Savannah Rose just finished her final swim lesson before we head to Tokyo and I think its safe to say we have a natural born-swimmer on our hands. 😆
Obvs, being the mermaid that I am, taking Savvy Girl to swim lessons is literally what my #momlife dreams are made of!
Some of my fondest childhood memories were made in my grandma's backyard pool in Vegas — the same home and pool my mom grew up in.
I swam competitively for 9 years and was the first Black synchronized swimmer to swim for the San Diego Sweetwater Dolphins.
And swimming was pretty much the only thing that got me through the first trimester of pregnancy with Savvy. I swam everywhere from the LA Fitness down the street to the gorgeous blue waters of Maui while visiting the island for one of my best girl's weddings.
Water makes me feel at home, it brings me back to myself.
So all that being said, you know I was too excited for our little18 month old Savannah to start her swim lessons!
I found the perfect private pool thanks to my #momfriend and #expatbestie, Laila. (hey girl hey!)
Sidenote: The pool where Sav learned how to swim is one block from the beach! One block! Like you can see the ocean when you walk out of the swim school!!!!!
DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE.
I was so eager for Sav to start her lessons -- I had everything planned out, packed and ready to go a week in advance. (v unlike me)
But the night before her first lesson, it hit me — I wasn’t prepared at all — Savannah was good to go, but unless I was going to show up to her swimming class in a Brazilian bikini, I needed to get to the store ASAP!
Cue the late night emergency run to Target!
Here's the thing, when you sign your little one up for lessons, swim schools give you a pamphlet with all the things you need to do to prepare the child and what to bring for their first day. But no one tells you what you need to bring and do as the parent!
So here it goes! I'm sharing tips (I learned through trial + error) for mamas taking their littles to their first swim lessons:
Get a one piece bathing suit. Like I said, the night before Sav's lesson I was frantically running through Target trying to find a one piece so I didn’t have to take Babygirl to swim looking like I was trying to get chose LOL!!!
Shave, wax, Veet, Nair — whatever you have to do! Let’s just say I had to stop in the hair removal aisle during my late night Target run. Ha, I remember the days when I booked my Brazilian waxes before beach vacays and sexy-time with Hubs.
Now I book Brazilian waxes to take my toddler to swim. The wax tech is making small talk while I’m on the table — “Oh, so where are you going this time?” I’m like, “Oh just down the street to my daughter’s swim lessons.” Lol!!!! These are the days!
Do not put your baby’s swim diapers on before getting to the pool. You will finally get there and be welcomed by a blow-out and then be stuck trying to find somewhere to buy new swim diapers at the last min. When I made this rookie mistake, I was saved by the $15 swim diapers that were for sale at the front desk. But you can believe that was a $15 mistake I never made again. Regular diaper for car ride, then quick change for little babe before getting in the water.
Insider-tip from Savannah’s swim instructor: Fall/Winter lessons are the best to sign up for because classes are much less crowded and your little will get more one on on time — More bang for your buck and a more tranquil environment for your toddler.
I hope these quick tips help you prepare a bit! This rookie #momlife can be tricky, but as long as we keep laughing along the way, we should be able to stay above water.
Love Always.
Jas
PS. After 8 classes, Savvy can jump in and swim underwater!!! It blows my mind to see how babies innately know what to do and how quickly they pick things up with the right guidance. To my San Diego #momfriends, I highly recommend Murray Callan Swim School — ask for Meghan!
