Every day, we have the pleasure of providing swim lessons to hundreds of families. There is truly no greater pleasure than watching our swim families smile, laugh and learn. As a family-founded and family-run business, it is our goal that everyone who walks through our doors feel like they are a part of a bigger family – the Russell Aquatics family. We want to provide you and your family with essential, life-long and lifesaving skills. We want to help make that beach vacation more enjoyable, your summer pool parties less anxiety-inducing and most importantly, we want to keep you and your loved ones safe in and around water.
Many families are quick to enroll their children in lessons but forget that swimming is truly a family affair!
It is important that babies, children, teens and adults are exposed to water and learn the basic skills to rescue themselves (and maybe even others!). It’s not a matter of if you’ll encounter water, but when!
At Russell Aquatics, we start lessons at three months old! While this may seem early, it is actually a great opportunity for little ones to become exposed and conditioned to water and prevent the development of fear. In our parent and tot classes we teach little ones lifesaving skills like rollovers (which allow them to take a breath should they accidentally fall into water), monkey crawls (where they hold on to the side of the pool and move to safety) and much more.
We also teach parents and guardians how to handle little ones in the water, while educating on things like:
- how to condition your little one at bath time
- how to teach them breath control
- information on second-hand drowning
- your baby’s natural reflexes and more.
Parent and tot classes are an excellent way to bond with your baby and give your little one a leg up on safety and swimming.
While many parents recognize the importance of taking lessons, they aren’t aware of how important it is to expose their child early. If your child is two, they are able to begin our Preschool Swim Program on their own and we encourage them to do so!
Starting early allows them to develop important skills like:
- holding their breath
- floating
- kicking
- strokes and more
Worried that they’ll throw a fit without Mom or Dad? That’s completely normal and our staff are highly trained in handling this.
So what happens if your child is older and they haven’t taken swim lessons.
Is it too far gone? Absolutely not! It’s never too late to learn how to swim. Our Swimmer Program begins at six and offers introductory skills all the way to advanced stroke technique and first aid. If your child is 10 or older, our Teen Program is a great option for ensuring that they are in a class with students of a similar age group.
While we all hope to give our children the things that we didn’t have, it is absolutely necessary for the safety of your children, your family and yourself that all family members (including adults!) know how to swim. Sadly, there have been far too many situations in which a child was at-risk of drowning and a parent or guardian passed while trying to save them.
In 2019, adults made up for 86.5% of drownings. Swimming is an essential skill that everyone should learn, regardless of age. Our instructors are well trained in working with those of all comfort levels and our adult program is designed for reaching individual goals, whether that be learning the basics or building endurance and technique in their swim lessons.
From infancy to adulthood, it is so important that all families have the tools to stay safe and have fun in and around water. One of our core values is that everyone is family and that means we take your family’s safety seriously. Whether it be with Russell Aquatics or elsewhere, prioritize your entire family’s safety and make sure everyone knows how to swim!
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