It seems like just yesterday we were enthusiastically celebrating the end of the school year. We rushed to find the perfect teacher gifts and attended classroom parties complete with ice cream and summer-themed party favors.
On that last day of school, we packed lunches one last time (yessss!), begged our kids to get out of bed, and rushed to make it through the car line. We may or may not have been more excited for summer than our kids were.
We dreamed of days when they would sleep past eight (because let’s be honest, they’re always up at the crack of dawn when it’s NOT a school day), would make their own breakfast, and would be happy to just hang out at home on a lazy summer day.
In those weeks leading up to summer break, we were busy planning the perfect summer for our precious babies. We researched camp schedules - who knew there were so many to pick from?! We gathered swim lesson information. We were determined this would be the summer they learned how to swim. We coordinated vacation plans with extended family. We looked into summer swim team based on a friend’s recommendation, but questioned whether or not our kiddos were really ready for it. Competitive swimming seemed so…hard!
We created our very own scheduling puzzle and worked daily to solve it. Thoughts loomed in our heads: “If we go to the beach the first week in June, then they can do the art camp the second week. If they do swim lessons in the morning, then we can have our afternoons free. If Grandma can pick them up, then they can do the half day gymnastics camp I’ve heard so much about. If our neighbors register for swim team too, then maybe they can give our kids a ride to the swim meets and I’ll come after work.”
The good news is: if you’re reading this, that means you made it. You figured (almost) all of it out. Congrats, you survived the month of June. You found out along the way which camps are worth doing again next year and which aren’t. You spent a small fortune on groceries and are still trying to figure out how two kids can eat so much. You also now know why Sam’s Club sells sunscreen in bulk. Just buy it all. It won’t go to waste. Promise.
The bad news is: July is already more than halfway over. Time is literally flying by. August is looming in the distance. We’re going to blink and our Facebook feeds will be filled with those precious first day of school pictures. You know the ones where everyone’s outfit looks perfect, their hair is nicely combed and the smiles on their faces are genuine and not the ones preceded by, “Not another picture, Mom!”
We’re almost exactly one month away from the start of the school year. And with school comes after-school activities. We go back into scheduling puzzle mode and start the process all over again. Which activities will they want to do this year? Karate? T-ball? How about dance, soccer or Kumon? Oh, and don’t forget about piano lessons!
Just like those crazy summer schedules, there’s SO much to consider and coordinate. We begin the process by making a list of things we can take OFF of our current list. Unfortunately, swim lessons are often one of the things that gets the boot to make time for another sport or activity.
But before you decide to o-fish-ally take a break from swim lessons, please keep reading and hear me out…
You’ve spent the last few months being 100% committed to your child’s swimming.
You’ve made their safety in and around the water your top priority.
You’ve changed your lesson schedule and have added a second lesson each week to boost progress. You’ve booked an Everyday session during your two-weeks of vacation from work because you knew they needed to get started. Remember, you were determined that they’d learn to swim.
You’ve spent hours at the neighborhood pool on the weekends practicing and playing endless games of Marco Polo. You’ve enjoyed splash pad days, beach days, and waterpark days. You’ve tag-teamed with other moms and planned impromptu swim playdates in backyard pools. You’ve had fun swimming with your kids!
But you’ve also been a little bit hesitant about all this swimming stuff. You’ve heard more news stories about childhood drownings than you can count. You’ve read about celebrities like Bode Miller and Granger Smith who have tragically lost their children to drowning. And, with each story you’ve heard, you’ve thought to yourself, “I can’t imagine. I’m so grateful this isn’t happening to us.” I know because I’ve thought it, too.
You’ve read blog post after blog post containing lists of water safety tips. You’ve talked with your children about the importance of water safety and why it’s so important to you that they learn how to swim.
You’ve dealt with their tears and nervousness and brought them to swim lessons even when they didn’t want to come. You brought them to swim lessons even when YOU felt like crying and didn’t want to come. You’ve made sure they were learning the skills they needed to become comfortable, confident, safeR swimmers. You’ve cheered them on every step of the way.
THEY have come so far. YOU have come so far. So, why stop now?!
As a mom, I get it. It’s much easier to juggle with one less ball in the air. But as a swim mom and swim school director, I urge you to consider continuing swim lessons during the school year. Here are some top reasons why you should keep it up:
So, let us know how we can help with that scheduling puzzle you’re working on. And as you look over your laundry list of potential after-school activities, please think twice before marking swim lessons off of it.
Want to register for classes during the school year? Head over to our Enrollment Page and register today!
Written by Stephanie Burns, Site Director, Houston Swim Club Sharpstown, originally published July 15, 2019
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