SwimWithJennifer@gmail.com
See “Register” page for details.
I’m now completely booked through summer 2024. If you’d like to be on my 2025 waiting list, please email: SwimWithJennifer@gmail.com, sending me your name and phone number. In March 2025 I’ll contact you regarding lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
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My child won’t put their face in the water. Is it possible for him/her to learn to swim?
Yes! Everyone is different, but generally, people of all ages (infant to adult) can learn to become comfortable with their face, ears and entire head submerged underwater while swimming. It may feel a little “funny” at first, as they get used to the new sensations, but children especially adapt quickly, and once their face is in the water, they are on their way! We are usually able to accomplish this on the first lesson.
What is the number one impediment to my child putting their face in the water and learning to swim?
Goggles! As counter-intuitive as it may seem, goggles actually cause most children to become MORE fearful of putting their eyes/face in the water. Goggles keep the water out of the eyes, so when your child wears goggles, they have a false sense of no water going into their eyes. Then, when they fall/get pushed into the water (almost always without goggles on) the water goes in their eyes and they panic, and tend to forget their swimming skills. The important thing is to normalize the feeling of water going into their eyes, as just a part of the swimming experience. Then, should they fall into a pool, the water in their eyes won’t be a scary, new feeling. They’ll be far more likely to take that moment in stride and swim back to the side. This is huge–it makes such a difference in your child’s long-term comfort-level and safety with the water. Please don’t let your children swim or play recreationally with goggles until they are already accomplished, safe swimmers.
What is a realistic expectation for him/her, after lessons are completed with the Swim With Jennifer program? I’ll answer this question in 2 parts: infant/toddler and child.
Infants/toddlers: I like to call these “water acclimation” lessons. Your child will be learning to submerge completely with eyes open, sit or stand on the edge of the pool and jump off to you, and they will learn the beginnings of floating on their back. At this age, children usually do best in lessons where a parent is in the water with them, while I instruct parent and child in proper swim techniques.
Child (ages approx. 3-10+): This is a prime age for really learning to become an independent swimmer. I strongly recommend that parents have their children learn to swim before age 7, as it gets harder for them to learn as each year goes by. They can still learn to swim very well at an older age, but (as with most things) we learn quickly and well when we learn it younger. At this age a reasonable expectation would be for the child to learn (in 10 lessons) to swim with their eyes open underwater (no goggles) from one end of the pool to the other, rolling over and taking breaths every 3-6 feet. Jumping off the edge into the deep end and swimming back to the side to climb out. Beginning diving off the edge of the pool. Swim to the bottom to pick up toys. Safety and survival rules and strategies are given throughout every lesson.
Why do private lessons cost $75 per lesson? Group lessons are much cheaper. Private, one-on-one swimming instruction is a much safer, faster, more productive learning experience for a child. Having 100% of the teacher’s attention during a lesson greatly reduces a child’s anxious feelings, plus the child is receiving 25 full minutes of instruction instead of just a few minutes of the teacher’s sub-divided time and attention. During all lessons I am closely watching the child’s breathing, anxiety levels, making sure they don’t aspirate or swallow water, and making sure they are completely safe. I have taught group and private lessons in my 38 years of teaching swimming, and I ultimately stopped teaching group lessons several years ago because I saw it as a safety hazard to be teaching more than one swimmer at a time. In my observation, it typically takes 3+ summers of group swimming instruction to achieve the same safety/skill level that students are regularly able to achieve in 10 private lessons over just a few weeks.
