SwimSmartNow

SwimSmartNow teaches the pediaswim method to children 6 months to roughly 6 years. One of the skills included is the back float. Infants and toddlers cannot raise their heads to take a breath, so they are taught to roll completely over onto their backs to float, relax and breathe. Babies are quite buoyant and can remain in this position for a very long time, even while fully clothed.

Typically between 4-6 weeks, at 15 – 20 minutes per lesson, 5 days per week… roughly 20-30 lessons of basic training. It is also recommended to continue on with maintenance lessons 1-2 times per week.

The lessons are on a one to one ratio with the instructor. The lessons are short and tailored for the learning style of a very young child. We use a variety of methods, combining the best ideas from PediaSwim. A specific skill may be the focus on a certain day if a child seems to be struggling on a specific task.

After a bit of time working with the child, it is suggested that the parents get into the water with the teacher to learn how to practice these same maintenance skills at home. After the child has mastered many of the skills necessary to accomplish swim-float-swim, there will be a few days of different layering of clothing. Clothing presents more of a real life scenario to the child of what it would be like to fall into a pool.

Toddlers do best with short lessons multiple times per week, rather than one long lesson. This program is flexible because children have different styles of learning.

No, but it is best for the child to at least be crawling because that is when self rescuing skills become needed for safety. It is recommended to start around 6 months.

Yes! Many students have tubes in their ears. Sometimes their ENT has special instructions that need to be followed. Some children that are still prone to ear infections even with tubes just wear ear plugs while they swim.

Yes! I am trained to work with children that have special needs and behavioral issues. Some special needs cases require doctor’s approval prior to the first lesson. It is rare, but children with underlying medical conditions such as seizures, I am unable to work with because of breathing / safety concerns.

Lessons are taught at my home in South Sarasota near Proctor and Swift.

Lessons need to be conducted as closly together as possible. However, since lessons at this time will be conducted outdoors, weather can become a problem. Since at this time lessons are being held at individual pools, times that day can be adjust as well as being moved to another day that week (Saturday or Sunday).

If you are registered and completing the PediaSwim course, you will be paying weekly for five ten minute classes. If weather is an issue you will be able to make those up with no charge.

Keep in mind that there is not an exact number of classes that your child will take to complete the course. Every child is different so and the amount of classes will differ from child to child.

My training and certification comes from PediAswim Academy. I was trained by Joy McGinty at South West Aquatics in Orlando FL. Joy is very experienced in her field with over 30 years of teaching and training infant self-rescuing swim lessons. Joy owns and operates her own swim academy.