My 3.5 years old son has been swimming with Emler swim school since this June. Only 5 months, he has been thriving in all aspects of his learning progress! He used to climbed up to the teachers' head, cried for entire the class, and refused to get down to the water. It only took 2 weeks long that the teacher , Darcy, changed him and since then he falls in love with swimming. I registered my son two classes per week, but he wants to swim more with all the teachers... Now he has been going through teachers Viennese, Kiera and Kalie. They are all so great that I couldn't say thank you enough for describing how much they have been so patient to teach my son and discovering each kid's unique swimming habit! The last but not the least, their customer service staff are very very nice and professional, too! Lisa, who has been caring for my concern and also trying to help me to communicate with the swimming teacher, too! I highly recommend parents to have their kids swimming in Emler swim school! read more

With how many different kids come and go through the doors here, you would think it would be a total mess. But you can tell, this place is run like perfectly planned chess match. Every person has a place to be. Managers walking around, double confirming and keeping additional sets of eyes on the water. Each teacher following a well defined script, they have thought of everything. We enrolled our son when he was 14 months and are nearly a quarter of the way through the 14 week semester. Each week, he has shown improvements, from ability to hold his breath to moving his legs under water. The instructors keep track of different metrics to make sure each kid continues to get better every week. Our class has 4 other kids, which has been the perfect number. We've been extremally happy with the Water Babies class at Emler. read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

TLDR: If you're with Emler for only 1 year, you will have to pay TWO years of 'annual' registration fees. In terms of the swim lessons at this location, they've been great with my kids. We've taken them here on and off for about 7 years now since the kids were old enough to get in to the water. The instructors were kind and patient, and while there is a good amount of attrition, some of them have been there as long as we have. However, they (Emler as a company) started getting greedy in the last two years or so. What were free makeup lessons if you missed a class turned in to tokens you could purchase if you missed a class. They started instituting registration fees, which have only increased over the years. The final straw was the (currently) $40 *annual* registration fee we paid per child was not annual at all. They put a policy in place saying that annual registration fees are due on the anniversary month -- meaning if you register the children on the 30th of May, your registration has to be paid again on May 1st of the next year. Usually people are starting the schools whenever their classes start, which is not on the first of the month -- so after a year, they will attempt to charge you for the next year before the current season has even finished. It's fine if you plan on continuing, but not fine if you don't and just want to finish out the current season. In our case we were not going to put the kids in for the summer because they would be at a camp that had swimming in it. Emler still wanted us to pay for an annual registration fee, despite us having two more weeks before a full year had passed since our last registration, them only having 3 more weeks total left for the season, and with us telling them we did not way to pay for a year of registration when we knew the kids would not be there for 4 months. We opted to just withdraw the kids and we'll look for a different swim instructor after the summer is over. It's a shame that a 7 year relationship with them came to an end because of them forcing people register kids with less than 3 weeks left in the current season, even if they didn't need swim for the next season or two. All to get $40 more per child. I'm just happy I did not set my payments to auto charge my card or I wouldnt have noticed this. read more

I really didn't like Emler. I signed my 2 year old up for the semester long course which was nearly $600, 30 min classes, once/week for 5 months I believe. If there was a shorter term option I would have taken it, because after 5 weeks we'd had enough. The instructor didn't seem to be the best fit for very small kids and my daughter didn't take to her at all. I had to get in the water with her every week, and she clung to me and screamed her head off nearly every time. My daughter resisted joining the class, but what I found frustrating was the instructor's attitude/acceptance that this is just how we would progress in the program unless my daughter decided for herself that she wanted to go to the instructor. I don't know if that's their policy or her style, but it was very hands off and I couldn't figure out what I was paying for. Every week I was increasingly feeling like I was on my own and it was up to me to get my daughter to integrate into the class. I mentioned that I thought me being in the water was handicapping her development, but they told me that I needed to keep getting in until she calmed down and got comfortable. No other parents were in the water even though one boy in her class cried a LOT. Canceling has been a headache. I was in person and asked to pull her from the class, and the woman said I wasn't eligible for any sort of refund but she'd call me two days later to "see what they could do." That call never came. I called back today and sent an email, and still no one has confirmed that we've in fact canceled the program. I'm so annoyed that I wasted so much time and money and wish I would have done a trial before committing. read more

My sensitive 4yr old started Emler in May with Ms. Claire. My daughter looks forward to swim lessons every week!! Ms. Claire is so loving and patient. She was able to encourage and make my daughter feel comfortable and try new thing the first day in. Ms. Claire is wonderful about challenging each child and adjusting to each child's needs. The front staff, Ms. Darcy and Ms. Kaley ( probably spelled their names wrong) do a wonderful job of making everyone feel welcome and getting to know each family individually. The lobby and deck area are clean and well maintained. I would highly recommend this location to any family looking for fun, safe, swim lessons for their child! read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Swim lessons with Ms. Claire - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

EMLER IS THE BEST! Recently moved here and were recommended to use EMLER and we have absolutely no regrets. Our 1 and 3 year old boys started at the tail end of summer. The little guy and I started waterbabies together and he loved it from the beginning. He started with no water experience and thanks to our amazing teacher Kaylee he is now kicking and swimming 7 seconds under water! On the other hand, my 3 year old was very anxious about the water and going under. His teacher Miss Michelle has so much patience and knows exactly how to break the fear of water and gain the children's trust. My son loves swimining now and looks forward to it every week. Now He too can swim under for 7 seconds after no under water experience as well. The staff here are amazing and the setup is so cool. There is a glass wall around the pool so parents can watch without disturbing the kids during their lesson or there are also benches inside the pool area so they can be closer. The pool is kept clean and flushed completely through twice daily, as I was told, along with multiple swim diaper checks! Overall we are so incredibly happy with our experience at EMLER. We can't wait to see how far our boys will go! read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

We've taken our 2 year old daughter here for swim lessons and I'm glad we did. The super convenient thing about Elmer is that they allow class drop-ins if there's room in the class. This has been great because if we had had to commit to weeks of classes, I doubt we would have gone at all. Their requirements were pretty minimal (wear two layers of reusable swim diapers and they have some you can borrow on the first time). The teacher has always been attentive and experienced. The swim activities were age appropriate and fun, and the indoor pool was comfortable. Thanks Emler! read more

I LOVE the staff, environment and curriculum at Emler on Anderson Mill. I cannot rave enough about how friendly and personable they are. All the ladies at the front and our instructor are as sweet as can be to my son. When we first did our orientation, my son was not used to being in the water and wasn't enjoying it, but they quickly (literally by the next class) turned him into a water-lover. He always says "splash! splash!" with excitement when I ask him if he wants to go to swim class :) Also, I recently had a rough and stressful day, and the ladies were there for me being supportive and asking to help in any way they could. Kiera, Nisha, and Lisa are all amazing! On a more swim-related note, I have seen great strides in my almost two year old's swimming and it's awesome that he loves the water so much thanks to them. He can hold his breath for much longer than I thought a little one his age would be able to do! We plan on going to Emler for as long as we can. read more

I have older kids and they do homeschool lessons at Emler. They have knowledge of swimming and playing in the water but I wanted them to have better knowledge and practice strokes. The staff at Emler have been superb! Not only have my children received STELLAR lessons with their instructor Kaelene, and are getting better with each class, the director Darcy has gone above and beyond to accommodate our schedule. We are so happy with the swim school and my kids can't wait to go back every week. read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Practicing backstroke - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We have two children, ages 3 and 6, who've been enrolled at Emler on 183/Anderson Mill for the past year. Our whole family is so happy with their progress and our overall experience with Emler. This is actually the 2nd time our eldest has attended. We initially took her out of lessons when she was 2 years old because every time she got in the pool, she cried. I know now that her tears were simply because she was acting like a two year old and it had nothing to do with swim lessons. :) With the help of Claire, our youngest recently got past the terrible twos and is quickly becoming a strong swimmer. I really credit Claire and her new teacher, Chay's, patience and positivity for getting us over that hump! We were very happy to return to Emler with our eldest child. In the past year, she has excelled in her lessons. Amber, her current instructor, is a rock star! Within in a few weeks under her instruction, our kid has mastered new strokes. It's because of her expertise, that she has progressed so quickly. The best part is how confident my daughter is! She loves to show off at her lessons and at the neighborhood pool. The staff at Emler, especially Darcy, are so caring, and the customer service in general is great. As someone on Yelp already said, they put a lot of energy into the kids. It shows with how much my children love going to swim class, and how well that they are doing. I can't recommend Emler more! read more

We LOVE Emler and ALL the teachers! My son has been taking lessons from several of the amazing teachers here over the last 2 years. They are so kind and patient, and make sure give equal attention to each child. read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

The staff and instructors at this school could not be more caring and talented. Sounds a little "over the top" doesn't it? BUT, take a four year old who is NOT fond of the water and has no confidence and in a time span of 6 weeks or so you can have a four year old who "high fives" EVERYONE at the facility and, most importantly, now squeals with delight when told it is time to swim. And, she is learning to be safe in the water! read more

Do not assume you can take a make-up lesson here. Almost every time that my kids have needed to attend a make-up class there is some kind of problem. We pay a lot of money to swim here and the only times they offer make-up classes are not conducive to young kids (8 pm on a weeknight?!). The last four times that I have attempted to take my kids to a make-up class I have been turned away at the door which is very frustrating. I will find somewhere else for my kids to learn to swim. Update: Emler reached out to me and really went the extra mile to make things right. The owner, Darcy, obviously really cares about the kids and I truly appreciate her kindness. read more

Lisa and Roger are fantastic, knowledgeable and professional. I am a senior citizen who wanted to learn how to swim. I was treated respectfully and kindly. The lessons were great and I learned a great deal. The facility is clean and well managed. If you have an opportunity to take lessons there, please do. Great staff. Grear facility. Great pool. Now go sign up. read more

Emler closed their original Austin location farther down Anderson Mill to move to this much more accessible location on 183 in Fall of 2015. Besides the easier drive in, I like that it now has plenty of natural lighting in the pool area (similar to the Westlake location). All the other features of the Emler brand stores remain the same. Our family has used (and loved) Emler for preschooler beginner swimmer lessons, but this review is specifically for their fantastic young children's birthday party service. We have attended several parties here as guests and we had our own 6 year-old's celebration here. It was a blast! Like most kids' party venues, Emler offers a 2 hour party block that includes 1 hour of activity and 1 hour for mealtime and cake. More information: http://www.emlerswimschool.com/pool_parties . The added advantages of an Emler party are several: -- Only your group is on site for your 2 hour event window, so you are not competing for space and amenities inside or parking outside. -- Parents need not get into the water if they have confident swimmers, since you have 2 certified lifeguards and an optional (for $25 more) activity leader to manage the kids in the heated, indoor pool. -- The dry party room has a wall of windows that overlooks the pool, so parents can keep an eye on everything that is happening there while remaining in the relative comfort of a quiet, dry observation area. -- The youthful lifeguards and hostess are charming, assisting with every aspect of setup, serving, and tear-down, as well as cheerfully wrangling the party attendees. You get the impression that they really like their jobs and working with kids. If you are looking for an outside-the-home venue for a kid's party and do not have time for lots of party prep or cleanup, Emler is a great option. However, please note the caveat that you are only allowed 15 minutes for setup before the party and no pins or tacks are allowed, so elaborate decorations are not recommended. You must bring in all of your own food, drinks, serving ware, and utensils. The staff will help you unload your car and setup, and then reload your car at the end. The swimmer limit is 30 kids, but I'd suggest bringing no more than 26. Emler provides two 6 ft conference tables that seat 24 kids comfortably. They pulled out an extra table for us to squeeze in 27 kids and it was tight. Parents have space to sit in conference chairs or benches elsewhere around the room. Pool time was a big hit for our group. There were lots of toys and floatables (including a giant sea monster big enough for 4 or 5 kids), not to mention a little slide for splashdowns. Some parental guilt is relieved knowing that the young ones have worked off a few calories before indulging in a sugar binge of cupcakes and ice cream. Unlike some other party venues, Emler does not have an option to include food with your setup, so it is up to the parents to separately schedule and pay for pizza or whatever you may want to serve if your party is during mealtime. However, I really liked the freedom to choose what food and drink to bring in (yay, organic fruit & snacks, plus homemade beverages served in compostable cups) and I was able to negotiate a great deal on our massive order of pizza, so I was able to stay on budget. Including the party space rental, tips for the staff, and the cost of consumables like food, etc., I'd say the cost was comparable to places like Pump It Up and Kiddie Acres. FYI, current swim lessons customers receive a 30% discount on party rental. read more

Emler is great! My daughter LOVES her teacher Miss Lexi so much. She is always so excited to come to class and she is learning so much so quickly. read more

We started our 3 year old (very hesitant to swim) daughter at Emler about 3 months ago and couldn't be more thrilled with her progress and the overall staff and experience at Emler Anderson Mill. My daughter really struggled the first couple lessons, but her instructor was able to gain her trust quickly and get her from not wanting to get in the water to holding her breath 4 seconds underwater kicking her legs and swimming away!! The management (& instructors) take a great interest in knowing all children and parents by name, and creating a personal, positive experience each and every time. The progress had been incredible & we look forward to many more lessons - she LOVES going to swim lessons now. We are starting our two year old son this summer, and look forward to having two swimming toddlers!! WE LOVE EMLER!! read more

Emler Swim School of Austin - Anderson Mill - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Coming here has been such a great way for our son to grow in sports! We had a little trouble getting started due to ear infections and our son was falling behind kinesthetically but by coming to Elmer he has caught up so quickly! The teachers and staff are all the most supportive group of folks to help our son do his best during swim class. We are so happy we picked this school for our little guy and would absolutely recommend this to any new parent... not just saying that, I mean it. read more

Note: This review is for the Cedar Park location. It's also posted there. We did a lot of research for swim lessons as there are a lot of options nearby. We went with Emler because they're perfect for what we need: first-time swim lessons for our four-year-old. They're brand new in Cedar Park but their established Anderson Mill locations has stellar reviews from people with our same use case. We visit d and learned that this location is managed by the same group, plus it's brand new, so the choice was easy. They're super flexible, gave us good options for either weekly or daily lessons, and explained everything well. Every day we're told the goal for that day and how she's progressing which is helpful. They've really thought of everything here, including plenty of large bathrooms and changing areas so you don't feel crammed or rushed. Her teacher is super enthusiastic and she has the same teacher for every class. Most of all, though, she's having the most fun EVER. You can tell the people here love what they do and it's reflected in how much fun the kids are having and how quickly they progress. read more

We are obsessed with Emler and Ms. Michelle and Kaley!!! The classes are so great and my almost two year old can swim under water for 6 seconds and knows how to hang on the side of the pool and walk her hand on the ledge all by myself. This gives my husband and I peace of mind knowing she has these skills, especially since our parents have swimming pools. I wish I could give Emler more than 5 stars! They have also been great during Covid. read more

our son started swimming here at 2 months old. We took a 1.5 year break cause we moved away and there was not an emlers in our area. We now have moved back to austin and he is back swimming. We also have started bath time babies with our second son who is 3 month old. Miss Michelle was awesome with our first son and is now our second sons teacher as well! We love the anderson mill location and all there staff! Michelle and Darcy are the absolute best!! You won't be disappointed going to this location! read more

I am lower my rating to 3 stars. 3 stars is average, which is what I consider this school to be in hind sight. We have now had about 3.5 years of lessons under our belt at 3 different swim schools. As a result, I have since realized that emler is just really not that great when compared to our current swim school. I do feel that when I gave emler 5 stars, it was prior to experiencing a truly 5 star swim school. We now attend Ready, Go, Swim! In Round Rock and feel it is far superior. Your child will learn to swim at emler, but it is a very slow process and if your child is doing the best out of her classmates, they tend to just be along for the ride/not really pushed as much. Basically, my daughter has come much further, much faster since leaving the emler schools and going with a school that hires people with real swimming backgrounds that were all heavily involved in the sport prior to instructing. Definitely take some trial lessons prior to choosing a school. I have several reviews of swim schools posted. Check them all out. read more

We have been attending swim school here for the past five years. My kids (6 and 4) are energetic and playful, but the teacher's always take it in stride, redirecting them, and keeping class fun. Even when my kids are having a hard day, the staff really sees them for who they are, and highlights their successes. Safety is taught with every lesson, and it definitely pays off. Miss Darcy is a joy to be around, she takes personal interest in all of clients. The front desk staff are all kind and helpful. They truly like working with kids. If I started to list all the wonderful people who work there, I would run out of room. Thank you Emler, for being our second home. read more

We LOVE this location of Emler Swim School. His teacher Ms. Michelle is phenomenal and the head program director Darcy gives exceptional service. Our little swimmers class explores swimming through play and song and our son loves it! At first, he wasn't too keen on having water on his face and head, but they teach gentle ways to introduce swimming. They gave ideas to try at home & recommended an ear cover for his ears, it has tremendously helped! I am happy to report that we are doing SO MUCH BETTER! We highly recommend! read more

We joined our daughter in the aquatots class when she was 3.5 yrs old...at the beginning she was very nervous and scared about getting into the water. Miss Kalie wane, the aquatic director, was very patient and efficient to train her and my daughter showed very good improvement after few private classes with her. She trained her good enough that she could move into super beginners class after around 4 private classes and is almost close to swimming independently. Miss kalie was super accommodating, patient and handled her really well. Thank you Kalie and Emler swim school.Best decision to select your swim school. read more

We love Emler! My kids have been attending for over a year. Emler taught them both how to swim. It was a worth it investment for our family. I think my boys have had a crush on every teacher they have had. They look forward to swim lessons each week. read more

My daughter have been in the team for about a year and she is more than happy and me too! They have this friendly team montly meetings. She has being improving and perfecting her strokes and Michelle is an amazing Coach we really appreciate her dedication to the team! Thank you Emler! read more

They are doing a notably awesome job given the current COVID-19 situation. The swim teachers are wearing face shield masks, parents can watch their kids through the window outside (or inside if they'd like) and everything is running very smoothly. read more

My 3.5 year old started at Emler last summer, and made great progress then (before this, she had no swim experience). We took a break over the winter, and started back this spring. Right before my daughter's first class back, she fell down and skinned both knees in the parking lot. Thus, she was really upset and wouldn't swim. The next week, she remembered the skinned knees incident and wouldn't swim. Kaley, the deck manager, was so accommodating. She offered us two complementary private lessons to get my daughter back on track - which was so above and beyond in my opinion. The private lessons made a world of difference, and now my daughter is legit able to swim. It's amazing. Special shout outs to our amazing instructors - Kaley, Eric, Kristen, and Roger. They make swimming fun, while still teaching invaluable life saving lessons. Worth every penny. read more

Emler Swim School has been the best thing for my three year old son. We have had him in swim lessons for just under a year now and the progress he has made is astounding! When we first started my son hated the pool. He would cry and scream when we started class, we would have to bribe him just to leave the house to come to swim class. The staff never made us feel like a bother, never made us feel like our son was a problem for them, they just asked that we trust them and trust the process. I'm so thankful we did. They worked with him making swim fun and centered around his imagination. Now less than a year later, he loves swim class, but more importantly, he loves the water. We recently went on a cruise and we could not get him out of the pool. He refused to swim with us and insisted he could do it himself. Emler gave him the confidence to swim and gave us the confidence to know he can. Thank you Emler for opening up a whole new world to our child! read more

We have been so happy with Emler Swim School - it really is the highlight of our 2.5-year-old's week! She has been learning to swim at Emler since she was 3 months old, and we love that these weekly classes have become part of our family's routine. Every interaction we've had with the front desk staff and Darcy (the Anderson Mill location's General Manager) have been terrific, and our daughter absolutely adores her current teacher, Claire, and LOVES being in the water. She is progressing with each passing week and I attribute so much of this to Claire's friendly, warm, and FUN demeanor and her gentle yet confident approach to teaching. We can't wait for our next round of swim classes to start! read more

Folks seem friendly but they have no flexibility on refunds. My child is unable to attend classes seeing we have moved far away from any locations and they will simply keep our complete payment for a semester. We even gave advance notice he would not be able to attend. Really unfortunate they don't refund customers with circumstances that arise. read more

Love it here! The staff are so friendly and super welcoming. Went for Bath Time Babies and my LO has so much fun! Can't wait to go back!

I just want to write an update after today. Today my daughter and I were both in the backyard planting flowers. I went around the corner to clean off my shoes and she fell in our pool. I didn't even hear it, especially with the pool pump running. She immediately applied everything she learned from Emler over the years and turned around to the wall and got herself out, without any panic at all. Every semester, Emler has a day where they have the kids swim with their clothes on (clothes line day), since most drownings occur when a child falls in. Today was a perfect example of what happens when teaching kids, not just how to swim, but also how to swim with clothes on actually works. It does. I'm grateful for the amazing teachers over the years and because of that, my daughter is not a statistic, but rather a child who calmly got herself out of the pool when she fell in. read more

A bit of counterpoint to some of the reviews here. Overall, the school has good, caring instructors who genuinely work with the students. My complaint was more about the pace and the chaos of the place. Class sessions run thirty minutes and feel very rushed; they have a set number of things to get through and it seemed to me sometimes that each student (four per instructor in the toddler class we took) really only got a couple minutes on each skill before moving on. To the chaos: yes, it's a kids' swim school and chaos is to be expected. It's just that the place seems JAMMED with kids in the pool at any given weekend hour. We were struck at the sheer number of kids in the water, in what's essentially a strip mall pool. Add in the parents trying to help their kids perched on the very narrow walkways around the pool, and it adds a level of chaos that felt weird to us. Again, we've got a toddler and get it... kids are noisy and chaos is the rule, not the exception. But the sheer number of kids packed into the pool and the narrow walkways just made this a pretty stressful visit every time we went. Overall, I'm not slamming the place. But after one season of sessions we've decided on other options. It's just not a comfortable environment. read more

Room for improvement... I give it three stars for the front desk staff, one for the fact that parents can choose to sit either next to the pool or behind the glass, and one for the general layout of the pool etc. However, the classes feel rushed.. It seemed my son didn't have a chance to absorb or practice one skill before the instructor was literally forcing his arms and head into the next. Learning requires a chance to 'feel' it for themselves. Kids are discouraged from playing during lessons while waiting for their turn (for safety reasons I'm sure).. No fun to improve engagement or learning.. We might come back for ideas if we get stuck coaching him ourselves, but if I can avoid it I will. Please consider restructuring the class to involve fewer skills and more chance to have a go with the instructor watching on to give constructive feedback. Also, kid-friendly games and easy to remember one liners might help to speed learning and increase enjoyment. read more

My 3 year old son has been taking lessons here since he was 6 months. Can't say enough about this place. All the teachers are excellent and really make it fun for the kids while they are learning valuable skills. My son is very confident in the water and knows what do if he falls in. Don't panic and swim to the wall. Get your little one signed up! read more

The teachers at this location are exceptional. Ms. Claire & Ms. Michelle are both so warm and consistently professional and kind that it makes it a fun experience for the kids and parents. Ms. Michelle is particularly good at integrating music and songs throughout the class. The waterbabies class is FREE until 6 months and even then they let you finish out the semester included until you child ages up. The babies love seeing the other babies. I am so glad a friend told me about this - since 8 weeks that has been my child's favorite activity every week and great bonding. Highly, highly recommend. Thanks for the truly wonderful experience Emler!! read more

Soooooo... Here's a little sorry, I gots to tell, about one little toddler who couldn't swim so well... She started at Emlers with a bit ol' scream, now can't wait to swim with her teachers week-ly! Okay, so I'm not a rapper. BUT, I'll tell you what I am... One happy camper, that's what. Worth. Every. Penny. For REAL. My kid kiddo started here in the fall, and it was painful. Boy, was it painful. She was the kid that could be heard crying and screaming every single class. And not just until she was "acclimated". No. I'm talking 30 straight minutes (the length of the class) of full on my-parents-hate-me-for-bringing-me-here, why-are-you-trying-to-kill-me, water-is-where-satan's-evil-minions-spawn, screaming. Like wailing. (Just how much screaming do I mean? Let's just say that the first class that she didn't scream, a father I had never seen before, sat down next to me and said "wait... Isn't she the one who is always screaming?!" Yeah... THAT bad.) Now let's make something clear... They never forced her to do anything unsafe... Heck, they never forced her to do anything without me giving them express consent to do so. They were patient... And worked with me to figure out how to make it easier on her. I remember there was this period of time when the director (??) would come and sit next to me during lessons and would give me the "we need to talk" look and I just knew she was going to say "yeah... So this isn't working" and she would refund all of my money. But she never did! Instead, she asked about our bathing habits, what she was like with water at home, told us what we could do to help her (showers vs baths) and gave us ideas on how to talk to her about swim class. Not once did they ever suggest that "maybe your child isn't going to be the next michael phelps..." In the end, I'm not sure what worked. Maybe it was the showers instead of the baths. Maybe it was pulling her from dance class so we could focus on the life-saving skill, until she became more comfortable. Maybe it was the excited way we talked about swim class and incessant high fives everyone gave her. I don't know... But I do know that Emler got her through that 5 months of weekly torture and got her safely to the other side... Because now, she BEGS to go to swim class. And instead of throwing a fit that she has to go, she throws a fit that she can't. I guess we can't get rid of the screaming... But you can betcha that Emler, can't get rid of us! read more

We just began swim lessons here for our daughter. So far, things are going well. We have only done 2 lessons, but we have signed her up for a 10 class partial semester. It was just under $230. With the registration cost and with the discount for signing up the same day of the trial. The lessons seem useful and there is a lot of structure to them. That said, they are only 30 minutes long and do seem a bit rushed. I think 45 minutes would be better. Our daughter loves it though and we want her more comfortable in the water. The facility is pristine and we will probably continue once her lessons run out. read more

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