Swim With Leslie

My Policies

 

Full payment is due on day one - before we get into the water.  New clients must pay in cash.

 

Refunds are not issued for missed lessons.  Make-up lessons are extremely difficult to schedule and are not guaranteed, as I am the sole instructor with a very full calendar.

 

Pools must be heated to 91-93 degrees for May and June; after July 1, with warmer temps in the days and evenings, pools should still be heated to 88 degrees.  Please test out your pool heater well before lessons begin. 

 

If sun protection is desired, please use a rash guard or similar.  If sunscreen must be used, it should be applied thirty minutes prior to lesson time and applied to the head and neck only; otherwise children are especially slippery and difficult to handle.  More info in FAQs below.

 

No food or drink 30 minutes prior to lesson time.

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Due to lessons learned during COVID, I no longer walk through families' homes to access pools.  I ask that you make a side gate available.  Regarding colds and illness, if a student is noticeably sick on lesson day, the lesson will be cancelled on the spot.  

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FAQs 

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What equipment is needed?  A swimsuit, a towel and a smile are all that are needed.  I do not allow floaties, water wings, fins, goggles, etc. These items only serve as crutches.  I want your children to learn how to swim and not rely on aids for flotation and safety.   This is why I do not allow them during lessons (I do make rare exceptions for goggles, but only after trying to teach without them).

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Pool temperature: Children can play endlessly in cold water, but children in swim lessons cannot focus and learn if they are shivering.  Over the years, I've found that 91-93 degrees works best in May and June when our air temps dip at night.  In July and August, heating to 88 degrees is usually sufficient.  For those who do not have pool heaters, please schedule your lessons for July and August and consider purchasing a solar pool cover which can raise pool temps as much as 15 degrees with full sun. 

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How about sunscreen?  Use sunscreen only as needed.  While it's been shown that 30 minutes of sun exposure daily is actually good for us, I understand the desire to protect ourselves from the sun.  Sunscreen is most effective when applied 30 minutes prior to lessons, so please do not apply it poolside just before the lesson starts.  Additionally, please, please do NOT use a spray sunscreen near the pool while I am there.  Sprayable sunscreens make a child particularly slippery and secondly, I end up breathing it several times a day as it floats on the wind.  

 

Can I get in the pool with my child during the lesson?  Outside of Mommy-and-Me classes, I do not allow parents in or around the pool during lessons; I ask that they observe from inside the home.  Children respond better when mom and dad are out of sight.  It's normal for kids to want their parents close, and it's hard to hear your children cry, but I assure you they are safe.  Even if a child is crying, they can still be learning.

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Why should infants take swim lessons?
Did you know the #1 cause of accidental death for children under the age of 5 in California is drowning? The statistics, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, are startling:

 

• 69% of drownings occurred while one or both parents were responsible for supervision  
• 65% occurred in a pool owned by the child’s family
• 77% of the children had been seen 5 minutes or less before being missed and subsequently discovered in the pool.      

A child's best chance for surviving a fall into a pool is to be able to hold their breath and propel their way to safety or roll on their backs and call for help. This can be accomplished with babies as young as 3 months of age.  Please read through the Safety Rules PDF linked at the bottom of this page.

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