Got lessons going on this summer? So you’ve figured out class times, pool location and the parking situation. After navigating your child successfully through swarms of families at the facilities, you’re able to drop the kid off to where (and which teacher) he/she is supposed to be with. And when it is finally all over, you’ve got to round up the little one , dry off, change wet clothes and probably go pick up another one or get dinner started (maybe both). It’s easy to forget about the 8 key questions you need to ask your instructor about swim lessons:
What swim skills can my kid work on? Listen for key words like straight kicks, back floating, big arms. If your teacher says they need to work on coming up for air, that means your child definitely needs you close in the water for assistance. By focusing on what they need to work on, this is as close of a question and answer you can get to figuring out when your kid will be swimming on their own.
Can you recommend a good pair of goggles? Goggles can be incredibly inexpensive, like around $4, but not work right. And they can be very expensive,as high as $20 and still not work right. You want to find out what kind of eye size and materials work best for your child’s face, and a teacher knows. A good pair of goggles is priced right in the middle and usually made by Speedo.
Can I leave the pool area? Some teachers love that question and nod their head vigorously in agreement. It sounds harsh, but this is what you want to do for a whining child that won’t listen to your warnings to stop. With lifeguards on duty, this might be a good time to make some calls or get in a little time for yourself.
Is my child behaving in group class? Tell the teacher it’s okay to be honest. If you don’t like the answer, in my opinion hang close to the next class and step in before the teacher does when they are acting up. You don’t want the teacher to use your child’s valuable turn or time disciplining instead of swimming.
Is my child learning about pool safety? There’s a national push right now to educate families and industry professionals about the importance of doing the little safety things around a pool and spa. Make sure you are both understanding the big picture.
Will you be teaching the next group session? The objective is to try and follow the instructor you like and to stay away from the ones you don’t. Trusting (or disliking) a teacher can really impact a child’s swim progress.
Do you teach private lessons? This is in case you feel your child needs more one-on-one attention. Maybe privates are the instructor’s specialty. Maybe you can cut the cost down by adding just one student/friend to make it a semi-private. Perhaps there is even a time to come for a lesson that works even better for your schedule. Just ask.
Do you teach lessons year-round or anywhere else? This is a great question if you are fishing around to see if the instructor might want to come teach at a different pool — specifically one located in your backyard or a neighbor’s. It might not be policy or the best move for the instructor to blatantly take your number (a.k.a business) in front of co-workers or pool managers. Let them navigate you through the hint.
Really excellent questions. Thanks for posting these!