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*Many thanks to Goldfish Swim School for inviting us to check out their facility and classes! As always, the thoughts and opinions expressed below are entirely my own!

I think having our kids learn to be safe near water at any age has been impressed upon us all in the last few years, especially.  Every time a fresh tragedy happens, I weep for the helplessness and heartbreak the families must feel, and it dedicates me even further to taking the time and energy to prioritize water safety in our own family.  We used to live in Los Angeles, where swimming was a huge part of kids’ every day life– and when we first moved to Connecticut, we had a pool for two years.  We had a pool where we used a safety pool cover, and my kids were super tiny so they were always with an adult outside, but I don’t think those protections are enough anymore.  It makes me so much better knowing that my kids are learning water safety AND swimming at the same time.  Today I thought I would share a bit about how we are doing that as a family!

A few months ago, Goldfish Swim School reached out to me to ask if we wanted to check out their facility.  To be honest, I hadn’t heard of them before, and I was a little weary of a swim school because it my mind I had always imagined them as pretty chaotic or dingy and dirty.  Our experience at Goldfish couldn’t be further from this, so I really wanted to share! First off all, the swim school is absolutely adorable, and as somebody who loves a “branded” moment I think they do the cutest job.  It’s super clean, with individual changing rooms that are bright and cheerful (and they even have bumbo seats to help with tiny babies when you have your hands full.)  

You go to check in at the front desk, where they also sell snacks and drinks, and then the kids get to pick up their weekly “prize” which is a cute puzzle, craft, or a goldfish-themed toy.  They also sell goggles and swimsuits there.  You bring your own towel and gear, and then after changing, the kids line up near the big glass window.  There are seats set up for the parents, a little area for siblings to play, and even a charging station for those of us that like to use the time to scroll the ‘gram. LOL. Your child gets assigned a lane and the kids learn in small groups, or even one on one if there aren’t that many kids signed up for that particular time slot.  Goldfish has checklists of safety milestones at every level for the kids to “pass” in order to move on, and even teach them little songs and games for what to do if they fall in to a body of water (float on their backs, or swim to the side and pinch it like little crabs!).  

Marlowe and Major swim at different levels (Marlowe is a pretty good swimmer already) but they both love their lessons, and feel comfortable at the level they’re at.  The lesson lasts half an hour, while we wait outside, and then we get to check out their progress at the end.  They give us a report, and let us know when they move up a level.  I always shower the kids after right there, since it’s so clean and nice.  They even have a hair drying station and place to spin their suits.  

It makes me feel so good knowing my kids are learning a life skill, and having fun at the same time.  And it makes me rest a bit easier as a Mom.  I’m excited to see how much progress they will have made by next summer!

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