"While we have always aimed to practice a no-tears and gentle approach to our swimming lessons, we feel it is important to share this message and our policies with you." - Joanne Ho (Founder of Aquabubs Swim School)
At Aquabubs we believe every child has the potential to be a water baby and that everyone benefits from swimming. We practice a gentle and fun approach to our lessons and learning environment. Our baby & infant swim program is predominantly play and song based – each song and game incorporates a water safety or swim skill, but always presented in a fun manner.
Our children in the learn to swim program also benefit from a fun and relaxed approach to lessons. They are taught in a gentle style and progressive syllabus, without needing to force students or in still strict disciplinary measures.
Water safety is always our number one priority for our swimmers, but this can be taught and learnt without forceful conditioning.
You may see a teacher being more firm when water safety becomes a concern in a class. A child may be pushing another child under the water, or jumping off the wall, or a parent may be forcing a child to submerge. At this point our teachers will make it clear that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable.
We also firmly believe that there should be no crying during a lesson. Sometimes we see a child crying in the changing room after a class, or crying when being taken from the wading pool when it’s time to go and shower. We understand that kind of crying and we ask that your child is treated gently. We know that it’s because they have had so much fun in the pool and the transition can take time. They may also be hungry after swimming and that can also have an affect on emotions.
But we don’t condone a parent shouting at their child to behave or to listen during class. You will be asked to step back. Unless your child presents a safety threat to the other students in the class, then you may be asked to intervene.
What happens when my child won't stop crying in class?
A baby or a child that continues to cry in a class during a lesson will be attended to by the teacher, the teaching assistant or deck supervisor and given a technique to try to help calm the child. If this does not help, then we will advise the parent to take the child out of the pool and into the wading pool and given a water conditioning exercise to try. If this also does not work then we advise that you stop, help calm your child and shower and change.
If it’s a trial class, then speak with our front desk staff about coming for another trial.
If you have stopped lessons for an extended period of time and you’re returning for lessons, be aware that it might take time to get back into the flow of classes, speak to your teacher and ask for their advice. They may recommend coming in for a swim during our Family Swim time, or a private lesson, or a class during a quieter time.
Somedays your child may be having an ‘off’ day. They may be unwell, or tired or you’ve rushed to get to class and you’re feeling stressed, so your child is stressed. We ask that you are gentle on your child and on yourself.
We believe there is always a solution and we will work with you to find one for your child.
We want your child to develop a life long love of water and swimming. A gentle approach by us and by you will help build the parent-child and teacher-child relationship. With our no-tears, no-trauma and child led approach to our lessons we hope to set in place long term benefits of swimming and water safety skills, develop confidence and self-esteem and a love of the water.
