Getting Back to Goldfish

This post has been sponsored by Goldfish Swim School- Dayton.

It's hard to believe we've been living this COVID life for over four months now. I'm a homebody and an introvert so it would appear that I would be built for sheltering at home, but even I'm struggling with the lack of community and structure. Because I have family members who are either immuno-compromised or at high-risk because of age or pre-existing conditions, we've definitely been erring on the side of caution. Everyone in our family masks-up when we're in public and we only leave the house to visit with family or for essential shopping like groceries. 

I really wanted the boys to continue taking swimming lessons this summer. However, I struggled with whether a children's activity could be deemed as "essential." I mean, I didn't want to put anyone at risk just to get my kids out of the house once per week. After giving it some thought, and a swim safety PSA from my blogger friend Erica at Whimsical September, I concluded that for us- the risk of my boys' drowning due to not being able to swim independently felt like just as much of a life-or-death risk as COVID-19. I know not every parent may have come to the same conclusion we did, but after a month of lessons back at Goldfish Swim School- Dayton, I feel 100% that we made the right call. 

After Ohio's lockdown order in March, Goldfish Dayton reopened at the beginning of June with every possible safety precaution in place (Check out their Coronavirus response here). They've closed changing rooms to get parents and guests in and out of the facility as quickly as possible. Upon arrival, guests are asked to wait outside until the previous classes are dismissed and exiting the pool. All staff members (except instructors in the pool) are masked and a staff member guides each family through a symptoms checklist at the door before they're granted entrance. In between classes, chairs in the waiting area are sanitized and only one caregiver from each household is permitted inside the facility. Chuck and I change the boys into their swim gear in the back of our SUV and then change them back into dry clothes in the car. It makes for a very quick and efficient entrance/exit and I've been genuinely impressed with how smooth the whole process is. 

On top of all this, they've also made check-in touchless with some help from their new Goldfish on the Go app! With their mobile app, you can keep track of your class bookings- including cancellations and scheduling make-up classes. You can handle all of your billing and payments, receive news and announcements, and they are also moving to all digital evaluations so you'll always know how your kiddos are progressing. I've sincerely loved the app so much and it has enhanced our Goldfish experience that much more.

I never want to sound like I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, so to speak. But I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about the staff and facility at Goldfish Swim School- Dayton. Their managers and teachers genuinely love each and every student and are so patient. I know water can be a scary experience for some kids (and mine have been especially trepidatious over the years), but Goldfish always makes it such a positive experience for them and allows them to learn at their own pace.

If you're in the Dayton area and have been thinking about enrolling your children in swim lessons, don't sleep on Goldfish- Dayton. They recently added more class times and they're filling up quickly, so register now!