Frequently Asked Questions
HOW ARE THESE LESSONS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SWIMMING PROGRAMS?
Our primary focus is to teach you child to become a productive swimmer, or floater in any depth of water. The goal is that your child become an "aquatic problem solver". Survival swim lessons will greatly increase your child's chance of surviving an aquatic accident, even when fully clothed!
IF MY CHILD IN UNDER ONE YEAR OLD, WHAT COULD HE/SHE LEARN?
Children between the ages of 6-12 months old are taught to roll over and maintain a back float position in the event of an accidental fall into the water. Teaching your infant to float takes approximately 4-5 weeks. Private 10 minutes lessons per day. Skilled infants are taught to maintain a back float in a bathing suit or in clothing. If you own a hot tub, pool, boat, or just enjoy the water, we highly recommend survival training once you infant begins to crawl.
IF MY CHILD IS OVER A YEAR OLD, WHAT COULD HE/SHE LEARN? WILL HE/SHE ACTUALLY LEARN TO SWIM?
YES! Your child will learn swimming skills. Children over the age of one year are taught to swim with their face in the water, and when they sense the need for air, to roll back onto their back to float. After resting and breathing, they will roll over and continue to swim to the nearest point of safety. A child is taught to perform this swim-float-swim sequence until they reach safety. Children also learn to perform this sequence in their clothes. If a child does not see a way out of his predicament, he learns roll over onto his back and maintain a back float position. This buys the parent time in the event of an accident. This same sequence is most often used for fun at the pool! The confidence and self-esteem of these young swimmers is truly amazing! Teaching your 12 month to 6 year old will take approximately 4-7 weeks of private lessons. The lesson format is the same as for the infants.
ARE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN SAFE?
YES! We are dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being are closely monitored.
HOW DO YOU TEACH A BABY TO SWIM?
SOS Swim instructors teach infants to swim by honoring each child's individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development and of sensorimotor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills; they use this education to guide each child through the sequence of learning to swim and float.
WHY SHOULD PARENTS ENROLL THEIR CHILD IN SURVIVAL SWIM LESSONS?
Our parents enroll their children because they understand their children's abilities and want to give them every opportunity to learn. They also feel it is important to teach their children how to surface and breathe should they find themselves alone in the water. Research shows that there are better times to learn certain things and swimming is best learned early in life. (Newsweek and Drowning Statistics)
WHY AREN'T PARENTS IN THE WATER DURING THE LESSONS?
We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our research shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water.
WILL MY CHILD BECOME FEARFUL DUE TO LESSONS?
There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in a dangerous environment. The lessons taught at SOS Swim are not like traditional swim lessons; they include a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming. Your child may not happily skip to his or her lesson each day at first, but that's okay. Sometimes as a parent, you make sure your child does things for his or her safety, like wearing a seat belt, because you know they are important. The same can be said for swim lessons.
FUN can be defined as when SKILL meets CHALLENGE. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.
When you learn about our program, you know this is the most important level of protection you can give your child to prevent drowning. If fences, supervision, and alarms fail, your child's skill is an additional measure of protection.
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS DOES THE SOS LESSON EXPERIENCE PROVIDE STUDENTS?
Every child is different; however, many parents report that once their young children have mastered learning to swim, the resulting confidence in the abilities engenders a positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects of their personalities.
HOW DO CHILDREN KNOW TO HOLD THEIR BREATH?
Breath holding skills are taught in the first lesson. We shape breath control using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. We start by timing breath holding with submersion for the child and then begin to transfer those skills to the child.
WHAT ABOUT HE USE OF FLOTATION DEVICES AND LIFE JACKETS?
Flotation devices give children a false sense of security and hold them in postures that are not compatible with swimming skills. If a child learns that he can jump in the water and go into a vertical posture and he will be able to breathe, he is getting the wrong idea about that environment. Flotation devices are for children who cannot swim. Children, who cannot swim, should not be allowed to learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch. Life jackets must be worn in a boat or around the water when there is the potential for an accidental submersion; they are not a substitute for the ability to swim or for adult supervision.
WHAT OTHER LESSONS WILL MY CHILD NEED?
We recommend that you bring your child back for refresher lessons. Frequency depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refreshers is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if you child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons. Refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their aquatic skill and abilities grow with their bodies.
Our primary focus is to teach you child to become a productive swimmer, or floater in any depth of water. The goal is that your child become an "aquatic problem solver". Survival swim lessons will greatly increase your child's chance of surviving an aquatic accident, even when fully clothed!
IF MY CHILD IN UNDER ONE YEAR OLD, WHAT COULD HE/SHE LEARN?
Children between the ages of 6-12 months old are taught to roll over and maintain a back float position in the event of an accidental fall into the water. Teaching your infant to float takes approximately 4-5 weeks. Private 10 minutes lessons per day. Skilled infants are taught to maintain a back float in a bathing suit or in clothing. If you own a hot tub, pool, boat, or just enjoy the water, we highly recommend survival training once you infant begins to crawl.
IF MY CHILD IS OVER A YEAR OLD, WHAT COULD HE/SHE LEARN? WILL HE/SHE ACTUALLY LEARN TO SWIM?
YES! Your child will learn swimming skills. Children over the age of one year are taught to swim with their face in the water, and when they sense the need for air, to roll back onto their back to float. After resting and breathing, they will roll over and continue to swim to the nearest point of safety. A child is taught to perform this swim-float-swim sequence until they reach safety. Children also learn to perform this sequence in their clothes. If a child does not see a way out of his predicament, he learns roll over onto his back and maintain a back float position. This buys the parent time in the event of an accident. This same sequence is most often used for fun at the pool! The confidence and self-esteem of these young swimmers is truly amazing! Teaching your 12 month to 6 year old will take approximately 4-7 weeks of private lessons. The lesson format is the same as for the infants.
ARE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN SAFE?
YES! We are dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being are closely monitored.
- No child is ever thrown into the pool.
- A child is never submerged for more than 7 seven seconds.
- Instructors monitor your child throughout the course of lessons for physical and psychological well-being.
- Your child's daily routines outside of lessons hold valuable data for your instructor. You will receive instruction on how to communicate this information to your instructor.
HOW DO YOU TEACH A BABY TO SWIM?
SOS Swim instructors teach infants to swim by honoring each child's individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development and of sensorimotor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills; they use this education to guide each child through the sequence of learning to swim and float.
WHY SHOULD PARENTS ENROLL THEIR CHILD IN SURVIVAL SWIM LESSONS?
Our parents enroll their children because they understand their children's abilities and want to give them every opportunity to learn. They also feel it is important to teach their children how to surface and breathe should they find themselves alone in the water. Research shows that there are better times to learn certain things and swimming is best learned early in life. (Newsweek and Drowning Statistics)
WHY AREN'T PARENTS IN THE WATER DURING THE LESSONS?
We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our research shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water.
WILL MY CHILD BECOME FEARFUL DUE TO LESSONS?
There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in a dangerous environment. The lessons taught at SOS Swim are not like traditional swim lessons; they include a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming. Your child may not happily skip to his or her lesson each day at first, but that's okay. Sometimes as a parent, you make sure your child does things for his or her safety, like wearing a seat belt, because you know they are important. The same can be said for swim lessons.
FUN can be defined as when SKILL meets CHALLENGE. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.
When you learn about our program, you know this is the most important level of protection you can give your child to prevent drowning. If fences, supervision, and alarms fail, your child's skill is an additional measure of protection.
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS DOES THE SOS LESSON EXPERIENCE PROVIDE STUDENTS?
Every child is different; however, many parents report that once their young children have mastered learning to swim, the resulting confidence in the abilities engenders a positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects of their personalities.
HOW DO CHILDREN KNOW TO HOLD THEIR BREATH?
Breath holding skills are taught in the first lesson. We shape breath control using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. We start by timing breath holding with submersion for the child and then begin to transfer those skills to the child.
WHAT ABOUT HE USE OF FLOTATION DEVICES AND LIFE JACKETS?
Flotation devices give children a false sense of security and hold them in postures that are not compatible with swimming skills. If a child learns that he can jump in the water and go into a vertical posture and he will be able to breathe, he is getting the wrong idea about that environment. Flotation devices are for children who cannot swim. Children, who cannot swim, should not be allowed to learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch. Life jackets must be worn in a boat or around the water when there is the potential for an accidental submersion; they are not a substitute for the ability to swim or for adult supervision.
WHAT OTHER LESSONS WILL MY CHILD NEED?
We recommend that you bring your child back for refresher lessons. Frequency depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refreshers is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if you child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons. Refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their aquatic skill and abilities grow with their bodies.
