Columbus Swimming Resource

***TAKEN***
Waitlist families- Check your email! Check your spam! I have ONE January opening left!

Due to high demand, I will be closing off my waitlist to new families on July 1st. Future sessions will be available to returning families first and then opened to waitlisted families. Email [email protected]

There are a few refresher slots open for RETURNING students in May! Check the Scheduler link!

Did you know that the US Coast Guard does not even evaluate any flotation devices for use in pools? That’s because flotation devices were never meant to be used in them.

Do not be fooled by the labeling on the device. Even if it says coast guard approved, it does NOT mean it was evaluated for or safe to use in a pool setting.

Flotation devices used in a pool setting cause children to learn bad body posture for swimming and surviving in the water.

They drop kids into the vertical, drowning position and teach them muscle memory for that position. That means any time they go to water, once they have this muscle memory, they will drop into that position automatically, without thinking about it. It is dangerous and very hard to unlearn.

They make little ones think they are “swimming” or “floating” on their own, without help, because the child doesn’t make the connection in their brain that it’s the device that is keeping them up in the water, and not their own ability. We even encourage this by telling them that they are “swimming” when they really aren’t. This gives them far too much confidence around water and a false sense of safety.

They are much more likely to try to get into the water without you or their device, after having used these devices regularly in the pool.

Many of these devices should not even be used in open water either. Water wings, any inflatable children’s device and puddle jumpers are just a few to stay away from entirely.

Open water, such as rivers, lakes and oceans are the ONLY places that flotation devices should ever be used and ONLY US Coast Guard approved life jackets should be worn there.

They should always be worn in open water, by children and adults.

Why there and not the pool?

The pool is controlled water, where kids can practice learning what their own bodies can and can’t do in the water. It is a place to learn to swim.

Open water is uncontrolled and unpredictable. There are strong currents, powerful waves, dangerous entrapment elements under the water like branches and rocks, huge temperature fluctuations, low visibility, sudden drop offs and marine life…all of which make it unpredictable and potentially dangerous on its own, thus the need for the extra protection of a life jacket.

Open water is what life jackets were made for. Keep them there!

What can you do in the pool instead?

1) Skill your child as soon as possible-we recommend survival swim lessons for kids 6 months-6 years old.

2) While your child is a non-swimmer (and this includes during the time they are in the process of learning to swim), never be outside of an arm’s reach of them at any time in or around any water.

3) When they learn to swim, designate a water watcher whose job it is to watch the kids 100% of the time with no talking, texting or distractions of any kind. Switch water watchers every 15 minutes to avoid any attention fatigue.

4) Most child drownings happen when kids aren’t supposed to be in the water. They find a moment when you are distracted and sneak back to the water without you (remember what I said above about that false sense of confidence and safety). For this reason, watch the kids extra closely in the hours after swim time is over.

5) Use barriers like a four sided pool safety fence with a self closing, self latching and locking gate, locks and alarms on all windows and doors that lead to the pool area and make those alarms different from your house alarm so you immediately know if someone is accessing an exit to the water. Don’t forget to lock the dog doors too!

6) If a child goes missing, check the water FIRST! Seconds count with drowning.

7) Learn CPR-it can save their life!!

It’s that time of year. You’re strolling through the aisles at a local store or scrolling the websites online, and you’re seeing all of the absolutely adorable kids swim suits. Every ounce of you has been waiting for the day you get to pick out the cutest suits, shades, and summer gear for your mini me. Don’t deny it. We’ve all been there. I mean, come on, is there anything cuter than a baby or toddler in a swim suit and sunglasses? I don’t think so.
BUT, can we shift your focus for just a sec?
How much thought do you put into the COLOR of the swim gear you pick out? Did you know that the right color can literally save your kid’s life in the water? It’s sounds dramatic, but it’s true. The right color can make the difference between being easily seen and blending in. This year, do your best to keep color in mind when you’re gearing up your cuties. Here’s why:

This is what we see happening over and over again when kids are put in flotation devices regularly when they go to the pool.

This is what happened to Judah too.

Toddlers just don’t register in their minds that the device is what keeps them up in the water. They think they are doing it themselves, so they develop the idea that their own bodies automatically float when they get into water.

Time and time again, they find the water later, when they aren’t supposed to be in it, when you are distracted with daily life things or with other kids, at a time when they don’t have their flotation devices on them. Time and time again, this is how they drown.

Flotation devices are not swim aids. They don’t help children learn to swim. They simply make them buoyant in the water while the children are wearing them. Parents, you may understand that the kids can’t float without them but your littles often don’t get that. They get confident and feel safer than they should in the water because of these devices.

They are impulsive at that age too. They will see water and just go for it, weather you are there or not…whether the flotation device is on or not.

Time and time again, this is what we see is leading to our babies drowning.

Parents, leave the flotation devices for open water (oceans, lakes, rivers), where they are very much needed. In the pools teach your babies what their own bodies can and can’t do in the water by keeping the flotation devices off of them and keeping them within arm’s reach of you at all times instead.

This will mean adjusting the way you take them to the pool. It will mean maybe not taking them to the pool when you have multiple kids with you, until you can have enough adults there to watch them all properly. It may mean more splash pad or sprinkler days instead. It may mean you need to get creative and do one-one-one dates with your kids at the pool. It WILL mean you will need to be in the pool with your littles…

….but it may also mean the difference between life and death for your children.

As a momma who lost her child this way, I can say that I’m thinking it’s worth the extra effort.

📣📣 WATER SAFETY TIP 📣📣

When shopping for swimwear... your choice matters! Choose bright colors that are easy to spot quickly. In a water emergency, when seconds count, your child will be easier to spot. Steer away from muted colors - blues, grays, or colors that blend into the water easily. The sooner your child is spotted - the safer they are.

Another good idea - When headed to the public pool or beach, snap a pic 📸 with your phone before play begins. That way you have a picture of your child in their current outfit if they get lost!

When you can't find them - check the water first!

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