Water Survival with British Swim School

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We partnered with British Swim School Central Maryland for this post, but the commentary is 100% my own.
Getting acclimated to the water

For our family, summertime is all about making fun memories and playing in the water. Whether it is visiting one of the local splash places or pools, we look for the opportunity to have our kids get energy out through water play. But, water poses unique risks for kids since drowning is the single greatest cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4. So, it is incredibly important to teach kids water safety and water survival. 

Enter British Swim School

To be honest, I hadn’t signed my daughter up for official swim lessons until I realized we had waited long enough and she really needed a strong swimming foundation. I am thankful that I easily signed her up with British Swim School.

Teaching water safety to a group of toddlers seems daunting to me, but the Instructor does it so effortlessly. When you walk into the class you are greeted by the Deck Ambassador with British Swim School, then the kids sit on a circle to the side of the pool to wait for instruction. The Instructor keeps things fun and upbeat by singing songs and making jokes as they get in the water. There are always (at least) two British Swim School employees on location for swim lessons. One Instructor in the water, one Deck Ambassador on land signing people in and helping the Instructor as needed. The child to teacher ratio is amazing. One teacher for every four kids, but often times there are fewer than four kids. The instruction is tailored to each student and the instructor’s patience is inspiring. 

Chasing the instructor by kicking legs

Water Safety

My daughter is pretty fearless with water (both a good and bad thing) and I love the fun ways I’ve seen her advance in the pool since starting British Swim School. I have even learned some things that I can try to help her improve when we are in the water together. After her lessons with British Swim School, if she fell into the water, I think she could save herself which is a mental relief! 

British Swim School’s main goal with all kids is water safety. In fact, their motto is “survival of the littlest” and they start classes as early as 3-months (with a parent assisting). Typically kids attend a 30-minute class once or twice a week on an ongoing basis. British Swim School has no semesters or series; instead, enrollment is based on meeting your goals and the child’s capacity to advance. As children grow in their swimming abilities, they advance to another one of their nine levels. After kids have officially proven they can save themselves in water, they get instruction on how to become a stronger swimmer. They also offer a swim team for older kids and even adult classes. Plus, it helps that if you ever need anything, when you call British Swim School, you actually talk to someone. I find this so helpful!

Float like a Starfish

Location, Location, Location

One of the unique things about British Swim School is the various class locations they have. They rent space at many pools throughout our area to provide a place for lessons. Each venue is different and they want to work with you to find what fits for your family and child(ren). I love that I was able to choose from about four locations that were all near our home. Each having different times that best fit our family’s schedule. 

Also, parking is typically easy and free or super inexpensive. A lot of locations are also located close to a Metro too. Another one of the cool perks with British Swim School is their Swag Bag you get on your first day of class. They hand out their signature (adorable) swim caps, a red swim bag, information about classes, and a lanyard. To keep things fun, they also recognize a child’s first day of class or class advancement with a special photo. 

If you have been thinking about a place to ensure your child can save themselves if an unfortunate water accident happens, look no further! 

Feeling very satisfied after swim class

 

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Courtney Whittington
Courtney was born and raised in Louisiana where she met her husband (married in 2005). They have moved several times, but finally feel very settled in NW DC after moving back in 2016. She has four energetic kids: Cormac (2010), Evangeline (2013), Solomon (2016), and Antoinette (2019). She thinks motherhood is absolutely wonderful, but is constantly trying to figure out how to manage it all. She spends her days talking Star Wars, playing with legos, doing crafts, having tea parties, and chasing her toddler. Motherhood is wonderful and wild and in 2017 she banded together with other mothers to start DC Area Moms to inspire, learn, and grow together. She loves morning coffee, chocolate, chatting with people since she's an extrovert, a clean house (which is rare these days). She dislikes when her kids don't listen the first time, she abhors littering, and doesn't enjoy shopping.