Hello WAWA family, and Happy Friday!
With summer in full bloom, it is time to get out in the sun, and hit a swimming pool. In Southern California swimming pools are not hard to find. You can find them in backyards, at local parks, at the YMCA, and at various amusements parks. We are also lucky enough to have the beautiful ocean and various lakes* (* see WAWA: Gone Fishin') to get wet!
With all of the pools in the area, LALAMAMAs should take care to make sure that their children take swimming classes. Better to be safe than sorry, and avoiding swimming pools in LA is nearly impossible. Swimming classes are a great bonding experience for parent and child, and are lots of fun!
Young children drowning in pools is no joke. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information on pool safety and children's drowning deaths and injuries, visit this site:
http://www.poolsafely.gov/drowning-deaths-injuries/
Now that I've scared the bejesus out of you, here's a list of some of the top places to teach your children how to swim:
1) In the valley here in LA, the best swimming school is the Water Whisperer Swim School. They have two locations in Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills. They offer both Private and Parent/Minnow (Baby) classes. The pricing is a little high, but the facility is great, the pool is a heated saline pool, and there are some celebrity clients. Here's Kimora Lee Simmons on the Style network swimming it up:
2) Another very reputable and fun swim school is the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy. Started in 2005 by 4 time Olympic Gold Medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, they use the SwimRight® Method, utilizing the swim-float-swim technique as the foundation, and focus on providing children with the knowledge of confidence and safety in and around the water. From these basic skills, they take students from beginning stages of swimming all the way to learning all 4 strokes, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. They are located in West LA on Olympic, and here's a video on the school:
3) The most accessible and popular swim lessons in LA, and nationwide, are at the good old YMCA. That's where a young Mr. Dante learned to swim. Most YMCAs offer Parent-Child Swim, swim lessons within their preschool, and swim lessons for children ages 6-12. They also offer Adult Swim classes for parents that need to learn. To find your local YMCA and for more information on their youth swim lessons visit their site:
https://www.ymcala.org/metro/programs/youth-swim-lessons
Till next time MAMA NATION. – Mr. Dante
