Hi-
I'm a certified ISR instructor. We specialize in teaching children as young as 6mos old how to survive in water unattended. My son who is now 18 mos old went through the program last summer and learned the survival float. He will start up again to learn the swim-float-swim-sequence. I have trained children who have attended Emler Swim School for over 3yrs and are still not safe in the water if they were ever caught in a situation alone. Well after going through the program they can swim the length of the pool safely and are trained to roll over on their back and float to rest and breathe until they are ready to continue swimming. We don't focus on just swimming but also survival as well.
I actually train in The Colony and S. Arlington/Grand Prairie area but we do have other instructors in your area. you can go to www.infantswim.com to find an instructor nearest you. I highly recommend this program both as a mom and an instructor. We focus on safety and the well-being of the child at all times. Usually by the time we have a 20 mos old go through the program they are little fish and love to swim. The great thing is they are also safe about it and know how to rest when they need to.
Here is some brief information about the program. All lessons are one-on-one. I recommend going online and reviewing the "Miles" video on ISR's main website.
Survival Float
Babies 6 to 12 months old are very active and surprisingly quick! The Rollback-to-Float program introduces the correct floating posture for survival as well as the skills necessary to maneuver into a float. Babies learn quickly from their physical environment. This is how they learn to crawl and walk. But water is an unforgiving environment. For this reason aquatic survival skills for the infant and toddler must be taught by a certified ISR instructor. These skills will be practiced for complete mastery even while fully clothed with diaper and shoes. All lessons are taught one-on-one for a period of 10 minutes daily, Monday-Friday. Approximate class length: 3-4 weeks.
SWIM-FLOAT-SWIM Ages 13 months to 6 years
The Swim-Float-Swim program encompasses the skills necessary for a child to reach the steps, edge of the pool or shore. This includes swimming and floating. This process begins with teaching the child breath control and the skills to turn around in the water to grab the edge. As the child becomes capable of longer swims the rollback-to-float is taught so the child can rest and breathe, and then continue swimming. This sequence can be repeated indefinitely until the child reaches safety. These skills will be practiced for complete mastery even while fully clothed with shoes and diaper for those not toilet trained. All lessons are taught one-on-one for a period of 10 minutes daily, Monday-Friday. Approximate class length: 5-6 weeks.
Take care!
T.
www.mybabycanswim.com