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Ms. Gretchen
Certified ISR Instructor
Licensed Nurse
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How much are the lessons per week?
$70.00 (cash or check), or $73.00 (credit card, please refer to Pay Weekly Tuition) There is a one-time ISR registration fee, please refer to Registration Info. Often Ms. Gretchen offers discount specials.
Concerns about cost:
Ms. Gretchen does offer reduced rates in the fall, as there is not a season for drowning prevention.
~Have your family members sponsor a week in exchange for a birthday/Christmas gift, a gift that they will always have.
How many lesson does it take to master these survival skills?
Every child learns differently, but the average including testing them with Spring and Winter clothes is approximate 30 lessons, some are quicker and some are longer.
Are infant swim lessons traumatic for the child?
We cannot speak for other programs, but Infant Swim Resource lessons are not traumatic to the student. Trauma can not occur in these lessons because the infant is never presented with a situation he/she has not learned how to handle.
Why do you disapprove flotation devices?
Flotation devices give children a false sense of security and hold them in postures that are not compatible with effective swimming skills. If a child learns that he can jump in the water and go into a vertical posture and he will be able to breathe, he is getting the wrong idea about the environment. Flotation devices are for children who cannot swim. Children who cannot swim, should not be allowed to learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch. Life jackets must be worn in a boat or around water when there is a potential for an accidental submersion, they are not a substitute for the ability to swim or for adult supervision.
Why are the lessons 5 days a week and for only 10 minutes?
Research conducted by ISR in 1972, revealed that this schedule is the most effective both for acquisition of skills and for retention.
How can you teach a baby who cannot talk to swim?
Children who cannot yet talk learn to sit, crawl, stand, and walk before uttering their first words. When the instructor understands how very young children learn, perceive the world and engage their environment, it is possible to present small tasks and guide the student to the successful acquisition of aquatic survival skills.
Why are parents not in the water to calm an agitated infant swimmer?
We do not use parents in the water to calm down the student because we do not want the student to initially associate the water with love, attention, and affection of the parent with the water. It takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the student how to react to an aquatic emergency.
After they learned the ISR techniques, do they need extra lessons?
Please see refreshers VS maintenance lessons.
REFRESHERS:
ISR recommends that all students, especially between the ages of 12 months and 4 years, return to an ISR instructor once a year for a quick 1-2 week Refresher Lessons.
Children grow physically, emotionally, and mentally very quickly in the first six years of their lives. Their center of gravity will change as their limbs become longer and their concept of water changes as their brains become more advanced.
Refresher Lessons help our students assimilate their new bodies and minds to the skills they previously learned so they can continue to swim safely and effectively. It is important to remember that your child does not "forget" the skills acquired with ISR. However, most children are not regularly in the water in the winter and during this extended period of time your child will mature mentally and physically. Refresher Lessons are designed to help your child adjust her swim and float to her new more mature body and mind and to reinforce her confidence in the water.
MAINTENANCE LESSONS:
Upon completion of lessons, you may see behaviors in the child's swimming at home that is not consistent with what your child was doing during lessons. This is a natural progression for your child. As he/she become more comfortable and confident in the water, they will begin to experiment and explore the aquatic environment. It is important to know that this does not mean that your child has "forgotten" the skills learned during ISR lessons. However, it may be necessary to schedule a Maintenance Lesson.
Maintenance Lessons are designed to fine-tune your child's skills or to prevent problems from developing in your child's technique. A few months after completion of ISR lessons, your child may develop unwanted habits out of regular play time in the pool. For example, your child may begin to swim farther without rolling over for breath or may try swimming with her head out of water. Some habits formed from normal exploration in the water may begin to affect your child's ability to swim and float.
During Maintenance Lessons, Ms. Gretchen will discuss with you different ways to swim with your child to reinforce the correct swimming behaviors and how to control the swimming environment to avoid negative behaviors. There are no set time frames for Maintenance Lessons. They are contingent upon the behaviors being exhibited by your child. In most cases, behaviors can be reinforced or corrected in one or two Maintenance Lessons. However, some parents choose to bring their children for maintenance lessons once a week or every two weeks throughout the summer to consistently reinforce proper swimming behaviors.
Drowning prevention tips:
- Constant supervision is the only sure way to prevent drowning. However, on occasion supervision can break down. If you cannot find your child, check the pool first - seconds count.
- Never leave your child alone in the bathtub or pool - not even for a second.
- Do not leave the pool to answer the phone - this is the foremost distraction and is commonly stated as why the baby was left unattended - for just a second. Unfortunately that is enough time for disaster. Bring a portable phone to the pool, install a phone jack by the pool or ignore the call. Your child is more important.
- NEVER USE FLOTATION DEVICES in the pool! These devices lend a false sense of security to you and your child. Studies reveal that parents whose children use flotation do not watch their children closely. In addition, the posturing these devices develop is detrimental to learning true swimming skills that could save their life. Simply resist the urge and DON'T DO IT!
- Leave a responsible ADULT in charge of safety. Do not delegate this task to an older sibling. This is too much responsibility and many children have drowned with their older sibling -watching them in the pool.
- Never assume someone else is watching your child. If you and your spouse are by the pool delegate supervision to one person and then switch off.
- Maintain a safer home pool environment:
- Every backyard pool, pond or lake should be completely fenced. The side of the house DOES NOT count as a fourth side. The point is, there must be a barrier between your house and the pool. Install pool fencing specifically designed to keep children out or install a permanent fence around all four sides. Pay special attention to pet doors as children are small enough to get out the pet door. Install high locks with chimes on every door and window and consider getting a pool alarm. The goal is to put as many barriers as possible between your child and the pool.
- Do not leave chairs, ladders or other objects near the pool that would allow a child to climb the fence.
- Make sure all windows of your house provide a clear view of the pool so you could easily spot a child who made his way to the pool unattended.
- Keep the pool clean. Cloudy or murky water can be a hazard.
- Water levels should be 3-4 inches from the top to make climbing out easier.
- Click here for Pool Edge modifier plans.
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