How to make the transition from pre-school swimming lessons to after-school or weekend
Your little one has turned 4-years old and is ready for reception, but what to do about their swimming lessons? Do they move to an after-school slot? Will it be too late? Will they cope? Or if you pause swimming lessons so they can adjust to school, will they forget everything? Will their water confidence take a knock?
These are all questions that most parents are faced with when their children start their school journey.
We as parents have all learned the hard way, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Add in the million things that our children need to learn on a daily basis – this statement couldn’t be more true. If they are not using swimming in their week to week routines, their bodies and brains will lose ‘it’ in order to make space for the million other things they need to concentrate on and learn. After putting in all the effort, time (and money!) into building a solid swimming foundation for your little ones, would it not be such a waste if they lost it all and had to start over again?
So, how do you support your child to continue swimming after the school day or week?
At Cindy’s, we care about our swimmers and want their time with us to be the best it can be. Our toddlers have such an amazing time in their lessons, learning so much and gaining so much confidence, but most importantly, building a solid foundation from which to dive into their full stroke swimming journeys.
We thought it would be helpful to explain the ways we support our young swimmers whilst they settle into big school (or reacclimatise to being back from the long summer holidays) and why it is so beneficial for your little ones to continue their fun swimming journey!
Look for teachers who are trained to support little learners (and their parents)
We actively and regularly train our passionate and dedicated teachers on how best to support new school goers, or those swimmers who are just going back to school after the holidays. Our lesson plans are specifically designed to build on their swimming foundations, whilst taking time to build back strength and fitness, as they settle into their after school routines. Our teachers also know to take it easy for the first few weeks while your little ones may be tired. With our open door policy, we always encourage parents to regularly update their teachers on anything that might be helpful in having happy and confident swimmers.
Seek our structured lessons that are aligned with your child’s development
Our lessons are structured in a way to prepare our toddler swimmers to seamlessly transition from smaller groups to 4:1 lessons. Our layering teaching structure keeps exercises familiar whilst progressing swimmers at a steady pace. Their physical and mental development guide them through the teaching program so that they will only learn more technical and physically challenging strokes and exercises when they are ready. So, you can be sure that your child will not be pushed beyond what they can cope with.
Continuity is your friend! Sticking with lessons is easier than pausing
When a swimmer takes a break from swimming for a period of time, it can be detrimental to their learning journey. They may lose the confidence they have built in their lessons, as well as the fitness and strength they have worked so hard on achieving. By continuing with lessons, your child will be familiar with the routine of visiting the pool, getting ready, following instructions and will keep making progress.
Physical, fun, regular exercise is so good for your four-year old!
Indeed exercise is sooooo good for all of us! It helps to keep things moving in every way, releasing feel good emotions, which keep us happy, motivated and help us sleep. Even if your child seems tired after the school day, a swimming pool is a totally different environment for physical exertion that will quickly enliven and refresh them. Especially in the winter months, the places and variety of sports we can do with our little ones in London drop substantially. Swimming lessons offer a weekly activity in a fun, warm environment, with a swell bunch of people – what’s not to love!
Don’t end up on the dreaded Waiting List
Every year we see toddler swimmers take a break from swimming, to help settle them into school. When this happens, those slots open up to new customers coming in. As we have limited space, this leads to a lot of disappointment, when customers try to return a few weeks into the new term. This is as disappointing for us, as we always try to accommodate and hate to see eager swimmers not swimming, but we just don’t have the space.
If you aren’t happy, do say so
If you are not happy with your lessons, or have any concerns, please do let us know! We strive to deliver to you the best swimming lessons and experience here at Cindy’s, which we cannot do without customer feedback.
All complaints, concerns and queries are dealt with as an immediate priority and we can usually correct or improve things pretty quickly. We have a thorough training programme in place, which means that our teachers are always learning and perfecting their craft, all so that they can give you the best lessons in SW London!
Likewise, if you and your little ones are enjoying your swimming journey with us at Cindy’s, please do give us a shout out on Google, Facebook, and Instagram! We have a wonderful referral in place for all our favourite charities. We love all the support!
