Since we’d never been with FOSS before, I set up a level assessment for our three-year-old, Ryland. I’d heard great things about FOSS from other moms. But I was still skeptical.
I’d taken him to community recreation swimming lessons when he was younger, and had a pretty bad experience. The set-up there was just bad. Dirty locker rooms, freezing water that made the kids cry, and freezing air after made it impossible to get him changed. Also, I wasn’t sure this would provide more than an introduction to the water.
So let’s just say I was skeptical. But right away, the facility blew me away. The locker rooms! They’re clean. And warm. The pool area was bright and warm. Can you tell warmth is important to me? They even had an enclosed waiting area where my 20-month old could play. No worrying about him wandering off into the pool. These might seem like small details, but they make a huge difference to me.
As for the actual assessment, the Instructor was amazing at engaging my son. Ry wasn’t completely relaxed at first, but warmed up due to the teacher’s antics. High fives, tons of encouragement, silly games.
Toward the end, Ry trusted this unknown person enough to attempt back floating and submerging his face for prolonged periods. Two things that are difficult for him to do with people he trusts! The instructor even sang Ry’s favorite song: the National Anthem (Ry loves hockey). You know you have a good one when they are willing to do something like that to make the kids happy.
As we go forward with our lessons, I’m excited to see my boys improve. I think Ry has enough body awareness to be more independent in the water than he is now. And I cannot wait for him to realize he can float and swim on his own. He will be so excited and will take off from there. Our little Sullivan hasn’t had a ton of experience in the water, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts. But I can’t wait to find out.
About Kerri
Job: physical therapist
Kids: Ryland (3) and Sullivan (20 months)
Previous swim lessons: Community recreation program
Experience with FOSS: First time!
Why’d you choose FOSS: I’d heard great things from other moms.
Why do you think swimming is an important skill: We spend a lot of time on the lake between our family cabins and vacations. It’s also for our peace of mind and our kids’ ability to have more independence. Knowing they can perform the basics if/when they happen to evade our line of sight is huge.
