Turn the Crying into Smiling!

New experiences can be overwhelming for kids. Learning to swim is no different. At Big Blue Swim School, we make sure that experience is as comfortable as possible, but it's still not uncommon for kids to cry at their first swim lesson. It's OK. It's normal.

Why is your child crying?

• It is a new experience. The pool is a new place for your child. There are new sights, smells, sounds, people and interactions in the pool environment. It can be sensory overload
• Separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can happen over night and can happen at any age.

What can parents do to help their child through their swim lesson?

• Stay in the viewing area, not on the pool deck in their direct sight line.
• Offer continued support and encouragement. When you are in the viewing area, give your swimmer a little wave or a quick thumbs-up to let them know they are doing great.
• Reinforce desired behaviors. At Big Blue, we love to give high-fives for every little accomplishment throughout a lesson. Each level has a set of skills that must be completed before moving up to the next level, swimmers will get a star checked off in your family account for each skill they complete. Once all skills have been completed, your child will receive a ribbon and move up to the next level.
• Talk to the managers or Deck Supervisors. We encourage parents to chat with us. We'll tell you our approach, what's working, and what lesson changes we can make to smooth the transition into swimming. We listen to your thoughts as well, and together we come up with a plan that's best for your child.

How we help your child quickly gain confidence.

• Our teachers are trained to be reassuring, to make eye contact and show a big, genuine smile even for little successes. They also adapt to each swimmer's learning style so your child learns to swim in the way he or she processes information best.
• We move on to the next skill only when your child is ready. Every swimmer learns at a different pace, so we will never rush them through a checklist of activities just to move them up to the next level. We take teaching seriously and we take your child's safety seriously. That's why we're patient, thorough and make sure everyone has fun. In our years of experience, we've learned that fun goes a long way.

So relax. Your child's tears and anxious expression soon will be replaced by a big happy, "I can do this!" grin. Because everything we do is aimed at making sure Life's Big Moments Start Here at Big Blue!