Little Waves Family Swim School :: Teaching Skills and a Love for Water! {+Giveaway}

Omaha Moms Blog is excited to partner with Little Waves Family Swim School to bring this information to our Omaha area families. Opinions are 100% our own.

When my son was 2 1/2, he would scream anytime he got water in his eyes. It didn’t matter if he was in the pool or in the bathtub, water in the eyes/face was a traumatic experience.  We decided to try Little Waves Family Swim School. As it turned out, it was a great decision.  

The first lesson was more of the same with my son afraid to go underwater. My husband talked with Mike (owner) at Little Waves, and Mike said to give it three to five lessons, and it would not be a problem. After these lessons, Mike assured him that our 2 ½ year old would become comfortable getting his face and eyes in the water. Well, Mike was right! He was going under water, he was jumping into the water, and he was having fun. Soon he was able to put his face under water and pick up toys on a ledge.

Almost 2 years later and my son has moved up 3 levels! He is 4 1/2 and can swim short distances independently and has learned to flip to his back to breath after jumping into the pool.  He can float on his back for 30 seconds without help.  At the pool with friends, he was going down the big water slide by himself without floaties, having my husband catch him at the bottom.  He can retrieve toys from the pool bottom needing only a little help to get to the bottom of the pool.  And best of all, he loves to go swimming.  

 
Not to be outdone by her big brother, my daughter also loves her Little Waves lessons. As a toddler, her lesson is with Daddy (and sometimes Mommy) in the water with her.  She greets her daddy when he gets home from work with “Daddy, we get to go swimming with Miss Patty tonight!”. Then she has a great time learning to float, going down the slide, and doing songs to help learn to swim (a favorite is “little froggy” where she floats across the pool and then “hops” back with Daddy). As a bonus is that Daddy gets some quality time with our daughter.  In fact, my daughter’s lesson often has all daddies with their toddlers as the mommies have 30 minutes of peace and quiet! 
 
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Lessons that I love at Little Waves

  1. Safety : Both of my children have started lessons at the age of 2 in the toddler level. Right from the beginning they are being taught safety skills.
    • Safe entry into the pool- The kids are taught to wait until the parent/teacher is ready and then sit at the edge of the pool and roll onto their belly and scoot into the pool.
    • Monkey arms- my 2 year old can independently hold onto the side of the pool and crawl her way to the stairs.
    • Jumping into the water- the kids are taught to wait for an adult to count to 3 before jumping in the water.
    • Floating on back- Very early on they are practicing floating on their back. When they jump in, come off the slide, they flip the kids on their back. At my sons 4 yr old level, he jumps in and then floats on his back independently.
  2. Skills : I love that my children are learning a life skill. I see them building confidence at an early age.
    • Blinking eyes when water is poured over their head getting them used to water on their face.
    • Front and back float to learn buoyancy.
    • They climb up floating mats to learn how to climb to safety: putting elbow, elbow first, then knee, knee and keeping low.
    • Preschoolers and kids learn to be comfortable in the water and basic strokes.
    • Little Waves even offers pre-competitive classes where students learn four strokes, turns, and the basics of training.  
  3.  Fun : I want my children to have fun in the water! It is such a fun activity that has the added bonus of  building their confidence and skills.
    • The instructors are great at not only teaching them the skills they need but also making sure the kids are having fun! The kids are always laughing and smiling during the lessons.
    • Family swim time is offered every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. Families are able to utilize the warm 90 degree water for a fun evening activity. It allows the kids to enjoy the pool outside of lesson time.

I personally enjoy leisure activities in or on water – swimming in a pool or boating on a lake. I want my children to be comfortable in and around water and to be able to share in my passions. The ability to swim will give my children the joy of water sports, as well as a skill that could save their life. Because of the joy and safety that it could bring them, I always considered swimming an important life skill for my children to develop. Littles Waves Family Swim School has played a huge role in achieving this goal for our family. The teachers at Little Waves have exceeded our expectations as our kids have learned to swim. It is such a joy to watch my children’s confidence grow as they learn this vital new skill.

We are so happy that we were introduced to Little Waves Family Swim School. We LOVE this program so much that we want one of our readers to have a chance to try it out as well!! Use this link to enter to win a free month of swim lessons for your child! Don’t have Facebook? Comment below and we will add you to the giveaway.

Genevieve
Genevieve is the owner and founder of Omaha Mom. She was born in Michigan, raised in Iowa, and calls Omaha “home”. That makes her a midwestern girl at heart. Genevieve is wife to Jim and mother to Jeremiah (2013) and Arielle (2015). They are a family that work hard and play harder! Genevieve learned first hand how important having a “mom tribe”, or a “village” is to being a mother. When Genevieve and family are not out exploring everything Omaha has to offer, you will find them cuddled up with a book, running around in circles, playing in the backyard or showing off their crazy dance moves!