Last Updated on 28 September 2023 by Colette
This post features a gifted experience & affiliate links
This morning Amy had her last Puddle Ducks swimming lesson of the academic year. Â I can’t quite get my head around where the time has gone! Â From her very first lesson as a “Kicker” back in September where she clung to me and cried – through to today, the end of her first term as a “Little Dipper” where she smiled and laughed her way through her lesson – she has come so far!
I’ve written before about why I prefer Amy’s Puddle Ducks lessons to Ben and Chloe’s local council run lessons and I think anyone who reads my blog or follows me on social media will know how much Amy and I love our Puddle Ducks lessons but I thought I’d share with you some of the reasons why:
1. It’s our special time together
First and foremost, our Monday morning swimming lesson is about me and Bo. There’s nobody else taking our attention, no jobs to do, no emails to answer or social media to check. Once we’ve dropped the big two off at school, it’s “Mummy & Amy time” – we swim together, we cuddle, we laugh (and we often eat nice big chocolate ice creams after our lessons!)
2. It’s never too late to start!
I always thought that with private swimming lessons like Puddle Ducks, you had to start when you were a baby – and whilst that’s obviously preferable, there’s nothing stopping you from starting a little older. Amy was 22 months old when she started swimming with Puddle Ducks. Your Puddle Ducks teacher will differentiate the lessons all the time to make sure that each activity is modified to suit the level of your child, whether they have been swimming for three years or three weeks.
3. The staff
Over the last year we’ve met lots of people who work for Puddle Ducks Greater Manchester – and without fail, every single one of them has been really lovely and friendly and they are all clearly very passionate about their jobs. Of course we must make special mention of Amy’s first teachers Sarah & Jenna who got her started back in September and her current teacher Claire who never fails to make Amy giggle with her antics in the pool. Claire has a great way of using humour to convince Amy into trying new things, she knows exactly what Amy is capable of and never pushes her too far.
4. Daddy can go too!
Just because it’s me that takes Amy to her lessons most of the time, doesn’t mean Daddy can’t take her for an occasional swim too! (In fact Amy almost had a swimming lesson with Granny a few weeks ago but the logistics didn’t work in the end!) I think it’s great that Dave occasionally gets chance to spend time with Amy in the pool – as much for him to learn about the different signals etc that we use as anything else.
5. It’s fun!
Amy might well be learning life saving swimming skills but she doesn’t know it – she’s singing songs, playing with toys and having a splash about with her friends! Puddle Ducks lessons never feel like hard work, each lesson is designed to develop specific swimming skills (and our teacher makes it clear exactly what the point of the activity is) but all the kids know is that they’re having fun in the pool which is exactly how it should be!
Follow our full Puddle Ducks / Swim Academy journey here!
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Totally agree with all of your points. As you know, we've been doing Water Babies for about 1.5 years now and love every minute. Seeing their confidence grow in the water is awesome and it's a useful life skill. Great to hear that you're both enjoying swimming so much.
It's great to hear that Amy has made such great progress through the year. Will you be carrying on with the lessons again after the summer break?
My girls have both been swimming since they were baby and we have done lessons. I am on the look out for new lessons for Alice and will see if they are local to me. The lessons and more importantly the teachers sounds great. Amy looks very happy and comfortable in the water x
Wow has it really been a whole year? That has flown by and I can see how much Amy has enjoyed her swimming. #TriedTested
Aww you can really tell from these photos how much she loves the swimming lessons 🙂 #TriedTested
Helen x
It's lovely to hear how far she's come in that year! Learning to swim is such an important skill 🙂
Jess xo |
Aww! Well done Amy! It sounds like she has had a great time and grown in confidence so much. The lessons sound fantastic x
Aww it looks like Amy really loves her swimming lessons. I so regret not starting my boy at swimming lessons when he was a baby, he's nearly 3 now and clings to me every time we go to the pool, he just has no confidence. I wonder if I could start him in lessons now? With a baby on the way again though I'm not sure if it will be worth it as will have to stop again in a few months. These classes you go to sound really fantastic xx #TriedTested
My nephew has had a swimming lesson with Granny recently – I love that it is an option! It seems like you have a great time – we are starting swimming lessons with my little guy after the summer! #triedtested
I really wish I'd stuck at swimming lessons with my daughter. We started when she was quite young still but she absolutely hated being in the pool. Now she's two she loves it when we go swimming so perhaps I should look into starting lessons again. I'm glad you've both had such a great experience with Puddleducks. 🙂
#TriedTested
Jenna
I love to hear how well she's doing with her swimming. We really need to look into taking Olly back for lessons to learn swim properly. He loved it as a baby but hated it as a toddler. Lovely photographs of such a wonderful smile 🙂 x
We are starting swimming lessons with my son in September – looking forward to it #triedtested
I really would like to book my girls to swimming lessons. The eldest has had some before and she is now comfortable in the water (underneath the water) which is fantastic as she was aways very difficult with that. However my little one is like a fish in a water. She loves it and go under the water with no problem and she has not had a lesson yet so I really would like to book some regular lessons for both. It looks like Swimming with Puddle are a great option. Will look if they have some lessons nearby. Thanks for hosting #triedtested, 🙂 x
That's great that she's doing so well. I really need to start my two doing swimming lessons x #triedtested
I would always advocate early swimming lessons. My boy didn't really enjoy them but we stuck with it and I'm so proud that he's now a confident, happy swimmer. This is a lovely review! And how very big was that ice cream?! Well deserved 🙂 Tor xx
I used to love doing swimming lessons when the boys were little #triedtested
I've been meaning to begin swimming lessons with my son for ages and this has inspired me to get on with it! Thanks for sharing xx
Swimming is such an important skill. It's lovely that Puddle Ducks have made it so much fun for you all #triedtested
i finally booked MM into some swimming lessons too i did it so late with finn (when he was 4) and regretted it ever since so i cant wait for her to start with me from sept and when she's 3 she can go at the same time then finn ( and without me) which will be fantastic!
I'm quite sad that we stopped swimming lessons with Toby when he was one but with me going back to work it just wasn't doable. We must look at starting again once we're settled in the new house. Amy looks like she's come on leaps and bounds with Puddle Ducks, they're obviously doing a great job!
Amy always looks so happy in your Puddle Ducks posts! #triedtested
Beautiful photographs! We went to Puddle Duck classes when Mia was first born so I could become confident with her in the water and its the best thing I have ever done. The pools are lovely and the staff great! I would definitely consider going again if we had another child 🙂
#triedtested
My daughters have yet to go swimming but they've got all the right kit. Thank you for sharing this so we can make a well informed decision.
We were only talking about swimming lessons yesterday for the two youngest, I shall definitely be checking to see if there is a puddle ducks near us.
I must get my toddler swimming more, He started lessons at 12 weeks old but we stopped at 9 months as he kept getting poorly and the changing rooms were disgusting! You've inspired me after reading this to get going again as he loves it.
Monkey has been going to swimming lessons since he was 10 weeks old. I am just waiting on dates to start Kipper. Can’t recommend them enough! Glad that she’s come so far! Thank you for hosting #TriedTested xx
Looks great, and like so much fun. I really want to take Boo swimming as I am not a confident swimmer and I hope she is. I need to have a look at what is local to us!
The Puddle Ducks lessons look really fun – I really must get my boys into swimming lessons so they don’t end up like me and afraid of the water :/