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Smart Baby Swim, Saint Simons Island, GA (2026)

09/22/2026

Normalize researching the lesson BEFORE enrolling your child.

Not all swim lessons are taught the same way, and methodology matters.

Before you hand your child to an instructor, ask questions. How do you handle fear? What happens when a child cries or says no? Do you use forced or repeated submersions? What is the goal of the lesson? What research supports the method you’re using?

We know water can be incredibly beneficial for children. We also know that learning does not require us to repeatedly push a child beyond their ability to cope.

And this conversation isn’t just philosophical anymore. In its 2026 drowning-prevention guidance, the American Academy of Pediatrics specifically addresses repeated submersions in infants. The AAP states that repeated submersions used to teach reflexive back floating can create negative aquatic experiences and may negatively affect later swim competency. Their technical report further notes an association with lower swim competency compared with children who were not taught that skill through repeated submersions.

The American Red Cross likewise describes children’s instruction as progressing at a comfortable pace, with skills developed step-by-step while children gain confidence.

None of this means children should never be challenged. Learning involves challenge. But challenge and distress are not the same thing.

Parents: research the program. Research the methodology. Watch a lesson. Ask questions. Understand what you’re consenting to on behalf of your child.

We don’t have to choose between drowning prevention and respecting a developing human being.

We can teach water competency while respecting the child.

Read the research:
2026 AAP Drowning Prevention Policy Statement⁠
2026 AAP Drowning Prevention Technical Report⁠
American Red Cross — Children’s Swim Lessons⁠
Finding the Balance: Transforming How We Think About the Body’s Response to Stress in Early Childhood - Center on the developing Child, Harvard University
WaterCompetency ChildLedLearning TraumaAware RespectTheChild

08/17/2026

One of the biggest transitions for a new swimmer is this:

They can swim… but they don’t yet know how to manage their breathing.

They swim to me. They kick hard. They’re excited. They’re independent. They’re doing the thing.

And then I feel it — that little heartbeat is racing.

That’s when we work on breathing and recovery.

💨 Roll, Breathe, Reset

Early swimmers don’t always have rhythmic breathing yet. They may not know how to coordinate swimming, exhaling, inhaling, and continuing forward without getting overworked.

So instead of waiting until they’re exhausted, we practice a reset.

They swim to me.

Then we pause.

We roll onto the back.

We breathe.

One… two… three.

Maybe five slow breaths.

Then we roll back over and go again.

Another option is practicing the breathing pattern underwater: exhale slowly while swimming, come up for the inhale, then return to the water and let that breath out again.

The goal is not just “Can you swim farther?”

The goal is:

Can you recognize when your body needs air?
Can you recover?
Can you slow your breathing?
Can you reset and keep going?

That is part of becoming an independent swimmer too.

To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Swim, swim, swim with me,
when I need to breathe.
I can roll onto my back,
breathe… breathe… breathe.

Swimming is movement.

Breathing is regulation.

And young swimmers need to learn both.

If you like simple ways to teach preschool swimming through movement, repetition, breathing, body awareness, and water confidence, follow .

You can also book lessons with me, bring me in for water-safety or swim education, or invite me to speak with your school, organization, conference, or community group.

Georgia Swim School LLC
Swimming skills. Water safety. More confident swimmers. https://www.navigatingneva.com/ www.gaswimschool.com

BreathControl SwimSkills

08/17/2026

Before we ask little swimmers to kick harder or move faster, they need to learn something more basic:

The water can carry them.

That’s what gliding teaches.

🪽 Stingray Glide

When I work with preschool swimmers, I’ll often stand a short distance away from the wall or steps and ask them to push and glide to me.

That sounds simple, but there’s a lot happening.

They have to trust the water.
They have to trust their body.
They have to lean forward instead of grabbing.
They have to let themselves move.

And there’s some science in it too.

A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless another force changes it. So if a swimmer can create a good push and maintain a long body position, they can travel through the water without immediately wasting energy.

That matters.

Swimming is not supposed to be constant panic, splashing, kicking, and fighting the water.

Sometimes the skill is learning to do less.

To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Glide, glide like a stingray,
floating through the sea.
Push away, nice and smooth,
and glide along to me.

Once they understand that glide, then we can add the next pieces:

Glide first.
Then big arms.
Then kicks.
Then swimming.

But first, I want them to experience that moment where they realize:

“The water is holding me. I can move through it without fighting it.”

That’s a big deal for a young swimmer.

If you like simple ways to teach preschool swimming through movement, repetition, body awareness, and water confidence, follow .

You can also book lessons with me, bring me in for water-safety or swim education, or invite me to speak with your school, organization, conference, or community group.

Georgia Swim School LLC
Swimming skills. Water safety. More confident swimmers.
https://www.navigatingneva.com/
DrowningPrevention SwimInstructor SwimScience

08/17/2026

Little swimmers usually don’t start with perfect freestyle arms — and that’s okay.

With preschool-aged swimmers, one of the first things I want them to learn is how to reach BIG and pull through the water.

When a child is unsure, they often keep their arms close, bend their elbows, or hook onto the instructor because they don’t quite trust the water yet.

As that trust grows, so does their movement.

🐢 Sea Turtle Pulls
Think about a sea turtle’s big paddles: reach far, then pull.

We practice reaching both arms out long and then pulling them back together through the water.

To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

I can be a sea turtle,
swimming through the sea.
Arms reach out and pull to me,
one… two… three.

The goal isn’t perfect stroke technique yet.

The goal is helping young swimmers learn:

Reach farther.
Move the water.
Trust your body.
Trust the person helping you.
Then do it again.

Those big early movements create the foundation for stronger swimming skills later.

If you like simple ways to teach young children swimming skills through songs, movement, repetition, and body awareness, follow .

You can also book lessons with me, bring me in for water-safety or swim education, or invite me to speak with your school, organization, conference, or community group.

Georgia Swim School LLC
Swimming skills. Water safety. More confident swimmers. https://www.navigatingneva.com/

DrowningPrevention SwimInstructor EarlyChildhoodAquatics

08/17/2026

Teaching a child to float is more than getting them to lay back.

I want them to feel their float, understand what their body is doing in the water, and learn that they can still breathe, relax, and stay there.

That’s why I use simple songs and repeated language with young swimmers.

⭐ Starfish Float
To the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a little starfish, arms wide out.
Take a breath and feel my float.
Breathe in slowly, breathe it out.
Feel my float… 1, 2, 3.

Practice the same words while helping your child float. Over time, the song becomes a familiar cue. Instead of the adult constantly telling them what to do, the child begins to recognize the routine, anticipate the movement, and take more ownership of the skill.

That’s what I want: not just a child who will float when an instructor positions them, but a child who begins to understand their own body in the water.

If you want more preschool and toddler swim-skill ideas like this, follow .

And if you’re looking for:

• Swim lessons for your child
• Water-safety education
• Instructor or parent education
• A speaker for your school, organization, conference, or community event

I’d love to work with you. https://www.navigatingneva.com/ www.gaswimschool.com

Georgia Swim School LLC
Swimming skills. Water safety. More confident swimmers.
ZeroDrownings PreschoolSwimming ToddlerSwimming

07/24/2026

World Drowning Prevention Day

The stories we don’t tell are costing us.

As someone who has spent more than two decades teaching swimming and talking with families, I’ve realized something.

Almost everyone has a water story.

“I almost drowned.”
“My cousin did.”
“My child slipped into a pool.”
“I was caught in a rip current.”
“I’ve never told anyone what happened.”

Some of those experiences were non-fatal drownings. Others were frightening close calls that changed the way someone thinks about water forever.

But many of those stories stay hidden.

Sometimes it’s because of guilt.
Sometimes it’s embarrassment.
Sometimes people don’t want to relive it.
Sometimes they don’t think anyone wants to hear it.

When we stay silent, the public only sees the tragedies that make the news. They don’t see the fear, the trauma, the lessons learned, or the countless moments that could have ended differently.

Public health changes when people tell their stories.

We’ve seen it with cancer.
We’ve seen it with mental health.
We’ve seen it with addiction.
We’ve seen it with su***de prevention.

Stories don’t replace data—they give the data a face.

This World Drowning Prevention Day, I’m asking for something simple.

Let’s create a community where people can talk about their experiences without shame, blame, or judgment.

If you’ve experienced a non-fatal drowning…
If you’ve had a frightening close call in the water…
If someone you love has…

Your story matters.

Because every story shared is another opportunity for someone else to recognize a risk, make a different choice, enroll in swim lessons, wear a life jacket, learn CPR, or simply pay closer attention.

The conversation doesn’t begin with statistics.

It begins when someone has the courage to say,

“This happened to me.”

07/14/2026

If you wanna climb onto my soapbox and rant or rave or preach to the choir about what you’re passionate and aquatics, that’s what I’m here for all you have to do is fill out the job form and I’ll contact you to schedule https://form.jotform.com/250518744185158

07/14/2026

Do you love my filter with hearts? I did the hearts cause I loved my Q&A and now I wanna hear from you. I’m gonna do another Q&A and I want you to let me know what you want it to be about.

07/14/2026

Last night, I hosted the very first live Q&A inside the Navigating Neva community with Selena Willows, and it turned into exactly the kind of conversation I hoped this community would create.

There was no script. No presentation. No recording.

Just aquatic professionals having the conversations we do not usually have—the emotional side of teaching, self-regulation, supporting students through fear, navigating difficult moments, sharing experiences, and learning from one another.

The best part was that no one person had to have all the answers. Everyone brought a different perspective, and together we talked through the real-life situations that rarely make it into certification courses or training manuals.

Selena enjoyed the conversation so much that afterward, she agreed to come back and do another live Q&A. We are already looking at making these a regular part of the Navigating Neva community.

These are the conversations that help us become better instructors, stronger leaders, and more thoughtful aquatic professionals.

Sometimes the most valuable learning happens when the cameras are off.

06/24/2026

This is not about research. It is about instructional ethics.

If a child can learn the same life-saving skill without repeated distress, force, or coercion, why would we choose the more distressing pathway? If two children can learn the same life-saving skill, and one approach results in less fear, less distress, more willingness, and greater participation, shouldn’t we study that?

I am not interested in proving one program is good and another is bad. I am interested in understanding how children learn, how they regulate stress, and whether survival skills can be taught while preserving trust, autonomy, and joy.

Skills matter.
Safety matters.
Emotional well-being matters.

I believe we can hold all three at the same time.

Smart Baby Swim

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