When Goldfish Swim School opened in Carmel and Fishers a couple of years ago, our family took an introductory class. WE LOVED IT! At the time I had a three-year-old, a one-year-old and another one due any day, plus it was a really long drive for us from the far south side of town. Would it have been worth it? FOR SURE! But we three kids under the age of three, we couldn’t make swim lessons so far away fit into our schedule.
Fast forward, two kids later, we’ve moved to the northwest side of town and the 35-minute drive works for us. We travel a bit during the year and spend a lot of time near pools, lakes, and the ocean. I am committed to making sure that my kids are safe in these settings and that they can have fun at the same time. We’ve started our first month of lessons at Goldfish Swim School and we’re all having fun! Lulu (6 years old) and Scout (4 years old) both love being in the water but they cannot play independently. James (age 2) has only ever been carried around in the water or sat on the steps to wait his turn — have you ever tried to play in a pool with four children who cannot swim? IT’S NOT FUN! Baby Quinn (8 months old) loves baths but hasn’t spent time in a body of water larger than the bathtub or kitchen sink.
Week One: Everyone in the water! No tears.
– Lulu is really pushing herself and has even put her head underwater. Her instructor says she needs to work on holding her breath longer and keeping her body vertical.
– Scout is like a little princess. She’s loving the water, loving her class, but won’t put her head or face in the water. She loves when her instructor holds her while she floats.
– James is so cute. His instructor is working on getting him underwater. He did it twice! He isn’t able to hold on to the side of the pool and scoot down the side yet. His teacher is helping him learn that.
– Baby Quinn and daddy are in the baby/parent class. She’s so cute and the youngest in her class. They are even working on holding on to the side of the pool with the babies. She is getting her head and her face wet. There’s lots of back and forth and songs and working on water safety and self-rescue.
Week Two: Everyone in the water! Some tears but lots of hard work.
– Lulu cried today. She was frustrated that she was not doing as well as the other kids in the class. She may move down a level so that she can work on getting more comfortable. I think this is a good idea.
– Scout is still our happy little camper. She loves floating on her back. Other than that, she’s not interested in getting her hair or face wet. She’s way comfortable with the water and now there are more kids in her class, I think this will get her moving a bit more towards her goals. Time to practice blowing bubbles and holding your breath in the bathtub.
– James is still working on holding on to the side of the pool and scooting down. He’s so happy to be in class and loves when it’s his turn to swim.
– Baby Quinn is loving the water. She isn’t a fan of getting out of the pool at the end of class or for learning water safety and rescue. She’s having fun with daddy. It’s a great bonding time for them.
Adaptive Swimming at Goldfish Swim School
(Erin Dague Contributed to This Article for Indy with Kids)
Membership at Goldfish Swim School offers a variety of benefits; however, we love utilizing their open swim time for families! One of our four children has Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. His condition makes it incredibly challenging to stay afloat in the water—even with a life jacket—as he doesn’t have the core strength necessary to balance. Goldfish Swim School is so accommodating to families with special needs children!
We bring in Dyllan’s adaptive flotation device for open swim times, which is so important for independent swimming. Goldfish allows all adaptive flotation devices, including inflatable devices, if you wear a coast guard approved life jacket under the adaptive device. If you don’t have one, don’t worry! Goldfish has a variety of complimentary life jackets available for families to borrow while they are enjoying the open swim.
Though Dyllan is nine, he still requires diapering and assistance with using the restroom. The changing area within Goldfish has a large bench that is perfect for providing privacy for larger children, who no longer fit on an infant changing table. They have completely enclosed stalls that provide privacy, but still plenty of room for you and your child to get ready for swimming.
Once you are ready to swim, there is plenty of room on the pool deck for a wheelchair or walker if you need one. In addition, the built-in benches around the majority of the pool, make it so easy to sit your child down, and easily put on their flotation device. They also have a set of stairs that are great for children who can walk but might be unsteady on their feet, as they have an accessible railing on either side of the stairs.
With the water temperature being 90 degrees, it’s also a great option for children who struggle to regulate their body temperature. When we went swimming at other pools in the past, Dyllan was cold and needed to get out of the pool within 30 minutes for a break. However, the water is so warm at Goldfish, and Dyllan can stay in to play for the entire hour of open swimming without difficulties! It truly feels like a bath when you first step in! If you have a child that struggles to be safe in the water, an additional peace of mind is that there is always a lifeguard on duty while swimming at Goldfish.
When you are done swimming, they have showers built into the pool area that are handicap accessible. This is so nice because we can just sit Dyllan straight into his wheelchair, and take him over to rinse off, and minimal to no lifting is required since the wheelchair fits straight into the shower! They also have a bathroom on the pool deck for easy changing. We use that bathroom for Dyllan when he is done swimming since he does struggle to maintain his body temperature. Since we don’t have to leave the pool deck for any of this, the air is still nice and warm!
If you aren’t a member yet, you can still attend a family swim! It is $5 per person, with a $15 family maximum, and their open swim times are Monday- Friday, from noon-1 pm, and Friday from 6:30-8 pm, at both the Carmel and Fishers locations. For additional information, please visit their website at www.goldfishswimschool.com. If you have a kiddo that requires any special accommodations or assistance in the pool, you will definitely want to check out Goldfish for your next family outing!
Address
271 Merchants Square Drive, Suite A-100
Carmel
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