it’s ‘back to school’ {or starting school in our case} and while i know i’ll have tears that first day, i also know that our girls are SO ready for this next step and i couldn’t be more excited for them! there’s so much hustle and bustle this time of year getting everything organized…a time to get back into routine, back on a schedule and, at least for us, that calendar starts to fill up quicker than ever.
a conversation that is happening more and more frequently in our house is when we feel like we should start ‘organized sports’. in a world where achievements can be passed out for just how busy a family is {trust me, we run around a LOT}, i think there’s also a lot to be said for kids being bored, developing imaginative skills and throwing them in a field to play {welcome to our daily life}. we have a lot of transitions this year and while i’m not sure we’re going to start the true organized sports thing this fall, i DO think there are benefits of having a coach, being on a team, and learning new skills.

we have spent a LOT of time and effort into water safety + the lifesaving skill of learning how to swim over the last year at goldfish swim school …and out of all of the investments we’ve made in our children, i can honestly say i think this is one of the most important ones. i came across an article last week that truly opened my eyes to the stats and every single time i hear of the tragedy of a child drowning, i’m reminded of the importance of this skill.

this is from that article: “do you know that drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause in ages 1-14? do you know that 69% of children who drown are not expected to be swimming, yet they are found in water? Do you know that a child can drown in less than one minute?”
from the mouth {or fingers typing} of a mama who lost her 3 year old son too soon.
but it’s preventable. drowning is preventable.

when we first started swim lessons, i wasn’t sure how long we’d stay in class or if it would be a year long activity but as the girls are learning new skills, i’ve learned just how important the consistent development + reinforcement of those skill really is. if they fell into a pool tomorrow, i’m not sure they would be able to make it out safely, but we’re working on it with the help of goldfish swim school.

free water safety classes

one of the most common comments i’ve heard regarding swim lessons at a premier learn-to-swim facility is that ‘it’s too expensive’…but did you also know that goldfish swim school offers FREE water safety classes?! i’ve never met a company more dedicated to the safety and well-being of children…from schools to daycares, preschools to organizations {our twins club has utilized these classes!} to homeschool collabs + just a group of mama’s for a playdate, any group can take advantage of these water safety classes {and it includes a free family swim to practice those skills!}…and bonus, it’s all in a 90 degree pool so it’s perfect year round!

as we welcome the new adventures of the school year, we’ll be staying in the pool this fall and hope you’ll join us!

**stay tuned for a super fun giveaway to kick off the school year soon!!**

a huge thank you to goldfish swim school for partnering with us for this post!
#growingupgoldfish