Thanks to our friends at Goldfish Swim School-Dublin, Goldfish Swim School-Westerville, and Goldfish Swim School-Lewis Center for sponsoring this post and providing an opportunity for such a great way to learn to swim. The opinions that follow are solely those of the author.
It’s September. Summer playdates are wrapped up, and kids are back in school. As regular schedules of school and after-school activities slowly begin to fill these warm late summer/early fall days, this grandma is reminiscing about swim lessons back in the day, being around the pool with my mother. She was forever slathering me with Coppertone suntan lotion (remember that smell?) and holding my hand firmly as we walked past the diving boards to find our place near the shallow end for swimming lessons. We didn’t know much, but we knew to stay clear of The Deep End until given proper permission, which was somewhere around third grade. Crossing over into The Deep End was truly a summer rite of passage and was unrivaled in excitement besides Christmas morning and birthday parties. I was around 5-years-old, and that was The First Summer of Swim.
Swimming Lessons, Circa 1970
It was 1970 at the Griffiss AFB, NY, base pool. Moms were waiting with their bandana-wrapped hair and circular sunglasses that took up most of their faces, standing in the grassy area with 5,000 young children, give or take a few. Mind you, we all had the first two months of summer to cram in swimming lessons and earn class patches that signaled we were one step closer to the elusive goal of playing in The Deep End. Oh, to be a swim instructor back in the day, right? #maybenot
I loved swimming – everything about it. I loved the challenge, was pretty acclimated to the world of water and looked forward to lessons. You remember those lessons: packed in ten deep as instructors demonstrated, took us a few at a time to ‘test’ where we were with progress then headed us back to the wall.
Where we sat. For a while.
The water was a special brand of cold, it seemed, and the pool was full of splashing, kicking arms, legs, and heads all trying to gain a skill which in the end was called swimming. At times, it wasn’t pretty, but if it worked it was good enough for the patch. Add to the mental picture the sound of whistles and cries piercing the air and voila! Swim Lessons Circa 1970!
The Deep End
I eventually did get to The Deep End, and eventually moved with my military family to the island of Okinawa, where it was almost year-round swimming and lessons and swim team. Swimming lessons being offered eight months of the year with outdoor pools was a difference-maker: we never lost ground. We were swimming and enjoying the water all of the time due to lesson accessibility. (Truth be told, my sight was set on becoming one of the cool lifeguards and swim instructors because they pretty much ruled the world. Admit: it seemed pretty glamorous!) Yes…I did indeed become a lifeguard and was a swim instructor in the summers while attending university to become a teacher. My heart was never so excited as when a student first went under water fully, big eyes looking up but not afraid this time, or floated on his back for the first time.
On Being a Grandma to Jax
Fast forward to 2018 – the year I became a grandma to Baby Jax! He is the one who can make me forget about the schedule of a day, lose track of hours while watching him play. Along with other grandparents of the world, his grandfather and I want to ensure that he has every opportunity to become his best self in life and mature into a mindful and capable adult. Somewhere in that life process comes the reminiscing of what I did as a child myself and as a mom for my children: provide swim safety lessons. Long before our eldest daughter was married or had Jax, I met the owners of Goldfish Swim School through social media platforms, and they became clients of my small business. I so enjoyed the wife-and-husband team of Lisa and Steve Armitage and what they stood for in the world of swim safety lessons. As a former educator, I recognized the developmental stages of their swimming instruction and the level of continual training and support for their staff. I spent time with their staff in team development sessions and got to know them as community friends. To this day, I have many GSS friendships, built far before little Jax came along. But now that he is here…..#gameon!
Gifting experiences is something I enjoy for our daughter and her family. It is meaningful and truly creates a memory for all. One of the best things about Goldfish is that they begin lessons early – around 4 months old. In the Mini Ones sessions, parents or grandparents join the child and the lessons focus on early water introduction. Over time, we see Jax and his lesson buddies increase their water confidence while building small skill sets like turning over on their backs, reaching for objects and going underwater as a natural part of the swimming experience. The best part? I see the same excitement in the smiles of the Goldfish Swim Instructors that I had years ago as a swim instructor when I’ve been there with Jax and his parents! As a grandma, I’ve found my happy place for Jax’s lessons.
#thegrandparentlife
In our hurried lives today, having the support of grandparents (whether near or far) is beneficial in many ways!
-Grandparents living nearby can help transport young swimmers to and from lessons and even be IN the water with the child for younger lesson series.
-Grandparents can gift experiences such as Goldfish Swim School lessons instead of buying more toys. Just head to your local GSS, purchase a gift certificate, and the staff will take care of the rest!
-Grandparents are wonderful support mentors from a distance and can help them set goals with their grandchildren for lessons.
-Parents can record and share their children in water safety lessons. These videos and pictures offer a topic to talk about when families Skype or Facetime across the miles.
-Grandparents can join in the fun at the Friday night Splash Nights which are held monthly at each Goldfish school, including the first-ever Grandparent Splash Bash on Friday, September 6, from 6:30-8pm. There will be special giveaways and a pizza dinner and dessert are provided!
Join me, Jax and all of the parents, grandparents, and grandchildren who continue to celebrate swim safety together, as one big Goldfish Family!
Swimcerely,
Grandma Deb
I love this! Clinched my Christmas idea plans Miss Debbie (May include a lipstick, inside joke)!!!!
I have watched a little one change over the last year in our rooftop pool…, unbelievable… and our little resident is still a toddler… all due to the Goldfish Swim School.
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