📝 Step 1: Lesson Notes
Date and class level
Instructor’s name
Skill worked on today
A moment of confidence
Something that was hard
Attendance or make-up notes
👀 Step 2: What I Saw
Note one or two things my child did well. Small gains count: face in the water, a steadier float, a stronger kick.
Note one thing that was hard. One tough lesson does not erase the progress so far.
Watch for tiredness, cold or distress. Notice shivering, blue-tinged lips, a tired child or a child who seems upset.
Write notes after class, not during. Keep my eyes on the water while the class is in session.
💬 Step 3: Questions for My Child
Ask “What was the best part?” Open questions get better answers than yes or no.
Ask “What did you try today?” Let my child tell me in their own words.
Ask “What was tricky?” Listen without correcting or fixing.
Praise effort and bravery. Trying counts, even when the skill is not finished.
Wait if my child is tired. The car ride or bedtime may be a better time to talk.
🧑🏫 Step 4: Questions for the Instructor
Ask what skill my child worked on. Keep it brief; the instructor has another class.
Ask what the next goal is. Write it in Step 6.
Ask what would help at home. Short, playful practice, never unsupervised in water.
Mention anything new. A health change, a missed nap or a worry about the class.
Save big questions for the front desk or email. Levels, pacing and make-ups are best discussed away from the pool deck.
🧴 Step 5: Ears, Skin and Gear
Dry ears and hair and warm up my child. Dress in dry, warm clothes before the ride home.
Look for redness, rash or irritation. Rinse skin and hair as the school and my pediatrician advise.
Check goggles, cap and swim diaper. Rinse and dry at home so the bag is ready for next time.
Call my pediatrician if I am worried. Ear pain, a lasting cough or rash, or anything that seems off.
Get emergency help for serious symptoms. Call 911 or my local emergency number for trouble breathing or a child who is unusually sleepy or hard to wake after a water scare.
📒 Step 6: Skill and Goal Log
Skill this week
One goal for next week
Home practice idea
Date of next lesson
Question for next time
Progress I notice over the term
✅ Step 7: Our Family Plan
Who does the debrief
Where we keep our notes
Adults and relatives who need a copy
When we review progress
Young children are never alone near water. If a child is in trouble in the water, get help and call 911 or my local emergency number. Lessons do not make a child drown-proof, at any age.
