This post is sponsored by Foss Swim School
Swimming is a vital life skill, but teaching it isn’t as straightforward as you might think. I was shocked by how my kids didn’t just “get it” when I tried to show them how to be safe in water, but thinking back to my own childhood, learning didn’t come easily for me either. I remember sinking straight to the bottom of a hotel pool when I was four or five because I didn’t realize I couldn’t swim. Fortunately, my dad jumped in after me, but the feeling of fear and helplessness was one I didn’t forget. Fact: Kids who don’t know how to swim sink.
I’ve had false starts when it comes to getting my kids in swim lessons, but at the beginning of 2023, I was determined to get them enrolled in a true program, one where they can feel strong and confident over time. My research led me to Foss Swim School’s Swim Path® program, and the experience has been wonderful.
1) The Swim Path® program makes sense.
A concern I had was that my older child would end up in a class full of kids more advanced than him, and he would feel intimidated. Because Swim Path® bases milestones on key skills instead of age or arbitrary timeframes, my sons were able to be in a class together, despite a 2-year difference in their ages.
Progressions are broken into Learn to Swim, Swim Stronger, and Swim Faster, and they range from the basics of swimming to racing and competing.
2) I’m given tons of scheduling options.
I was shocked by how classes were available, from morning until evening. Unlike programs I explored through community centers, gyms, or individual instructors, Foss Swim School offers classes across all levels from morning to night every day of the week.
3) Large, bright locker rooms? Yes, please.
Parents know any activity involving a change of clothes can be an undertaking. Add those clothes being wet, the potential need for a shower, and all of the extra things that come with swimming, and the locker room ends up mattering more than you might think. At Foss Swim School, there is plenty of space to move around, and individual bathrooms with toilets and showers are separate from the changing areas. There are locks on all of the doors with zero cracks anywhere. Locker rooms also have cubbies for belongings you don’t want to haul poolside, bathing suit dryers, and large changing stations for babies. Let me put it like this: I can take two kids who are dripping wet, get them cleaned up, and changed into dry clothes without losing my mind. It’s a big deal.
4) The staff is kind to me, but they’re also kind to my kids.
From needing to change a class that ended up not working for our schedule, to having a special kind of patience and encouragement when one of my sons didn’t want to get in the pool, I’ve been very impressed with the Foss Swim School staff. I don’t know how they do it, but everyone I’ve encountered has had a way of making my kids and me feel like VIP clients. I know every other would say the same.
5) My kids are truly learning to Love Water®.
Seeing my sons enjoy the water without floats or the need to cling to me is indescribable. Foss Swim School’s motto is Love Water®, and everything they do supports it. The instructors are encouraging kids to have a blast while they’re learning swim skills, and somehow they’re able to take children who may have felt nervous (my son, for example) and move them toward meaningful progression.
Foss Swim School runs by session, and the summer session will begin enrollment on May 2. View enrollment options now! There are also summer camps and other opportunities to swim. Check out one of their many Twin Cities locations for a complimentary preview lesson.
