Question 1

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

I travel to your home pool or HOA pool to give swim lessons. I do not have a set location where I teach.

Question 2

Where do you teach?

Accepted Answer

I travel to the following areas in the East Bay: Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, Concord, and Orinda.

Question 3

Do we need our own pool for the lessons?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you must have access to a home or community pool (HOA pool, condo pool, apartment pool, etc.).

Question 4

Does the pool need to be heated?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for lessons the pool must be heated to at least 86 degrees. For children 4 years and under it is best at 88 degrees.

Children are more sensitive to cold than adults. If they are shivering or uncomfortable their focus shifts to coping with the cold rather than learning to swim.

Question 5

What is the best age to start swim lessons?

Accepted Answer

You can learn to swim at any age. I teach to children as young as 18 months.

Drowning is the number 1 cause of accidental death in children under the age of 4, getting an early start will help in the layers of protection. ​According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the best age to start swim lessons is around one year old as it can significantly reduce the risk of drowning; most experts agree that children between 1 and 4 years old are developmentally ready to start learning basic water safety skills in swim lesson. Every year thereafter it becomes more difficult and takes more time because of the fear factor.

Question 6

When will my child be a water safe?

Accepted Answer

Every child is diffrent and learns at their own pace. The younger a child gets started, the sooner they will become safe and happy swimmers. At the same time, no child is 100% water safe and should always be supervised near pools.

To be safer in the water, it is crucial for children to learn how to swim to the side of the pool with thier face in the water and how to float on thier back. This means, there are a number of different techniques that need to be learned and practiced first independently. Then the student must learn and practice how to use those skills combined to ensure safety in deep water.

Question 7

How long does it take to learn how to swim?

Accepted Answer

Learning to swim, just like learning any skill is not something one can learn in just a few lessons and in many cases requires more than one summer. It requires continued practice and feedback to learn new water skills and execute proper technique. It is important to remember that every child is different and has a different learning curve. I recommend beginners take 2-4 lessons per week as well as practice outside of lessons for the fastest progress.

There is no magic number, as every child has different emotional and developmental abilities. However with continued lessons I have taught many students who have mastered swimming strokes that allowed them to swim safely in open water and join swim team!

Question 8

How many lessons should my child take per week?

Accepted Answer

For the new swimmers, I recommend starting lessons at 2-4 times per week. For students under the age of 4, I only teach 15 minutes lessons as the average attention span of that age range from 8-12 minutes.

I recommend 30 minute lessons for older and more experianced swimmers looking for help with swim team stokes and those looking to learn more advance swim skills like treading water.

Question 9

What are your swim lesson rates?

Accepted Answer

Please see scheduling page for lesson rates.

Question 10

When will I be charged for my lesson package?

Accepted Answer

Lesson packages are paid up front before the first lesson. ​

Question 11

Do you provide a trial lesson?

Accepted Answer

I do not offer a trial lesson. However, if you are unsatisfied after the first swim lesson, you may request a refund for the remaining lessons in the session provided you contact me within 24 hours of that first lesson. After this 24-hour period, no refunds will be issued for any reason.

Question 12

Do you offer refunds if I am unsatisfied with lessons?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you are unsatisfied after the first swim lesson, you may request a refund for the remaining lessons in the session provided you contact me within 24 hours of that first lesson. After this 24-hour period, no refunds will be issued for any reason.

Question 13

My child cries for the entire lesson. Should I take them out of the pool? Should I discontinue lessons until they are older?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, almost every child I have taught has cried during their first lesson. Knowing you aren’t the only one won’t make it any less stressful, but I hope knowing it is very common can help ease your mind.

Two most common reasons for crying during lessons are fear of the water and separation anxiety (especially if you are usually with your child around-the-clock).

Although each child progresses at a different pace, generally the crying will stop before or around the 3rd lesson when a bond of trust is developed. Sometimes it takes longer and it is important to remember that each child progresses at a different pace. However there are some things you can do to help your child along the way!

Question 14

What can I do to help ease my child anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Stay in out of view. You want to be around your little swimmer to reassure them, I know, but actually, they will likely get acclimated more easily with you out of sight. Why? I use positive reinforcement to make your child feel safe and comfortable in the water, but I can not compete with mom and dad when it comes to that instant security! When your little one sees that you trust me with them, they will realize that they can trust me too.

Offer positive support. This could be offering your child encouragement they get in the pool, a celebratory treat after lessons, or lots of praise on the way home for a job well done.

Reinforcing desired behaviors. We celebrate everthing from getting in the water on thier own, not crying, and learning new swim skills. Help your child have the best experience during swim lessons by focusing on the positives and reminding them before each lesson about the great things they did before so they can do them again.

Practice skills at home. You can practice those new skills in your own pool or at home in the bathtub! The more comfortable your child gets in and around water of any kind, the more they will be excited to learn more!

And here are some things to NOT to do:
Don’t allow your anxiety to show through. I know it's rough to see your kiddo upset. But, it’s amazing how much kids pick up from those around them. If you seem anxious to let your new swimmer into the pool, they will feel that and react the same. Stay calm and collected when you bring your child to the pool steps, and know you are doing a great thing for them by allowing them to learn to swim. Often, the loudest criers grow to enjoy swimming the most!
Don’t discontinue lessons altogether or pull your child out of the pool halfway through the lesson. This only reinforces the crying behavior and makes learning how to swim much more difficult. Stopping lessons all together can be even more detrimental because it allows time for the child’s fears to grow. Swimming is an important lifelong skill that everyone should have. Stopping lessons shows your child that it isn’t important and is something to fear. Over the years I’ve developed a number of ways on how to help children feel at ease in the water, but sometimes it just takes time to develop familiarity and trust. Most of the young children I teach have only spent time with people they have known their whole life and learning to trust someone new takes more than a few minutes.
Don’t offer direct bribes. In a short time, your child will be enjoying lessons and become excited to jump in the pool.​​​

Question 15

What if my child doesn’t like water on their face?

Accepted Answer

I have a lot of experience with children who do not like water on their face. This is often where lessons fail and avoiding swimming sets in.

The best way to get a child comfortable putting their face in is repeated exposure. Followed by gentle coaxing and a lot of praise.

For younger children, I request the help of parents in encouraging children to put thier face in the water outside of lessons. If you act like a putting your face in the pool is no big deal, they will learn to treat it like no big deal.

All of us have a different comfort level with the sensory experience of water in our eyes, nose, and ears. It can be even be vastly different between sibling. Being patient and gentle while encouraging small wins will keep ensuring progress towards the goal. I have found time and persistent practice is the best way to make it an exciting experiance to go under water.

Question 16

Will you have to physically guide my child during swim lessons?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is no effective way to teach swimming without hands-on instruction, especially for beginners. Proper technique, particularly head positioning, is critical for safety and long-term success in the water. All new swimmers instinctively try to keep their face out of the water, which puts them in a vertical position, the very posture that leads to drowning.

To break this instinct and develop correct form, your child will need physical guidance. This is most commonly a steady hand on the back of the head to encourage chin-down positioning. This isn't optional.It's a foundational part of how proper swimming is taught. Even adult swimmers require this kind of correction early on, so it's entirely expected that children will too.

With 8 summers of teaching and mentorship under an instructor with over 30+ years of experience, I follow a time tested method.

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