DAD TIME AT GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL

An aspect I've appreciated about Goldfish Swim School is that it is a very dad-friendly environment. Compared to taking my kids to other activities like dance class and soccer practice where it tends to be mostly moms that stick around, fathers seem to be very involved whenever we go swimming. From jumping in the pool with toddlers for parent-tot programs to cheering on tweens in Swim Force competitions there is a lot of dad involvement at Goldfish Swim School.

Here are some ways dads create golden experiences with their kids at Goldfish Swim School:

TODDLER SWIM

Getting kids comfortable in water at an early age is a great way to teach them some water safety skills, interest them in swimming, obtain some exercise, and have some fun. Goldfish Swim School has a Mini Class which has parents get in the pool with their children that are between the ages of 4 and 35 months. Instructors lead classes that include entertaining activities and games plus instill safety tips meant to provide children with the wherewithal to assist themselves in avoiding drowning accidents.

There are a lot of fathers who participate in these Mini Class sessions with their sons and daughters. In fact, some of these parent - tot classes are made up of just dads. This is a great opportunity for getting the skin-to-skin contact with young children that pediatricians recommend that fathers normally don't provide as much as mothers do. It is also a nice opportunity to spend some dad time bonding with a child.

SWIM LESSONS

For older children who are diving into the pool on their own for swimming lessons without dad or mom getting into the water with them, there is still an opportunity for spending parenting time at Goldfish Swim School. There is a viewing area for parents to observe swimming lessons and children appreciate knowing someone is paying attention to their efforts. Plus after every lesson each parents gets an individualized update on a child's progress from an instructor. After class, kids often need help washing up, changing clothes and getting ready to go home. There are plenty of ways for dads to be involved without getting into the water themselves.

FAMILY SWIM TIME

Goldfish Swim School offers open swim hours where members can enjoy some family time together in the pool. You will often see dads in the pool working with kids on practicing their swim stokes or just having playing with their children. These are a nice way for dads to spend some quality time with their families.

SWIM FORCE MEETS

The Goldfish Swim Force promotes swimming as an athletic endeavor and hosts quarterly competitive meets for participants. Swim Force members are children who tend to be over 8 years old and have passed all of the swimming lesson levels but still want to be involved with Goldfish Swim School. These are great events for dads to cheer on children to show support and encouragement.

Goldfish Swim School really is a great place to spend some dad time with kids. I've had a great experience myself and encourage other dads to dive on in and get involved with swimming as an activity for your family to get involved with. Goldfish Swim School is great at having scheduling that works around busy schedules and a liberal class cancellation and make up policy. They make a great effort to fit into your personal and professional obligations rather than you having to make your time available to fit into your schedule. Their customer service is really outstanding with a focus on catering to families with children between the ages of 4 months and 12 years old.

For more information about programs and locations, head on over to goldfishswimschool.com 

A Geek Daddy is a Goldfish Swim School Brand Ambassador. I receive complimentary services and products in exchange for sharing my experiences with my ageekdaddy.com audience. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. We've been partnering with Goldfish Swim School for several years and I wouldn't have continued this arrangement for so long if my kids weren't getting value and enjoyment out of it. Goldfish Swim School has absolutely earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval for the golden experience my family has had with them.

GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL IS A GREAT PLACE FOR FATHERLY BONDING WITH KIDS

** A Geek Daddy is a Goldfish Swim School Brand Ambassador and receives free products and services **

Learning to swim is not only a valuable skill for children to acquire but can also be a great way for dads to spend some quality time together with their children.  Goldfish Swim Schools have a variety of options available that teach children the skills to be safe and have fun in the water that are also great activities for fathers to be involved with.  For dads with children ranging from infants to tweens, Goldfish Swim School is a great place to engage in fatherly bonding with your kids.

Infant / Toddler Classes 

Goldfish Swim School provides an opportunity for fathers help their children that are 4 months to 36 months old get comfortable with being immersed in water with infant / toddler classes.  Introducing a child to getting into a pool at a very early age can help prevent him or her from developing an anxiety about swimming or a fear of water later on in life.  Getting children accustomed to spending time in the water as preschoolers often times provides them with confidence to participate in swimming lessons when they get old enough for them.  My wife and I participated in infant / toddler classes with our twins and when it came time for us to sign up for swimming lessons my son and daughter had no hesitancy about getting into the pool and they honestly can be a pair of real scaredy cats at times.

Pediatricians recommend that skin-to-skin contact strengthens the bond between a parent and an infant.  Spending some time in the water during a Goldfish Swim School infant / toddler class can be a great way for a dad to get some of that valuable contact they might not otherwise regularly be getting as often as mom does with a little one.  Plus it is just a nice, enjoyable way to spend some fun time with a son or daughter by participating together in one of these parent-tot classes.  

Swimming Lessons

Each Goldfish Swim School location has a nice glass paneled viewing area for parents to observe their children's swimming lessons. Parents are encouraged to stay and watch.  At the conclusion of each class, the instructor provides an in-depth one-on-one evaluation to a parent about how the student fared and what the child needs to improve on.  Discussing what you learned from the instructor presents a nice opportunity for fathers to have constructive dialogue with a child.  Kids are at the age where they are craving a parent's attention when they are taking swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School.  Knowing dad is watching them swim and taking an interest in their progress will mean a lot to a son or daughter.  At a  recent lesson while I was kneeling down by the side of the pool to hear my son's evaluation the instructor informed us that he was graduating up to a higher class level.  My son was so excited to be moving up and happy that I was there to share in the news.  Moments like that for a dad and child to share are really special.

Family Swim

A great way to bond with kids is to just let loose and have fun with them.  Take advantage of Goldfish Swim School's open swim hours that let dads jump in the pool with their kids.  Whether you are helping a child practice swimming strokes, racing for bragging rights, or just splashing around this is a great way to enjoy spending time with your family.  Family Swim hours vary by location.  The Goldfish Swim School we attend has their Family Swim on Friday nights from 6:30 - 8:30 pm which makes for a relaxing way to wrap up the week.  Keep an eye out for Member Appreciation Weeks throughout the year because Goldfish Swim School provides special activities and pizza during  Family Swim hours to make the event extra special for students and their parents to participate in.

Party!

Celebrate a special moment in your child's life by reserving Goldfish Swim School for a party.  Don't be shy and jump right in the pool with your child to make some memories to last a lifetime.  Friends and family are sure to have a great time at your child's pool party.  Goldfish Swim School handles all the details and cleanup so dads can focus on enjoying the moment with your child.

Swimming is a great way to spend time with a child.  Goldfish Swim School caters to kids ranging from 4 months to 12 years old and provides plenty of ways that a dad can be involved with the experience.  It provides a great opportunity for dads to bond with their children through engaging in its activities.  For more information or to find a location near you, please visit goldfishswimschool.com

Dads Who Do Chores Bolster Daughters' Aspirations - I'm Proud To Be A Swiffer Dad

As the father of a bright and curious six year old daughter, I want to do what I can to make sure there are no ceilings to whatever personal and professional dreams she may want to pursue in life.  If she wants to be an astronaut, doctor, lawyer, scientist, teacher or stay at home mom, I want my daughter's decisions in life based on her own interests, passions and desires rather than dictated by stereotypes and biases of what a woman's role in society should be.  So I try to lead by example and demonstrate that men and women can have equal roles when it comes to family responsibilities.  I help with the laundry, washing the dishes and all the other chores around the house to show her that these are family responsibilities rather than a mother's burden.

A recent study in Psychological Science, the journal of the Association for Psychological Science, supports the premise that dads who help with household chores are more likely to raise daughters who aspire to less traditional jobs and pursue more advanced, higher paying careers.  The study demonstrated that how parents share responsibilities like washing the dishes, folding the laundry, and  other household chores plays a key role in shaping gender attitudes and aspirations of their children.  By my actively participating in helping out around the house, I'm setting an example for my daughter that girls aren't the only ones responsible for housework and teaching my son that men shouldn't expect women to take care of them. Now some guys may say that attitude is not being very manly or macho, but my response to that is being an outstanding man involves ensuring that your family is healthy, safe, happy, and well-cared for so if you are not helping out at home you really are slacking as a modern day dad.

It's surprising that today, dads are still often portrayed as guys who don't really know how to run their home or manage their kids because that simply is just not the case.  According to the Swiffer Cleaning Index, Dads today are pitching in nearly two times more than their dads did.  In fact, the roles have really shifted as half of dads today say they do the lion's share of the cleaning in their home, dividing chores with significant others.  So its appreciated that Swiffer has teamed up with bloggers like me to speak out about the role of the modern dad and challenge societal stereotypes that mock or diminish men's role in helping out around the house.



As part of its  #SwifferDad  campaign I was asked to help spread the word about the positive role of modern dads by sharing Swiffer's "A Clean House With Swiffer Dads" video with A Geek Daddy Blog's readers and provided a Swiffer Wet Jet care pack to review. 

A big green Swiffer box arrived on our doorstep at just the right time.  We live in a hundred year old house and while it is a charming place, our home is unfortunately starting to show its age with numerous cracks and creaks.  To rejuvenate the place we just wrapped up tearing out some of the walls and ceilings throughout the house and having them re-plastered.  When our Swiffer package arrived the whole house was covered in dust, debris, plaster, and paint. Ugh! the place really was a mess!

We received a Swiffer Wet Jet along with a box of pad refills and a bottle of Wet Jet antibacterial cleaner.  It really came in handy!  Instead of dealing with a mop and bucket, which sometimes leads to just as much of a mucky mess as what we're trying to clean up, the Swiffer Wet Jet locked up all the dirt and grime quickly and easily. It was easy enough to use that my six year old son was able to help me out in cleaning our kitchen and dining room hard wood floors so that they were spick and span.  When we were done it was just a matter of ripping off the Wet Jet's cleaning pad, throwing it away and replacing it with one of the refills we were provided. Quick-Simple-Easy = I like that.

This Swiffer product was really great because it let us clean up a really messy situation quickly and effectively so that my kids and I could spend time on something a little more interesting to do -  watching the Detroit Tigers baseball game on TV of course!  The Swiffer Wet Jet helped us have more time to soak in making family memories rather than cleaning up messes around the house. That's the #SwifferEffect.

 

Since the Swiffer Wet Jet made such a positive impact on our old house, I was glad they gave me two big green boxes so I could share one with one of my best buddies as he and his family moved into a brand new house last weekend.  He was thrilled because he knows it is not easy to keep a house looking as nice and clean as when you first move in so this Swiffer Wet Jet should really help him out.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.