For us parents, the difficult parenting decisions begin as soon as (and even before) our babies are born.
This pediatrician or that one? Disposable or cloth diapers? Formula or breast milk? Enroll in daycare or become a stay-at-home parent? This discipline strategy or that one? Public school or private school? And the list goes on.
Parenting is HARD.
As our children grow, we are faced with making decisions about many things that hadn't even crossed our minds. And now that they’re here, and in our daily care, the very thought of giving some thought to those un-thought thoughts is so overwhelming.
For many parents, swim lessons are one of those things.
That's where our team comes in to help.
Our team members have countless conversations with parents of all types. They never know how the conversations will go, but they do their very best to answer questions, provide information, educate and ensure they end on a positive note.
Some conversations are easy, and some are hard.
Many parents come to HSC already educated on the importance of swim lessons. These parents are committed to our mission before we've even had the chance to fully explain what it is. Some of these parents are swimmers who grew up taking lessons and swimming on swim teams. Some were swim instructors in their previous lives, and know just how vital learning to swim is.
Some come to us in search of a fun, positive activity for their children. They are looking for a place where their child can enjoy themselves while also learning a few new skills. Learning how to do butterfly or do a flip turn is the furthest thing from their minds.
Some come to us out of a place of tragedy and fear. They have experienced the very worst when it comes to the dangers associated with water. They have suffered the loss of a loved one or a friend and are committed to ensuring their child does not become another statistic.
Some conversations are easy. Some conversations are hard.
There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has completely changed almost every aspect of our lives. However, the pandemic hasn’t changed the drowning statistics. Drowning kills more children ages 1-4 than anything else except birth defects, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
53 children have drowned in Texas so far this year.
We are committed to reducing that number.
Anxiety levels and feelings of uncertainty are currently at an all-time high. Our comfort zones and "normal" ways of life have been turned completely upside down. Believe me, our business feels it too. We sympathize wholeheartedly with the magnitude of it all, but are committed to moving forward. We are dedicated to putting one foot in front of the other, holding to our mission, and continuing to serve the Houston area families and team members who have helped our small, family-owned business grow to what it is today.
"As you can imagine, the original COVID shut down, and subsequent requirement to limit our enrollment has severely impacted us financially. We are trying to be smart about business to ensure we are around to keep doing what we are doing…making a difference in the constant epidemic of childhood drownings." -Dan Schoen, Owner of HSC Cypress and HSC Pearland
Even during such an unprecedented time, we are grateful to be open so that we can continue to provide a safe, positive, ESSENTIAL, lifesaving activity for Houston area children. HSC Katy parent, Kalin Nugent, had these words to share…
"When we saw how safe HSC's protocols were, we decided to re-enroll in lessons because we know that water safety is undoubtedly ESSENTIAL for our babies! The abilities our son has mastered in these few short weeks that we’ve been back are absolutely jaw dropping. We are so thankful to HSC for all that they do!"
The reality is that drownings don't happen only during the summer months. They don't happen only to toddlers who don’t yet know how to swim, yet sneak out the backdoor into an unsupervised yard.
Drownings can happen to any one of our families, at any given time. At a backyard pool party filled with adults fully capable of watching the swimmers in the pool. Or on a sandy beach filled with happy-go-lucky beachgoers building sandcastles and watching the waves roll in.
They can happen when the fall temperatures finally arrive and all the pool toys have been put away. They can happen to the parents who have added a second lock to their back door. They can happen to the dad who is an avid fisherman and a strong swimmer. They can happen to the mom who wholeheartedly believed it could never happen to her.
Drownings don't discriminate.
So, just because the summer months are behind us, we urge you not to put swim lessons on the back burner.
During "normal" times, the fall season brings the opportunity and excitement for other children's sports and activities. As parents, we long for the days when summer swim meets end and we can sit in the bleachers to watch a t-ball game without breaking a sweat. We drag our chairs and coolers to the sidelines of soccer games with our jackets and windbreakers tucked deep inside our sports mom bags. Maybe, just maybe, it will be cool enough to actually put it on. We enthusiastically enroll our kids for dance and piano classes begin with plans for recitals already on the horizon.
And, for many families, the fall season means that swim lessons get put on hold.
Well, if times were "normal" right now, we would (kind of) understand. We would expect the typical decrease in our enrollment and the lighter foot traffic in our facilities. We would accept the "slow season" and plug along while on the downside of this exhilarating roller coaster ride.
But things aren't "normal" right now.
One of the benefits to our swim school is that we teach our lessons in indoor, heated classrooms (read: pools). ALL. YEAR. LONG.
So, before you decide which activity to cancel, please give us a fair shot and consider why we SHOULDN'T be one of them.
And, before you decide which activity to begin this fall season, please give us a fair shot as to why we SHOULD be one of them.
When the I'll just wait til next summer to start lessons thought starts to creep into your mind, we hope you remember this post.
We know those thoughts of juggling all the schedules, figuring out all the things, and making the best (read: right) decisions for your babies, especially during a pandemic, is oh so daunting. It seems as though every decision we make for our children begins with a risk assessment strategy.
My point is this: If you're going to take a chance, then take a chance on us. We promise you won't be disappointed.
Written by Stephanie Burns, Site Director, Houston Swim Club Sharpstown
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