Dipping in Our Toes: Our First Swim Lessons

I don’t precisely remember learning how to swim. I do remember my heavy-duty yellow flotation device and how easily my eldest brother was able to push down around the edges to submerge me against my will. I also remember my little orange “arm floaties” not faring much better against his wrath. Memories of my three-year-old self struggling against the current grew into more daring memories of my teenage self cliff diving at Canyon Lake.

First Swim Lessons

Despite growing up with a pool, the term “water safety” wasn’t really a part of my vocabulary. It was essentially sink or swim. That’s not to say the occasional summer swim lesson wasn’t provided to help us learn proper diving and stroke techniques, but my earliest memories of swimming are basically supervised drowning. I wouldn’t say I’ve been scarred for life, but when I heard about Infant Swimming Resource’s Self-Rescue® Program (ISR), I was instantly on board to get our then-two-year-old, “O”, signed up!

After completing the preliminary registration, watching the demonstration video, and investing in some super cute bathing suits and cover-ups for my little one, we were all set! The first thing that struck me as different about this method is that the parent does not get into the water. He/she is present to provide encouragement but does not interfere with the conditioning that goes on. The one-on-one lessons with the instructor are meant to last 10 minutes and cover a sequence of skills, starting with floating on your back, going to swimming with face in the water, and returning to a floating position. The idea behind the ISR method, which was established in 1966, is that children will develop confidence in life-saving techniques, preparing them to swim to safety and call out for help. We expected to have four to six weeks of these mini-lessons to get O where she needed to be. Our instructor, Jennifer, made sure we knew all the rules and expectations, particularly the “no food an hour before class rule,” which helps prevent the need to suddenly go potty or spit-up when trying to swim.

We arrived early to our first lesson so that O could see the child before her during his lessons demonstrating the floating technique O would be learning. I thought, “No biggie. She’s excited and will do great!”

First Swim Lessons

Boy, was I wrong.

O spent the first half of her 10-minute lesson clinging to Jennifer, who patiently escorted O around the pool, allowing her to acclimate. After that, she gently held her so she partially floated on her back, with assistance and LOTS of whining. After a few days, O was floating, with a little protestation. But every time she emerged from the water, she was smiling.

We had good days and bad days, but mostly good. She was always excited to go, worked hard, and slept like a rock. And while as parents we may have valued the joy of a good cannonball splash in our youth, we could see the confidence blooming in our little girl. By the end of her six weeks of lessons, she was floating like a pro and frankly more concerned about her hair than anything else (she definitely didn’t get that from me!).

Swim Lessons for Little Ones

Obviously, these are not your ordinary swim lessons. They are just one piece of the water safety puzzle. Adult supervision, fences, and alarms are all necessary elements to ensure safety for children around water, but we feel like equipping our kids with the skills to have a hand in their own safety gives us and them the confidence to become strong swimmers and lovers of the water. Our almost 10-month-old son, “J,” is starting his lessons in a few weeks, and we just know he’s gonna make a splash!

 

Celina
Celina is a “professional volunteer” serving on multiple nonprofit boards and advisory groups. In her former life she started a nonprofit, which she left last year in the most capable of hands where it continues to thrive. In another past life she was a host and reporter for Texas Public Radio. She’s a “native” Texan and life-long San Antonio Girl. She attended school in Chicago where all she did was talk about how great Texas is. Her husband, Luke, is her high school sweetheart and the most supportive spouse you’ll ever meet. They have two children whom words can’t currently describe, but keep reading and you’ll get a pretty good idea who they are becoming.