What is the SafeSwimSolutions Program?
SafeSwimSolutions is a safety first, swimming second drowning prevention program. We offer one-on-one aquatic safety skills lessons for children eight months and up.
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What Will My Child Learn?
Providing your child with safe, age-appropriate survival skill attainment.
Why Safety First?
Drowning is the leading cause of death for 4 years and under.
8 Months - 3 Years Old
Children 8 months old and crawling to about 3 years old will learn to navigate the water from various presentations, move themselves to the surface, roll onto their back, and maintain an independent float. Some younger 3 year olds will be ready for basic "swim"instruction, which can be added on once the float is established.
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3.5 Years Old And Up
Children 3.5 and older will learn a short basic swim before rolling onto their back to rest and breathe before flipping over to swim again until they reach the side of the pool and crawl out. Older children will learn more advanced arm pulls and productive kicks.
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All age and developmentally appropriate skills will be mastered before moving on to more advanced swimming behaviors. These skills will be learned most effectively and efficiently with a series of consecutive lessons.​
When a child falls into the water, their survival depends on their ability to react immediately. They do not have time to navigate their environment and think about what to do next. That is why our lessons are customized to help each child learn specialized aquatic survival skills by building muscle memory in the event of an accident. ​
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Drowning statistics among young children continue to rise every year despite more availability of swim lessons to parents nationwide. This is where the quality of swim lessons matter. Aquatic safety skills are an invaluable layer of defense against this tragic epidemic.
What Makes Us Different?
Skills before thrills!
Our lessons are skills-based. Ditch the floaties!
Typical swim programs teach children that the water is a fun place where someone or something will be there to support them or help them float. These swim programs focus on play and water acclimation (blowing bubbles, using goggles), not survival. They may be in the water with a parent, so they are not learning how to respond if they find themselves in the water alone. In traditional swim lessons, fun and comfort come first, and competency (skill) in the water is not given the importance it deserves. These programs are time-based, not outcome based, so your child may take lessons for an entire summer (or summers), but still require flotation devices at the end of the season. Your child should not need floatation devices after swim lessons!
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Lessons are short, frequent, and always one-on-one
Your child cannot learn to walk by practicing once a week; they cannot learn to swim that way, either. Research has shown that shorter, more frequent lessons help aid in skill retention in children younger than six years old. Frequent lessons give children more confidence in the water as they learn these new big motor skills.
We prepare your child for real-world accidents
Statistics show that 86% of all children who drown are fully clothed at the time. During the final week of lessons, while under close supervision of the instructor, each of our students has the opportunity to practice their aquatic safety skills in both summer and winter clothing.
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Instructors are highly trained, annually recertified, and have access to medical and support networks
Instructors are trained in childhood behavioral psychology, sensorimotor learning, and actual survival swimming techniques. We have access to medical staff and Master Instructors to provide support if lessons become challenging for students. Instructors keep active certifications in pediatric CPR as well as undergo yearly recertification and training.
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Maintain your child's skills as they grow
Children's bodies grow quickly and undergo many different physical and mental milestones as they age. Your instructor offers several different lesson types to help your child maintain their hard-earn skills as they go through the different stages of development after they've completed new student lessons.
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Become Educated in Overall Water Safety
Aquatic Safety Lessons are just one of the tools we give our families in their Water Safety Tool Box. Our goal is to give our families the resources and information they need to make sure children are not only water-safe, but can play and explore safely. We educate families on proper pool barriers, pool and door alarms, how to designate a Water Watcher during active swimming times, what flotation devices are safe for play and which reinforce drowning postures, and so much more. We remind parents that no child is drown-proof! Children can experience a number of unexpected obstacles, environments, and temperatures if they fall in that make self-rescue difficult or even impossible. Aquatic Safety skills are just one of the many barriers we try to put in place to prevent accidents when all other barriers have failed.
Lesson Structure
Aquatic Safety in just 5-6 weeks*
New Students
Our lesson recommendation for new students under 5 years old is 4 days per week (Monday - Thursday) 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. ​
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Children With ASD, Motor Delays, or Neurological Conditions
Children with special needs or accommodations should plan on 4 days a week for a minimum of 5 weeks.
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Why?
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Children under six years old learn best through short, frequent bursts of practice. Children in this age group also get tired and become cold much more quickly than older children and adults. By practicing a little every day, we slowly build these skills into a child's muscle memory and build their confidence at the same time.
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It is helpful to compare a child learning how to swim to a child learning how to walk. If a child only practiced learning how to walk once a week for 45 minutes (the way traditional swim lessons are set up), they would make less progress compared to a child practicing a little bit every day. Learning the mechanics of walking and balance while building muscle memory and confidence is best through small bursts of repetition. Since navigating the water is a completely different sensory experience, children's bodies need time to navigate and adapt to all the different challenges of being in the water.
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Like with any skill, the more we can 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 upfront, the quicker your child will obtain these life-saving skills.
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