Summer’s Almost Over...Swimming Doesn’t Have to Be

It seems like just yesterday we were enthusiastically celebrating the end of the school year. We rushed to find the perfect teacher gifts and attended classroom parties complete with ice cream and summer-themed party favors.

On that last day of school, we packed lunches one last time (yessss!), begged our kids to get out of bed, and rushed to make it through the car line. We may or may not have been more excited for summer than our kids were.

We dreamed of days when they would sleep past eight (because let’s be honest, they’re always up at the crack of dawn when it’s NOT a school day), would make their own breakfast, and would be happy to just hang out at home on a lazy summer day.

If only it were that easy…

In those weeks leading up to summer break, we were busy planning the perfect summer for our precious babies. We researched camp schedules - who knew there were so many to pick from?! We gathered swim lesson information. We were determined this would be the summer they learned how to swim. We coordinated vacation plans with extended family. We looked into summer swim team based on a friend’s recommendation, but questioned whether or not our kiddos were really ready for it. Competitive swimming seemed so…hard!

We created our very own scheduling puzzle and worked daily to solve it. Thoughts loomed in our heads: “If we go to the beach the first week in June, then they can do the art camp the second week. If they do swim lessons in the morning, then we can have our afternoons free. If Grandma can pick them up, then they can do the half day gymnastics camp I’ve heard so much about. If our neighbors register for swim team too, then maybe they can give our kids a ride to the swim meets and I’ll come after work.”

There was SO much to figure out.

The good news is: if you’re reading this, that means you made it. You figured (almost) all of it out. Congrats, you survived the month of June. You found out along the way which camps are worth doing again next year and which aren’t. You spent a small fortune on groceries and are still trying to figure out how two kids can eat so much. You also now know why Sam’s Club sells sunscreen in bulk. Just buy it all. It won’t go to waste. Promise.

The bad news is: July is already more than halfway over. Time is literally flying by. August is looming in the distance. We’re going to blink and our Facebook feeds will be filled with those precious first day of school pictures. You know the ones where everyone’s outfit looks perfect, their hair is nicely combed and the smiles on their faces are genuine and not the ones preceded by, “Not another picture, Mom!”

We’re almost exactly one month away from the start of the school year. And with school comes after-school activities. We go back into scheduling puzzle mode and start the process all over again. Which activities will they want to do this year? Karate? T-ball? How about dance, soccer or Kumon? Oh, and don’t forget about piano lessons!

Just like those crazy summer schedules, there’s SO much to consider and coordinate. We begin the process by making a list of things we can take OFF of our current list. Unfortunately, swim lessons are often one of the things that gets the boot to make time for another sport or activity.

But before you decide to o-fish-ally take a break from swim lessons, please keep reading and hear me out…

You’ve spent the last few months being 100% committed to your child’s swimming.
You’ve made their safety in and around the water your top priority.

You’ve changed your lesson schedule and have added a second lesson each week to boost progress. You’ve booked an Everyday session during your two-weeks of vacation from work because you knew they needed to get started. Remember, you were determined that they’d learn to swim.

You’ve spent hours at the neighborhood pool on the weekends practicing and playing endless games of Marco Polo. You’ve enjoyed splash pad days, beach days, and waterpark days. You’ve tag-teamed with other moms and planned impromptu swim playdates in backyard pools. You’ve had fun swimming with your kids!

But you’ve also been a little bit hesitant about all this swimming stuff. You’ve heard more news stories about childhood drownings than you can count. You’ve read about celebrities like Bode Miller and Granger Smith who have tragically lost their children to drowning. And, with each story you’ve heard, you’ve thought to yourself, “I can’t imagine. I’m so grateful this isn’t happening to us.” I know because I’ve thought it, too.

You’ve read blog post after blog post containing lists of water safety tips. You’ve talked with your children about the importance of water safety and why it’s so important to you that they learn how to swim.

You’ve dealt with their tears and nervousness and brought them to swim lessons even when they didn’t want to come. You brought them to swim lessons even when YOU felt like crying and didn’t want to come. You’ve made sure they were learning the skills they needed to become comfortable, confident, safeR swimmers. You’ve cheered them on every step of the way.

THEY have come so far. YOU have come so far. So, why stop now?!

As a mom, I get it. It’s much easier to juggle with one less ball in the air. But as a swim mom and swim school director, I urge you to consider continuing swim lessons during the school year. Here are some top reasons why you should keep it up:

• Swimming keeps kids physically active and complements other sports: Swimming is a great form of full body exercise. Benefits also include increased flexibility and core development, which can enhance children’s performance in other sports as well.
• Smaller classes sizes during the off-season:2. Smaller classes sizes during the off-season: If you have a pre-school aged child who can come for lessons between the hours of 9a-3p, then it’s very likely they won’t be in a full class with 4 students. We will hold a class even if there’s only one student enrolled, so you may even receive a private lesson at a group lesson price!
• Free make-ups and flexible scheduling: Parent teacher conference? Running late at work? Have a sick kiddo? We understand that sometimes you just can’t make it all work. We got you covered! Free make-ups are available to all students! We also know that although changes are hard, they’re inevitable. We’re happy to work with you anytime you need to change your class schedule.
• One step ahead of the rest by next summer: We operate year-round so that our students can build upon skills learned in the summer and continue to progress in their swimming. If you stop swim lessons completely until next spring or summer, then it’s likely that your child will need some “refresher lessons” and will spend time re-learning skills they had previously mastered. If they continue through the school year, then they’re able to retain the muscle memory, which leads to the development of new skills and, eventually, to swimming! Can you imagine how much less stress you’d have next summer?!
• Learning to swim properly takes time: If I decided today that I was going to take up playing the violin, then it would take MANY lessons before I’d be proficient with it. Learning to swim is no different. For example, taking a 30-minute swim lesson once a week for 2 months in the summer gives your child a total of 4 hours of instructional time. Unfortunately, that is not enough time for them to master swimming properly, especially with younger children. We have to be patient and trust the process.
• Drownings don’t only happen in the summer: This is my top reason not to stop swim lessons during the school year! Our hot Houston temps keep us company for much longer than we’d like, which means we spend time around pools, lakes, and beaches practically until Thanksgiving. At HSC, we want to ensure that your child knows what to do if they accidentally fall into the water. Accidents know no season and can happen in January, June or October. Stopping lessons to “take a break” means your children won’t be actively practicing key water safety skills…skills that could very well save their life.

So, let us know how we can help with that scheduling puzzle you’re working on. And as you look over your laundry list of potential after-school activities, please think twice before marking swim lessons off of it.

Summer’s almost over, but swimming doesn’t have to be.

Want to register for classes during the school year? Head over to our Enrollment Page and register today!

Written by Stephanie Burns, Site Director, Houston Swim Club Sharpstown, originally published July 15, 2019