You might notice in the video below, I’m sportin’ a little bit of the Michigan Blue as they head off to the Big 10 Championships for swimming. GO Blue!
Swimming is a series of conditioned behaviors, responses if you will. At the Gold Medal Swim School the first thing that your child learns at every single lesson, from Baby all the way through to our Swim Team, is Sit, Listen, and Wait to be invited into the pool.
You can see this happening through the window, the instructor is reinforcing the Sit, Listen, and Wait by asking your child, ”Do you ever enter the pool without permission from a grownup or without being invited in?”
Parents can really help by reinforcing this concept at home, always reminding our kids to never enter the pool unless you are invited. The first step is to Sit, Listen, and Wait. I cannot tell you how many examples I have had from clients over the years, families that have their kids sitting on the side of the pool waiting and not entering the water until invited. This is a vital layer of water safety.
“During a recent family get-together, we couldn’t find our son for a few moments…our first thought was to check the pool. My husband ran out to find our son sitting on the side, splashing his feet. This is a skill he learned at Gold Medal, “Sit, Listen & Wait”. ~Gold Medal Swim School Starfish Parent
Spring is coming up. The weather is getting warmer and our kids are going to want to get in the pool. Let’s set that conditioned response of Sit, Listen, and Wait until you invite them in the pool. Keeping our kids safe is everything. Sit, Listen, and Wait is just one layer of safety taught at the Gold Medal Swim School! And remember, GO BLUE!