FITREC SWIM SCHOOL Parent and Child Swim Lessons

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FITREC SWIM SCHOOL Parent and Child Swim Lessons Welcome to the BU Parent and Child Swimming Program! This class is an introduction to water for 6 months to 3 year olds.

1 FITREC SWIM SCHOOL Parent and Child Swim Lessons Welcome to the BU Parent and Child Swimming Program! This class is an introduction to water for 6 months to 3 year olds. One parent or guardian must work in the water with the infant/toddler under the direction of the instructor. This class is not designed to teach children to become good swimmers or to survive in the water on their own. Following the American Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatic Program, children are encouraged to feel comfortable in the water in a fun and safe environment. Due to space restrictions, ONLY ONE parent or guardian is allowed in the water per child. TERRIER BABIES: 6 months to 18 months TERRIER TOTS: 18 months to 3 years Important information you need to know prior to beginning your swim lessons: SHOWER POLICY All participants MUST shower before entering the water. If the instructor believes the participant did not rise, they will be asked to revisit the shower. CLASS LOCATION Your child s class will meet in the Recreation Pool. The water temperature is about 86 degrees. The pool is ranges from zero depth to 5 feet deep. Parents do not have to be good swimmers but should be comfortable in the water. REFUND/MAKE-UP POLICY 1. Full refunds will be given to participants for a class that is cancelled by the Aquatics office and to those who withdraw from a class with a minimum of 7 days in advance of the scheduled start date unless otherwise noted on the select course descriptions. No refunds will be given to participants who withdraw from courses within 6 days of or after the scheduled start date except for documented medical conditions. 2. Due to class size, pool availability, and instructor-child ratios we do not allow make up lessons. PARENT VIEWING AREAS As with our other swimming classes, any parents not in the water must wait in the pool hallway or classroom. Our deck space is minimal and we must keep the deck clear at all times! Pictures are only allowed on the final day of class. We want the children focused on the instructor and what they are learning in the water! Weekday Classes: 3:00 6:00pm Pool Hallway viewing space only. Please see next page for weekend viewing space.

2 Saturday Classes: 8:00 10:00am Pool Hallway and/or Pool Classroom* 10:00 12:30pm Pool Hallway, Pool Classroom*, and Competition Pool deck are available for parents/guardians Sunday Classes: 9:00 12:30pm Pool Hallways, Pool Classroom*, and Competition Pool deck are available for parents/guardians *Pool Classroom viewing space may be limited or restricted due to certification courses use of the room. Please ask the Swim Lesson Supervisor, Head Instructor, or Graduate Assistant if the room is available. CLOTHING A one-piece swim diaper of fast drying fabric is required for all children up to 3 years of age, regardless of toilet training. Any children over 3 years who are not toilet trained must also wear a swim diaper. Swim diapers should fit close and snug to the legs and waist. We do not allow disposable swim diapers like the Huggies brand. Please no disposable, cotton diapers, or plastic pants. Wet diapers are bulky and the disposable kind do not fit tight on the waist and disintegrate in the water. Cloth swim diapers are reusable and can be purchased from swim shops or retail stores such as K-Mart and Target. Make sure the label says pool safe swim diaper. We also sell reusable swim diapers here at our Pro Shop on the pool level. You can purchase one the day of your first class. Children may wear a swimsuit over the cloth swim diaper. No swimsuits with sewn in floats are allowed, as these are actually a drowning risk. Parents should wear a secure swimsuit remove all jewelry before entering the water. Bring two towels for your tot, or one towel to dry off with and a bathrobe/cover-up for the deck. Remember that infants and small children chill quickly and the air feels very cool after being in the warm pool. Do not forget a towel for yourself! Please note that changing on the deck is not permitted, including the changing of diapers. This is a state health code law. Changing tables are provided in the general and multi-use locker rooms. If you need the code to the locker rooms, please ask the staff at the ProShop on your way in. PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR SWIM LESSONS Participating in swim lessons with your child will be one of the happiest and most rewarding experiences of your life. This first experience with water is imprinting a positive, fun and safe attitude towards swimming. Talk to your child enthusiastically about going to the lesson and seeing the instructor. Your baby may not understand your words but the happiness is contagious and they will quickly understand that swimming is a fun activity to look forward to. Before the first lesson begins and throughout the session, you can practice skills you ve learned in the bath. Have your child wear his/her swim suit and run the water cooler (86-90 degrees F). This will help your child get used to the idea of what swim lessons will feel like and reinforce what was taught in class. ARRIVAL A slow relaxed dressing period, a well-rested baby (but not one just awakened from a nap), and at least one hour after a meal (but not hungry) makes a good beginning to the swimming lesson.

3 Pool space is usually limited, so please enter and leave the pool promptly at your lesson time. Hold your baby or toddler s hand at all times while on the pool deck. The lesson supervisor will let you when it is time to enter the pool area. The instructor will usually do the brief introduction on deck and then direct you on how to enter the pool safely. HOW MUCH WILL A BABY LEARN? Babies are highly intelligent and will learn a remarkable amount, not just about swimming, but about every aspect of their association with water and the people involved in their learning experience. They increase their listening, language and communication skills. They learn to maneuver their bodies in a three dimensional space and cope with weightlessness. They will know how it feels to float, glide, drop through air, and watch how the water reacts to their motions, all with the security of a cuddle and praise from the parent afterwards. They quickly learn what pleases their parents and how to get their parents (and instructor) to respond. HELP THE INSTRUCTOR Repeat your child s name often for the instructor and in cueing your baby. SMILE and LAUGH with your baby! Winning approval of the parent is the only way a baby knows that he/she is doing what you want done. Don t ask your child questions such as do you want to. (especially 2 year-olds!), unless you are prepared to accept a no answer. The instructor will teach you how to cue in a slow and consistent manner that will prepare your child for an action. HOW MUCH WILL A PARENT PARTICIPATE? You will be trained to become the teacher for your child. You will receive guidance from the instructor, but most of the actual handling of your child will be done by you. This promotes family bonding, good parenting skills, and your ability to read your infant or toddler s cues. Remember, your enthusiasm and attitude is contagious. Encourage and praise an apprehensive child, rather than question her or unnecessarily sooth. Never threaten or offer tangible rewards (such as withholding or giving treats after class) for doing skills. Even if your child wasn t sure if they were happy about performing a particular skill, give them praise and let them know they did a good job! Getting a little water in their mouth or getting some water on their face is ok and they will respond to your reaction. Let them know that those splashes are ok by smiling and continuing right along with the class! You will learn to appreciate and enjoy every small accomplishment and success from your child s swimming lessons. No two babies develop water skills at the same speed. You will learn the steps to good water adjustment and take your child through each step at their own pace. You will build a wonderful rapport together and have a great experience. SAFETY! Safety is our most important concern. During the lessons, we will teach you how to watch your child s face constantly so there is no accidental submerging. We will show you how to safely enter and exit the pool with your child. Lifejackets will also be demonstrated and used for practice with the older tots. Water wings or back bubbles are not allowed at our pool and are strongly discouraged for use in any water environment as they are a serious drowning risk. We will also show you how many seconds a child can safely be under water and how to lift them up for air. Stay with your child at all times in and out of the water. Please stay with the class group and do not wander away from the instructor.

4 COMMON CONCERNS Crying is the only way a child can express surprise, disappointment, hunger, or any number of other things. They may be cold or tired. It does not necessarily mean they don t like the swimming lesson. We will enthusiastically try each skill that is introduced in a lesson three times before determining that we should put it off for another day because of crying. Choking or swallowing water does not happen very often, especially if the ready, set, go cueing is done properly. In the event of coughing, just allow your child to cough. Do not hit or pat the back or lift the arm. The instructors are trained to recognize signals of when a child is ready to perform certain skills. Please ask the instructor if you have any questions! A child cannot participate in swim lessons if there is a fever or infection. Any unexplained sores or rashes should be checked by a doctor before entering the water. Allow 24 hours after any signs of diarrhea before entering the pool again. Ear infections are a common problem for infants. Swimmer s Ear is an external infection that can only be caused if the swimmer is in the water for 3-4 hours per day on a regular basis. There is no reason to be concerned about swimming causing an ear infection in an infant. However, an internal ear infection can be exasperated by swimming. If your child is not feeling well, pulling on the ears or complaining of pain, then you may suspect an ear infection. The child should be seen by a doctor and stay out of the water until the physician says that it is okay to return. If you have any questions or concerns about your lesson, please speak to the Lesson Supervisor on deck at each session. Our lessons run on a tight schedule and the instructor needs to transition quickly to the next lesson. If you are unable to make a class please let the instructor or supervisor know, unfortunately due to class size and instructor-child ratios we do not allow make up classes. BOSTON UNIVERSITY FITNESS RECREATION CENTER If you are not a member of the facility, please allow a little bit of extra time in order for the student at the front gate to find your name on the class list. 1. We have two locker room configurations available for children accompanied by their parents: general locker rooms and multi-use changing rooms. General locker rooms are based on the parent s gender and are available for both boys and girls under 5. In addition, children over 5 can use these locker rooms based on their gender. Children over 5 years old who are the opposite gender of the parent should use one of the multi-use changing rooms. These multiuse changing rooms are single-use rooms; please do not leave your belongings in these rooms. For example, a dad with his 6-year old daughter or a mom with her 10-year old son must use the multi-use changing room. The multi-use changing rooms do not have a code and please lock the door when inside. 2. If you are not a member of FitRec, you are not permitted to use any of the other facilities at FitRec Center. However, we are now offering a Friends of BU Membership available to those who have a BU affiliate willing to sponsor them for membership. Please stop by our front desk for more information. 3. Additional Building Policies: a. No cell phone usage in locker rooms. b. No photography allowed in FitRec (photography is permitted on the last day of class provided parents do not walk in front of or standing in front of lifeguards on duty)

5 c. Participants 15 years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times in the building. Parents must remain in the building during their child s entire swim lesson. 4. Any lost or misplaced items will be turned in to the Pro Shop when found. PARKING For parking information and special event schedule please go to: Metered street parking is available on Commonwealth Ave and surrounding areas. Please note the garage is not always available depending on special events. If you have further questions about swimming lessons or the Aquatic Center, please contact the Aquatics office at swimming@bu.edu. We look forward to meeting you and having a fun and rewarding experience with your family! CONTACTS FitRec Swim School swimming@bu.edu SWIM

Garden City Winter 2019

Garden City Winter 2019 750F Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 www.longislandswimschool.com 516-378-8467 *Rear Entrance behind Ethan Allen Building* The Long Island Swim School is open for children ages 2 through 15, beginners