I have two granddaughters - Sunshine is three, and Sweet Stuff is five. They’re going to the beach with their mommy (my daughter) and daddy in a week. My daughter wanted the girls to have swim lessons so they’d be safer around the hotel pool.  She asked around, and found a woman who has an unusual approach to teaching young children to swim.
I’ve been to two of the lessons, and they’re incredible!  They’re not really swimming lessons as much as they’re survival lessons. The lady who teaches the lessons had a child who drowned at a young age. He’d had swimming lessons at the Y, but those lessons didn’t teach him how to survive if he fell in a pool.  So the mom researched and found this method of survival swimming, she found someone who taught it, and now she has made it her mission to teach it to others.
Today was “graduation day” for Sweet Stuff. She had to be in the water - fully clothed - jeans, long-sleeve shirt, hooded sweater, shoes and socks. She was able to alternate swimming (under water, eyes open) and resting (floating on her back) to get to the side of the pool - fully dressed with heavy, wet clothes on! She was able to do it even when she was disoriented by being flipped head over heels (which would most likely be how they’d feel if they fell into a pool). Seeing young children flipped like that, then coming up and swimming, rotating over to float, and then swimming again until they reach the side of the pool - just amazing!
The most incredible thing is that these children do this with big grins on their faces. They are so proud of themselves, and they’re confident. They don’t fear the water as some children do. The teacher is amazing. She never forces them. When children are hesitant, she guides them and shows them they can do it. She encourages the children and praises their efforts, and they keep plugging away at it. I observed one lesson in which she was working with a baby - maybe around a year old - who was able to alternate between swimming and floating.
When the children get water in their noses and start coughing and choking, it’s treated as “that’s what happens sometimes - no big deal. You can cough it out and get over it.” And it isn’t a big deal! The children learn to not panic and to simply handle whatever happens. If the child is tired and can’t swim any more? They rotate over onto their backs and float for awhile until they’re ready to swim again. They call it “resting.” The children are taught to swim with their heads under water and their eyes open. It makes sense - they have to see where they’re going. Swim, rest, swim, rest, swim - until they reach safety. No goggles, no floaties, no flotation devices at all.
The lessons never last over ten minutes each. That’s good because after ten minutes, the kids are exhausted. Each lesson is one-on-one with the instructor. Parents are always right there watching each step — and, in my case, grandparents and other interested friends and family.
I’m so proud of Sweet Stuff. She graduated with flying colors today. Sunshine is scheduled to graduate on Tuesday.
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