📋 Step 1: Class Basics
Child’s name and age
Current class and instructor
Day, time and pool location
School front desk phone
Next level or class being considered
Date of move-up conversation
👀 Step 2: Readiness Signs I See
Comfortable getting wet. Face and body splashes do not upset my child for long.
Follows simple directions. My child listens to another adult, such as the instructor.
Can separate for a few minutes. Goodbyes with a trusted adult are manageable.
Wants to try things without being held. My child reaches, kicks or paddles on their own.
Can wait for a turn. My child sits or stands in line for a short time.
Instructor’s view. I asked the instructor what they see and wrote it below.
Instructor’s comments
Questions for the school
🏠 Step 3: Prepare at Home
Practise short separations. A few minutes with a trusted adult, then a happy reunion.
Play listening games. Simple one-step directions, like “touch your toes.”
Talk about what stays the same. The pool, the water, the swim bag and the routine.
Talk about what is different. A new instructor, other children and me on the deck.
Let my child help pack the swim bag. A towel, swimsuit and a favourite water toy.
🏊 Step 4: First Independent Class
Arrive early. Let my child see the pool and meet the instructor first.
Use the bathroom before class. Then give a snack or drink if the school allows.
Say a short, calm goodbye. The same words every time, and tell my child where I will sit.
Stay on site and keep watching. Eyes on my child, phone put away, school deck rules followed.
Never leave my child alone near water. An adult stays for the whole class.
Praise effort after class. Name one thing that went well.
📅 Step 5: Four-Week Check-In
Talk to the instructor if distress lasts over several classes, your child is cold or tired every time or seems to be losing comfort in the water. Extra time with a parent, a smaller class or a few more weeks in parent-and-me are all fine choices.
✅ Step 6: Our Family Plan
Who takes our child to class
Who watches from the deck
Our goodbye words or routine
Our goal for this session
When we will review this plan
Decision at the end of the session
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.
