What you need to know as your child advances from Self-Rescue skills to strokes.

When my children were little, summer pool season always brought a mix of joy and anxiety. As a former lifeguard, swim coach, pool manager, and swim instructor, I simply couldn’t look the other way when I saw kids bobbing around in water wings, puddle jumpers, life vests, or swimsuits with built-in flotation.

I never used flotation devices with my own children—because I knew what many parents didn’t: those devices can create a dangerous illusion of safety for both kids and adults.

As a mother of two teens who is deeply passionate about water safety, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of traditional swim lessons. Over the years, I enrolled my children in group lessons, private sessions, and even swim team programs here in Reno-Tahoe. While each had its merits, I often found myself frustrated. My kids spent more time playing at the wall than learning in the water, and their progress was slow.

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