Three kids in swimming lessons and a baby in tote can seem overwhelming at times. We’ve gotten a lot of looks as our crew files into Swim School. I’m sure some parents are thinking we must be crazy. It took us a while to get adjusted and organized. Having multiple kids in swimming lessons is only as stressful as you allow it to be. After several months of having three in lessons I think we’ve finally gotten organized and lesson days have been consistently smooth. These tips will help you get it together a lot quicker than we did if you have multiple kids in swimming lessons.
Tips for Having Multiple Kids in Swimming Lessons
1) Have a Partner
My husband and I both go when the kids have swimming lessons. An emergency appointment for my husband a few weeks ago forced me to go it alone with four kids. That one lesson made me realize even more how important this tip is. My husband’s help is absolutely vital when it comes to keeping my sanity. If you have multiple kids in swimming lessons and dad can’t go to help I beg you to get grandma, auntie, your friend – take someone to help. You’ll be less stressed and everyone will enjoy it more! We also take our six month old baby with us (who is not in lessons yet) so havng my husband there to go in the pool area to get the kids out and to help get everyone dressed after is such a big help in making this experience stress-free.
2) Prepare at Home
Working outside of the home during the day limits the time you have for evening activities. We’ve found it’s easier and quicker to have everyone get into their swimming suits while we are still at home. When we arrive at Goldfish Swim School all they have to do is take off their top layer of clothing and their shoes and put on their goggles. Getting dressed before we leave the house, for us, is much easier than leaving earlier for everyone to change right before lessons.
3) Have the Older Kids Help
Our oldest son in lessons is going to be 7 this July. He’s a great help and we’ve learned that the younger ones will follow (most times) what he is doing. My husband and I remind him that he’s the oldest and he’s being watched by little eyes. We’ve also asked him to walk his 3 year old sister to her lane when lessons start so that my husband and I aren’t adding to the bodies going into the pool area when they call the swimmers in. There are a lot of parents trying to get their kids out from the previous lessons and a lot of kids trying to enter for the new round of lessons so we don’t need to go in, too. There is a glass wall so we can see them all the way to their lanes when they go in, no worries! They are safe! 🙂 The older kid is also a great helper when it comes to getting hats and coats on in the cooler months. Ask your oldest to help with the small things you can think of. Chances are they’ll love the responsibility and you’ll love the help!
4) After Lessons – Shower and Dressing
Again, we go to lessons in the evening. My primary concern with this was the lack of time and getting the kids to bed on time. I am a stickler for making sure they get their sleep for school so I didn’t want this to be affected. We’ve learned from watching other parents that getting ready for bed at lessons can save a lot of time! The kids shower there anyway after they get out of the water so why not take your shampoo (shampoo/body wash combos work great for this!) and wash body and hair while showering? Then, when getting dressed just go ahead and put them in their pajamas so when arriving at home you can go straight to bedtime story to wind down and then brush teeth and get to bed.
5) Be Organized
As the mom of five I know how hard this one can be. I can also tell you how much easier it makes things. We launder the towels and suits after practice and we keep our swim bag in the laundry room. As soon as the items come out of the dryer we fold and put them back into the bag. The kids have wanted to play with their goggles and we’ve made it clear this is not allowed and the goggles need to stay in the bag ready for lessons. When you have multiple kids in swimming lessons you have to make sure you aren’t running late because you are searching for something because we all know there are too many other things that can come up. We also have a bottle of shampoo/body wash we keep in the bag. Just before we leave for lessons I put a snack in for the ride home. I also keep their key tags (used to scan them in for attendance) in a back pocket in this bag so I can easily grab them when we walk into lessons. Keeping them in the bag with everything else ensures we never forget them. Having everything ready and being organized makes things so much easier.
Source: 5 Tips for Having Multiple Kids in Swimming Lessons
No comments:
Post a Comment