Timetable Meltdown!

You wouldn't think that putting together a timetable for a swimming school is that complicated. We have a set number of children who fit into a set number of age brackets and we have a set number of pool hours. Even someone with a cursory understanding of the laws of mathematics such as me should be able to divide X children into Y classes. But sad though it is to admit it, as I stare into the abyss of the task before me I realise I am paralysed by the sheer complexity of it all. Parents like to keep their times and days consistent from term to term, but the children are growing up and so they naturally move up into new age group classes. Some mums are going back to work, or have had another child, or nursery days have changed - and they need to be accommodated too. Puggles has always offered a tailored service and never advocates rolling enrolments, because children progress so much more effectively together, feeling comfortable with each other, being of similar capability in the pool environment and forming trusted bonds. So how on earth do I keep all parents happy, allow for new children to join and keep my sanity all at the same time?

Enter stage left my long suffering swimming widow, problem solver, web designer and general dogsbody husband who amongst other things happens to have a degree in Maths from a posh university. Let him sort it. Five hours later he is looking somewhat worse for wear, has lost even more of his hairline and is surrounded by piles of paper, post it notes and varied scribblings. "This is a lot more difficult than you'd think". No shit Sherlock.

I love love love all the kids who come to Puggles and I care deeply that they are learning the right things about swimming, water safety and how to love being in the water - doing everything at their own pace feeling 100% comfortable in the water. I never force submersions and always take cues from the child. So the task for hubby was clear - given all this, just make it work. And true to nature he has come up with what I think is a solution.

Enrolments will be run in separate phases to allow clients to secure their places in classes on the day they prefer.

Phase 1 – priority is given to all swimmers enrolling on the same day. Obviously as children keep getting older, some of them will naturally move up into the older time slot, which may not be at the same time as the class in the previous term. Any child who is within 1 month of the age group will be able to enrol into that class - e.g. A child who is 11 months old at the beginning of term will be able to join a 12-18 month class.

Phase 2 – if you want to change the day of your lessons then you will be able to if there are spaces left once Phase 1 is complete.

Phase 3 – all available spaces left will be offered to the growing list of people on the waiting list.

Phase 4 - brand new classes for total beginners in all groups - obviously not relevant for anyone  who has had at least one term swimming with Puggles.

All aquanatal yoga mums-to-be are also guaranteed a space in the newborn flotation classes, which are completely gorgeous and a fabulous way for both mum and dad to bond with baby.

Another challenge is that as all the children get older the age groupings adjust, so right now we have a lot of children in the 12-18 months bracket but as those children get older and as new children join, we may see a shift in the number of classes available.

When I first started Puggles I originally thought that by the age of four, Puggles kids would be moving to independent lessons. What I'm actually seeing is that for the kids who started with me as babies, when they get to about two and half years they are able to move up. As such the number of classes for the older age groups is diminishing, but of course I try to put on classes for beginners in those age groups.

I know that I can't please all the people all the time and so inevitably I will upset some people and for that I am truly sorry. But as always, I genuinely value the loyalty and trust all the parents put in Puggles and I am committed to providing a very high quality offering :  bespoke lessons in small class sizes, with kids of similar ability.

Pregnant? Feeling heavy? Aquanatal yoga to the rescue!

When you're pregnant there are few things better than being able to take a load off and get some rest and relaxation. How long has it been since you slept on your stomach? So why not treat yourself and spend an hour in this gorgeous, warm pool, heated to 34 degrees, a constant depth of 1.2m throughout. Relax and unwind in this small corner of paradise, enjoying all the benefits of aquanatal yoga from a qualified instructor.

Aquanatal yoga is such a wonderful, effective and gentle form of exercise for pregnant women, no matter what your level of fitness might be. Just being in the warm soothing water provides you with an easy way to achieve deep relaxation, while at the same time encouraging you to experience positive feelings. Aquanatal yoga is a fantastic experience, allowing you to exercise while being supported by the water and to improve your overall well-being to help you return to your full fitness following your baby's arrival. Aquanatal yoga is a safe workout where you can be with other mums-to-be enjoying this precious bonding time with your bumps!

Why not come along and try it out for yourself? Visit http://www.puggles-swim.co.uk/aquanatal_classes.php

New Term, New Classes!

Sadly the summer is almost over but I’m happy to say that term has started with a wonderful flourish! The first week of classes has been fantastic with all of my previous kids remembering me, doing so well and have come on really well over the break. We have also had some new faces joining our happy community of Puggles swimmers and they all had a lovely time in the gorgeous warm water of our pools in Ely and Little Thetford.

I’m getting very excited about this term because soon I will be opening classes for newborn babies and pregnant mums, offering aquanatal sessions. The classes will be on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons and will be on a drop-in basis, and soon you will be able to book multiple sessions online at my website www.puggles-swim.co.uk

Also later this term I will be opening the pool for an underwater photography session. There will be a chance for you all to come along and get some lovely photographs of your beautiful babies!

New pool opening summer 2016!

I'm delighted to be able to announce Puggles Swim School is now offering more classes at a new pool in Little Thetford, just a short distance south of Ely. The pool is purpose built, comes with both male and female changing rooms and has ample parking. This new pool is beautiful and comes in a purpose-built climate-controlled building, which during the summer can be opened up so that we get that outdoor pool experience. The pool is a fixed 1.2m deep and is kept at a steady 32 degrees, so it's perfect for our little swimmers. Initially classes will be held on Saturdays only but I am hoping to expand this from September 2016 to other days. 

Here are some photos:

As well as having a new pool we will also be taking on new teachers who I know you will love and who follow the Puggles philosophy, based on the Birthlight approach.

For more information please visit my website www.puggles-swim.co.uk

“Aquaphobic? Adults get your training wheels.”

“people wish to learn to swim and at the same time keep one foot on the ground” 
- Marcel Proust.

Have you always wanted to learn how to swim but are simply too terrified to try?  Maybe you had a traumatic experience with water previously and this has prevented you from getting in the water again?

If you want to know how to swim, you have to overcome your fear of water first before even attempting swimming lessons.

From November, Puggles will be offering 3 FREE lessons to adults who are terrified of water but who yearn to be able to swim. 3 free ½ hour lessons on Mondays in Ely will be offered to 3 adults at a time, on a first-come-first-served basis.  I will be with you in the water, gently helping you to learn to trust the water and control your own body so you feel more comfortable.  I really hope that after these 3 lessons you will feel more confident about attending adult learn-to-swim classes at a pool near you.

If you’re interested please visit my web site www.puggles-swim.co.uk and send me a message via the "Contact" page. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Swimming with TIMID Children 2 years and older

Some pre-schoolers might have a real fear of the water which could be as a result of a previous bad experience or simply because they haven’t had much time in the swimming pool.  Some children are afraid of the water because their parents are and they learn to fear the water by association. If you as a parent are fearful then you need to try and relax around water and be aware that your facial expression and body language transmits to your child. You as the parent could also think about having swimming lessons yourself to try and conquer this fear.

When your toddler is afraid try and make bath time fun by using toys and songs and you could always bath or shower together. You could have a sticker/reward chart too that recognises small achievements like when they have had a bath without crying, or happily washed their hair or lay down and got their ears in the water.

When it comes to swimming lessons you need to treat your frightened child with lots of patience and encouragement and realise that it can take several lessons for your child to relax in the swimming pool. Don’t force your child to do something they don’t want to but go back to doing things that they do like doing. Always use positive language and don’t get frustrated with them if they resist everything.

Your timid toddler needs to feel safe and secure in the water and to believe that they have some control during their lesson. Teach them that there is a pool floor and that they can stand and that you will always be close by within arm’s reach.

Before and after their lessons, spend some time talking to them about their lesson and what they enjoyed and talk about their instructor by name and teach them that this is someone they should trust and who will make sure they are safe. Encourage them to talk to the instructor themselves and tell them about their news about nursery/school/new toys etc.

Try to arrive at your lessons a bit early so neither of you are stressed or rushed when trying to get dressed into your swimming gear.

For more information please visit my website at www.puggles-swim.co.uk

Conditioning your non swimmer to water

You might not have started with swimming lessons yet but you can still teach them to enjoy the water.

Start with pouring small amounts of water over their faces. You need to train them using ‘triggers’ or cues. You could simply say “Johnny, ready, go” and then pour the water gently over the face. With several repetitions over several weeks your child will learn to hold their breath before you pour the water.

Once you know they are holding their breath and are not anxious, start taking them into the shower with you and give them their cue before putting them under the shower for a couple of seconds.  Remember to go slowly with this over several weeks as you don’t want to frighten them.

If you are starting with a newborn - share a bath together. Gently roll your baby around in the water with a relaxed grip that allows them to float in the water. Maintain eye contact with them and smile a lot which teaches them that it’s ok and it’s fun.

For more information please visit my website www.puggles-swim.co.uk