I'm thinking about signing my 4-year-old son up for swim lessons in the area (doesn't have to be Walled Lake). I was going to sign him up in a class without me in it, but he's not super comfortable yet in the water. Does anyone know a really good place or even a "swim camp" (if there is such a thing) that has knowledgeable instructors and not just teenagers teaching the kids?
Goldfish swim school in Farmington (9 mile and Haggerty) is absolutely fabulous! They will give you a free trial session, but I promise that you will be hooked!
I have my 2.5 yo enrolled in goldfish in birmingham (classes w/o mom) and they are great. They keep him busy, interested and have plenty of staff on hand for safety. AND they teach him to swim! I had classes at the Y last year, hands down goldfish.
I always hear wonderful things about Goldfish Swim School. There is a newer location in Farmington/Novi on 9 and Haggerty behind CVS. I have been there for a party and for an open swim night with my girls. The water is warm and they have all kinds of great devices used to help with instruction. The whole place is geared toward the kids and I think they even offer competetive swim for those more advanced swimers.
I had my girls learning at the high school and it was a complete waste of money! Wish I would have enrolled them at Goldfish but my husband didn't want to spend the money...turns out we spent MORE because they constantly had to repeat their classes due to poor instruction. Also, the water at the highschool was ice cold and all the kids just shivered the whole time.
Good Luck and Happy Swimming :o)
It does not matter where you go and who teaches it (young or older). It all depends on the person who is the instructor. I took my seven year old to many swim lessons only to have him do nothing. I finally found one in Livonia through the community education program at Franklin HS. Told the instructor the situation, and she worked amazing things with my son. He was able to jump into the water from the diving board into her hands by session's end. You do not know how much of an accomplishment this was.
He was absolutely terrified of water and we owned a boat and a cottage. Learning to swim was not an option.
