The SafeSwimSolutions Program was developed by Master Instructor, Gaylynne Sword, who has over 15 years of experience teaching thousands of lessons and training 50 instructors across the US, including myself. Our goal at Safe Swim SoCo is to provide your child with quality, safe, age-appropriate aquatic survival skill attainment while also offering flexibility in the length of lessons and required number of weeks. We will assess and adjust lessons to each student’s needs, considering not only physical readiness, but emotional readiness for the challenges of learning independent survival skills.

Drowning is the leading cause of death and injury for children under 4 years old and the second leading cause of death and injury for children over 5 years old. Despite increased access to swim lessons, drowning statistics among this vulnerable age group continue to rise. Learning how to navigate the water safely at a young age is a vital skill. Aquatic safety lessons help children become competent and confident in the water. We believe that every child has the ability to learn these valuable, life-saving skills while also learning how to play and explore the water safely. SafeSwimSolutions also provides a strong foundation for more developmentally appropriate swim skills as they age (ie. strokes and side-breathing).

SafeSwimSolutions is based in science; namely it honors the way children under six learn to navigate the world. By practicing frequently and consistently, children build muscle memory, coordination, and confidence much more quickly and efficiently than if they only practiced once per week. For those children with medical or motor challenges and those in the special needs community, a medical team coordinates with instructors so that all children learn how to swim safely and make progress. Instructors follow rigorous safety checks before, during, and after lessons to make sure children are making progress safely. After a child is fully skilled, instructors offer additional support and teach parents how to swim with their child, as well as help educate families on barriers of protection to prevent drowning accidents.

Swimming skills are tailored to each child's abilities in our one-on-one lessons. Generally, children 8 months to 3 years old learn how to navigate the water from various presentations, move themselves to the surface, roll onto their back, and maintain an independent float. Some younger children will be ready for basic “swim” instruction, which can be added on after the float is established. Children older than 3 years will learn a short basic swim before rolling onto their back to rest and breathe, where they will then flip over to continue swimming until they reach the walls, steps, or a parent. About 86% of drownings occur during non-swim times, so children also practice their self-rescue skills in summer and winter clothing (with a regular diaper and shoes). As children become more confident and adventurous in the water, we work on how to jump into the pool, float, and swim back to the wall; how to safely dive for swim toys; and how to safely play with others in the water.

SafeSwimSolutions Lessons are developmentally appropriate for children 8 months and up. We work with you and your child slowly, while still making progress in their attainment of these vital aquatic safety skills by tailoring our day-to-day lessons to the needs (physically and developmentally) of your child. We also understand that life is hectic, and try our best to work with your family's schedule to create a program that works for you.

Crying during the first week or two of lessons is developmentally appropriate for small children. As parents know, children cry for many reasons: hunger, tiredness, frustration, separation anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, etc... And during lessons, we are asking them to go outside their comfort zone little by little everyday, so we expect a little resistance as they try new things. Especially in the first few weeks, there are so many new things they are experiencing: I am a stranger and haven't established a relationship with them, they might be in the water for the first time without floatation devices or without a parent, they've had a bad experience with the water and are bringing emotions from that experience, they've watched and heard parents or caregivers talk in a "scary" way about the water. All of these things come into play and are acted out in their emotions. We have never seen any correlation of trauma or fear surrounding the water after lessons. In fact, it is almost always the opposite. Many children who were fearful of the water come to love it as they gain the confidence and skill to successfully navigate the water independently. It's also worth noting that children are resilient! They can handle small challenges, and during lessons I am always looking for ways to positively reinforce your children and encourage and congratulate them on even the smallest skill so that we can build up their confidence right from the beginning! Reading the following post might help anxious parents (and children) about starting lessons.

Yes! Our program has many strict safety protocols in place before, during, and after lessons. We are "eyes-on" at all times with your child monitoring respirations, abdominal distension, temperature and physical fatigue, and much more.

Our lesson recommendation for students 4 and under is 4 days per week for a minimum of 5 consecutive weeks for optimal skill attainment and retention. Older children with some aquatic experience and minimal anxiety can schedule 3 days a week for a minimum of 3 weeks. Children with an ASD diagnosis or any neurological or physical challenges should plan on 4 days a week for a minimum of 5 weeks. Like with any skill, the more we practice, the more proficient we become. We will work with you and your child to ensure that reliable skills are obtained in a reasonable amount of time. The more time you can commit up front, the quicker your child will obtain these life-saving skills.

The SafeSwimSolutions Program honor the way children under six years old navigate and experience the world. Infants, toddlers, and adolescents at this age learn mainly through proprioception (how their bodies move and interpret information as they explore new environments). The best way for them to build muscle memory, coordination, and confidence is to practice a little bit every day. You see this in action when young toddlers learn to walk. Everyday they will practice pulling themselves up on furniture, taking a few unstable steps with their walker, and finally taking independent steps on their own. Each time they practice, they improve their balance and coordination, and ultimately earn the confidence to walk on their own. Swimming is no different. Water is a different sensory environment that children must learn to navigate. They must learn how to hold their breath, how to correct different postures and learn how their bodies interact with the water. Since children have short attention spans, shorter lessons keep them engaged and moving. Shorter lessons are also safer for young children since they are more likely to become cold and fatigued much more quickly than older children.

We encourage parents to sign up for regular Maintenance Lessons year-round and can be scheduled as frequently as once per week to as much as once every four weeks. Since children are going through so many growth spurts where their densities and centers of buoyancy change, these lessons are designed to grow with your child as their bodies grow (and they grow quickly). Frequent practice also make them more successful if they ever have to use their skills in an emergency situation. If children have been out of the water for more than three months, we offer Refresher Lessons. Refresher Lessons "refresh" a child's skills. These lessons last 1-3 weeks and children come up to 15 minutes per day (Monday - Thursday) for 1-2 weeks.

Training to become an instructor requires approximately 85 hours of academic work and approximately 75 hours of in-water training. Instructors must annually recertify and keep active pediatric CPR/First Aid certifications. Additionally, I am currently completing the Swim AngelFish program, an adaptive swim program to help students with special needs, ASD, autism, and sensory processing disorders.

Yes! Since lessons are always one-on-one, we are able to move as slowly or as quickly as we need to in order for your child to make progress in the program. If a particular student is having a challenging time, instructors have access to a team of instructors and Master Instructors to create a game plan to help your child succeed. For children with complex medical needs, instructors follow-up with medical staff weekly and have specialized safety protocols in place to give your child the safest lessons possible. Although swimming for this demographic may look different than for other children at the same age, we believe every child should learn how to navigate the water in a manner that is appropriate developmentally and physically.