working through the things that feel weird or throw his balance off or just freak him out.
The other thing I see every week is how I’m NOT nervous when it comes to him specifically in the pool. Ask me later about seeing Haley swim independently under water. Swimming is a big, huge deal to a family with special needs. Swimming is an entirely independent experience, you have to learn to swim on your own, you can’t always have someone helping you stay afloat or helping you kick and pull. Seeing Brenden do those things, working on them each week with Andrew, I’m PROUD. This kid has been through it all, and with him turning 13 in May (oh my god, we have a teenager…), becoming independent (and more responsible, but that’s another blog post) is increasingly important as we start to look towards junior high and high school.
The confidence he’s learning at Goldfish Swim School is something amazing. You guys, it’s more than just jumping in a warm pool and having fun. The staff go above and beyond and each child is treated like royalty. When a milestone is met, it’s celebrated. It’s not just checked off a development chart or anything, it’s CELEBRATED. It’s that, combined with their curriculum and approach to lessons, that is what teaches these kids how to swim but also how to face their fears, become more confident with themselves, and trust that they are going to be swimming in no time!
To learn more about Goldfish Swim School and where the nearest location is (hey, we drive 35-40 minutes and it’s worth it!), visit their site.