Let’s talk about swimming…
In order for me to share how much Goldfish Swim School in Brookfield has impacted our lives, I first have to explain how badly I have an {irrational} fear of water. I don’t have a fear of water for myself. I know how to swim just fine. But, I have this absolutely horrible fear of Noah in and around water. I’m not talking about an “oh, be careful” kind of fear. I’m talking more of a “hover less than 2-inches from him and don’t let a drop of water hit anywhere near his face” kind of fear.
I sense that this has naturally rubbed off on Noah because he has never liked water much. He’s never been a bath kid and the couple early swimming “lessons” that we did with him at the YMCA and through Tosa Rec didn’t go over well.
But we got a pool pass at Hoyt Park Pool anyway. We went one time and before we even left the pool, I called to sign Noah up for swimming lessons at Goldfish. I had heard a lot of great things about their program for a few months so I was hoping it would work for us – both me and Noah.
If you aren’t familiar with Goldfish Swim School, they are a state-of-the-art aquatic facility that is dedicated to indoor swimming classes and programs for children, ages 4 months and up. A few things they offer (as listed on their website):
- A unique curriculum that’s convenient and can work with your busy schedule
- A wide variety of available program options, including infant and toddler swim lessons
- Shiver-free pools that are a pleasant 90° all year long
- An emotionally and intellectually stimulating environment
- Air-conditioned viewing galleries equipped with free Wi-Fi
- Convenient access to snacks and swim gear
- Safety and supervision at all times
So, what was our experience?
The first few weeks were rough.
The very first week of class Noah wouldn’t even go in the water, but the teachers were incredible with him! During class there are always extra lifeguards walking around the pool deck. Miss. KT was one of those extra lifeguards and she noticed right away that Noah was the new kid and was super scared. She got a couple of toys and sat with him on the side while he watched the other kids. She spent the entire class trying to convince him to get in the water. She managed to get him to sit on the edge with his legs in the pool. Even though he didn’t make it fully into the water, it was a big deal for him that she was there and spending that extra time and attention with him.
Then, week two…he was still very scared and wouldn’t go into the water and insisted that Miss. KT help him in the pool. Luckily she was there again, she sat with him and managed to somehow get him into the water! She and Mr. Joe were even able to convince him to do a couple of the activities with the class!
Then, week three…he got in the water by himself! It was a true miracle. But, I was still freaking out! Freaking out so much, in fact, that I was literally tracking my heart rate on my Apple Watch. I told you, it’s a truely irrational fear.
Well, the freaking out for me lasted about three more weeks and then I got pretty comfortable myself. And now, about five months into classes, Noah is doing AMAZING! He loves going to swimming class, will let Mr. Joe dunk him under water and is slowly progressing on all of his goals!
Here are a few photos to give you a look into the classes (Note: we are usually in Mr. Joe’s class and I would highly recommend him. I just happened to bring a camera on a day we had a different teacher)
Other good-to-knows about Goldfish…
- Classes aren’t done on a “session” basis like a lot of other swimming lessons or classes. Instead, it’s more like a membership. You sign up for your classes and then you are billed monthly. You can cancel anytime.
- Class flexibility is amazing! When you sign up for classes, you choose the day and time you want to sign up for. But, if you have to miss a class for any reason, they will let you reschedule that class for another class that has an opening anytime during the same month. That is a very nice little perk for weeks when you’re out of town or have to miss a class.
- Class size ratio is 4:1. This sounds a little scary at first because you don’t know how one teacher can keep track of four toddlers in the water, but it works. The kids actually do really well.
- Goggles are important. Make sure that you have a pair or you can buy them there.
- The track your progress every couple weeks and give you a nice little progress report with how many of the swimming skills your kid has completed and what they will continue to work on.
