We are in the parent tot class on Tuesday evenings with Wendy. Our daughter is 17 months and has been at the swim school since 8 months old. She's come a long way! She's very comfortable in the water and does well at holding her breath and going under water. She's kicking a lot with her legs and swimming her arms. She's been able to go a short distance to the side of the pool with a little help. We are very happy with this school! read more

Waterbabies Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me

My 3 year old daughter went to swim school here as a new swimmer. She had been going about 5 months and had a few different instructors. She was afraid of the water but had made strides. She still didn't enjoy the deep water, but we could get her in the pool and she followed most instruction that she felt comfortable with. One evening, her normal instructor was not there so the owner, Wendy taught the class. Wendy is known for being abrasive but as long as my child is being pushed the right way, it's always okay. My daughter was crying this time, I think half because Wendy is abrasive and was not her normal instructor. The other half I think was because Wendy was bringing her into the deeper water which she was not comfortable with. My daughter continued to cry while being floated on her back. My daughter was visibly and verbally uncomfortable, stating she was scared multiple times. With no sympathy to this, Wendy kept my daughter on her back while she was crying. She continued to cry and Wendy proceeded to splash her in the face. The splashes then became cupping water, and purposely putting it into my daughter's mouth, causing her to cough, and swallow water repeatedly while Wendy stated "if you keep crying, you're going to keep getting water in your mouth." This happened several times, but my daughter continued to cry while undergoing this. When my daughter continued to cry, she was submerged under water a few times while still on her back, taking in more water. At this point, I told my daughter to exit the pool. She continued to cough up water to the point of almost vomiting, outside and inside, though I wish she had. We left immediately, and I assured Katrina she would never intentionally be hurt by Wendy again. This was reckless behavior, and it endangered my child. I am glad I took her out when I did because this could have ended so much worse. My daughter coughed all night so the next day, I took her to urgent care where they did an X-Ray and found water in her lungs. She was diagnosed with subsegmental atelectasis/infiltrate from aspiration of water. They advised me that if she gets a fever, to bring her back in as it can be very serious. We followed up with her doctor the following week since she was still coughing and the doctor said it was good news that she never developed a fever but to keep our eyes on it. The coughing is simply the body's attempt to get rid of the water. 2 weeks later, we did a follow up X-Ray since she was still coughing but luckily, her lungs were clear. My daughter coughed for almost 4 weeks. When I contacted Wendy to discuss reimbursement, she called me several times, and left a few messages. She even stated she "lost her patience, " "made a bad choice" with my child and "took responsibility." She mentioned that I threatened her but I simply asked for my money back with the 2nd option being court. She sent a few emails stating the same type of things and then said she was taking a leave of absence and disappeared. Wendy never even asked how my child was. She simply called her insurance company and attempted to let them handle it. In her insurance paperwork that they sent me, she even said she was not a witness. I told her insurance company that I would not be a part of whatever fraud she was trying to commit. I went ahead and filed a small claim against her. I certainly could have gone further but I simply wanted her to take responsibility, apologize, and ask if my child is okay! Her insurance company then told me that they would gladly pay the small amount we requested. After it was settled, the insurance company told me Wendy had requested that I do not post anything on social media about the incident and I politely told the insurance company that she is insane if she ever thinks I would do that. I was shocked that she would even ask this of me. It is absolutely my right as a parent to let other parents know what is going on there and what kind of instructor she is. If she admittedly loses her patience with 3 year olds, she should not be teaching them. This situation could have ended so much worse, and was the scariest moment of my 3 years as a parent. To watch a "responsible" adult purposely hurt your child is something I never wish on anyone. Really, she should be happy I did not press charges instead of walking away in shock. My daughter now has a fear of the pool more than when she originally started. We are taking a break for a while and will maybe try it again next year with private lessons from another school. Don't bring your kids here and always trust your gut! read more

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1 star is too much. 7 years later we are still dealing with the trauma she inflicted on my son. He is scared to death of swimming instructors. We having been trying to come up with an option that works to give him the instruction he needs to become a stronger swimmer. It is very sad. When our incident happened, thank goodness my husband was there. I could not even begin to control my anger. I picked up my son and left immediately. My husband dealt with her. He was able to remain calm and let everyone there know what occurred. Sadly, there were other good instructors there but after that happened there was no going back. If you want your child to enjoy swimming, do not go there. :( read more

I've had nothing but wonderful experiences at Waterbabies for not one but both of my children. We've been members for over two years and I now have a more than confident four and a half year old who I trust to swim on his own, and a two year old who people are amazing at! She barely turned two in July and is already swimming on her own. She dives down, she hods her breath and more than anything she is confident and FEARLESS. I know there has been a lot of negativity about a recent event. I can't speak to that but I can say that my children have never been scared of their instructors or their experience. Miss Kaylee and Miss Shay have been kind, caring, empathetic and fun! I could have never accomplished the things they have in the two short years we've been learning to swim. I will continue to recommend Waterbabies and thank them for keeping my babies happy and more importantly WATER SAFE! read more

School just closed permanently as per an email sent tonight. The teachers are amazing but the owner and manager are awful.

I highly recommend all of the instructors at Waterbabies and the program in which the children are being taught. Some of these other reviews are flat out ridiculous and are being left by people that have zero experience with the swim school. My twin 5 year olds have been attending since they were 1 and far and away outswim their peers; most that learned to swim at other schools. In fact, my boys favorite activities are surfing and swimming each week at grandmas house. In addition to my boys learning to swim there, 3 of my nephews and countless friends children have attended the school. All of which are excellent swimmers! Not one time did we feel that the children were being put in jeopardy or in a position in which they were unable to overcome. It's unfortunate that many of the 1 star reviews are being left by the "Talega Tribe" without having any personal experience with the program. For those that did attend and found that it wasn't for their child, I hope they found the same success that I did. read more

We have had a great experience with Waterbabies. My first son completed the program at age 5 and my second son is a solid level 3 swimmer at age 3. We have been really happy with the instructors. My three year old looks forward to his lesson every week. I recommend you give them a chance. read more

Waterbabies Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me

My son has been with Waterbabies for about a year. We have really enjoyed our time here. He has had Shay who we absolutely love. She is wonderful with him and he enjoys seeing her every week. My only complaint would be that it is very difficult to do makeups unless you are sick. If it was easier to do makeups, we would continue year round but since they don't accept makeups for vacations or planned trips, we have to take breaks for some of the sessions which is really unfortunate. Parking is easy for the most part but can be a little challenging depending on the time of year and time of day. read more

Our daughter loves Waterbabies. We chose the school based on positive friend recommendations! The swim teachers are really attentive and sweet. You feel like you are getting one on one sessions. Our daughter has totally thrived and we feel confident with her skills having almost finished the classes. Highly recommend! read more

This review is exclusively in regards to Wendy, the owner. People involved with early childhood education need to come with a huge bag of tricks to engage, calm, gain cooperation and trust from their charges, and who understand that kids will learn more if they feel safe and supported...Wendy offers NONE of that. She is aggressive and harsh with both children and their parents and she feels it is "her way or the highway". As a point of reference, we have been continuously enrolled in Waterbabies for over 3 years and have had both our girls in classes starting when they were 1 year old. A few months back we switched classes so we could have our daughter with Kaylee (whom we love). One week Kaylee was out and Wendy was her sub. My 2.5-year-old daughter didn't take the transition to a different teacher well, and was crying for a good portion of class (characteristically, she had been the only child NOT crying in her previous classes). Wendy was so impatient and exasperated with her that a fellow parent leaned over to my husband and said, "wow, she's being mean to your little one". Fast forward to the next week and Wendy was teaching a concurrent class during my daughter's lesson. When my daughter started crying, I asked her instructor if she wanted me to go to the parent's room instead of staying on deck and Wendy answered for her (?!) and said, "yes, Mom, yes..this one is very stubborn". Then ,during class, she yelled out to my daughter "ENOUGH. STOP CRYING". The next day I reached out to Waterbabies to express my displeasure and discuss if we were going to continue our enrollment. Over the next week or so her office manager, Paige, relayed messages between the two of us where, ultimately, Wendy chalked my concerns up to philosophical differences and wouldn't agree to honor my request to NOT engage with my daughter in classes she wasn't teaching (my husband and I knew we wouldn't be having our daughter in another class being taught by Wendy). Sadly, I am one of many who has had similar experiences with her over 20 years, as evidenced here as well as on other social media sites. read more

Waterbabies Swim School - Email convo. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me

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Wish I could leave a 0 star review. Wendy, the owner, is unfortunately unfit to teach children. The other teachers there are great but I no longer feel comfortable supporting Waterbabies because of the owner and have pulled my youngest child from her classes. read more

Waterbabies is an OK swim school, it's a very small pool and there's always multiple classes going on at once so it feels a little loud and chaotic. I do really like Kaylee (the instructor) and our child loves her too. She pushes her without being overwhelming and she's helped bring confidence in a short period of time. The owner, Wendy is kind of abrasive and veeeeerrrrry loud. If she's teaching the same time as the other instructors she totally takes over the pool making it very difficult for the younger kids (that kaylee is teaching) to focus. Wendy is screaming and yelling at her kids so it feels like an anxious learning environment. I've also heard Wendy nit picking her instructors while they are trying to teach. It would be helpful if she toned it down so others can also learn in a calmer space. read more

So let me preface this by saying this place is very hit and miss. We have had some very good experiences with two different teachers but horrible experience with others. As a teacher it's your job to figure out what makes a child tick and how they learn best. While some were great with this others were not, and had no interest in actually teaching. They simply wanted to check their boxes off making my child's lesson hell. Also hell for everyone within earshot. So I emailed the schedule coordinator to see if we could switch to a more accommodating teacher who would actually take the time to teach.. Thats when the trouble began. It took them a week to get back to me. The gal seemed nice and understanding on the phone but was clearly not willing to be accommodating behind closed doors. Instead of finding a lesson/teacher that met our needs she changed the time on us without any notice. We didn't give her permission to change our time but she did to a earlier class with the same problematic teen wanna be teacher. So now I'm still paying for lessons we can't take and did not sign up for. As a parent you obviously sign up and pay for what works with your family, it took me another week to get a response as to why our time was suddenly switched without a teacher switch.. in that time they filled our original reserved time slot with another class. I emailed them a 3rd time asking for a refund because the time didn't work for us. Again it took them almost a week to respond and just today I see that they auto enrolled me again for the next session which I was told was full yesterday. So now I have to spend time calling the cc company to report the charge as fraud ... All that being said they do a great job of wasting your time, taking your money, and being jerks to your kids. Go elsewhere, anywhere else. And god forbid you give any constructive feedback or they will keep charging your credit card and force you out of your pre-booked lessons. If I could give this place a -10 stars I would. read more

I wish I could give zero stars. We paid for classes and the teacher quit before our first class. We were told we would be refunded seeing as the only available classes did not work with our schedule. Then they closed and there was no answer from the owner through calls and email and I was out $300. Fast forward I located the owner and she finally agreed to refund me. If anyone else is struggling with this same issue email her personal email at wendyagallagher70@gmail.com tell her you want a refund. Sorry to be a Karen but I was about to report her as fraud so I figured this review was nicer. read more

It totally blows my mind that people give this place good reviews. The only thing I can think of is maybe their classes are better for the older kids but suck for the babies...? Anyway, we did the beginner mommy & me class when my daughter was 1. It was so inconsistent! Sometimes they would sing in the beginning, which the kids loved; but then most times it was like the class never began. We would literally just hold our kids in the pool for a half hour and watch Kaylee eat a donut or her food from Tupperware WHILE SHE WAS IN THE POOL. There was zero organized instruction or water safety techniques taught. My first daughter had a great experience at Cal Elite Swim in RSM. I was trying to avoid the long drive, but honestly this place is just like throwing money down the toilet. read more

This is a very unsafe facility. The instructors are not aware who is in the water and who is not. The spa is way too deep for children still learning to swim. My son almost drowned in the "small pool" and not one employee acknowledged him even after I jumped in fully clothed to pull him out. This should never happen at a safe swim school. They need better policies and guidelines as well as more experienced instructors. read more

My 3 year old twins have been taking classes twice a week for 4 months now and they love it. The instructors are well trained, patient, and sweet. My kids love the play room and the 3 different instructors they have seen so far. I would highly recommend Waterbabies Swim School to anyone in the area that's looking for an awesome swim school with a warm salt water pool. read more

This place is awesome! My son started here in the summer 2019 and he's improved so much since starting there. He used to only be able to float, and now, he can roll over, swim on his back, swim short distances, and can start to dive. He took classes at saddleback college and also at the San Clemente community pool and I really believe you get what you pay for. He didn't progress as much as he did here at Water Babies! He has Ms Wendy and she is really wonderful, she gives him just enough tough love but also pushes him and give him great feedback and really encourages him. I couldn't be happier with Water Babies and can't wait for his little brother to start up here. The price is definitely worth it for how much he's been learning. I can not recommend this place enough, it's a amazingly awesome swim school, one of the best around! read more

Don't take your kids here unless you want them to be shamed and named called for not getting instructions right. I have heard teachers name call and snap at kids. Teachers don't have a lot of patience. I've also seen a kid throw up in the pool and they didn't get all the kids out of the pool and clean up the mess. read more

Some of the instructors are great and work with kids, but that's about the only nice thing I can say. Wendy's weird, erratic behavior is uncomfortable to say the least. She will go on about how her meth addicted ex-boyfriend still comes around, which leads me to assume some things about her in particular. She scares away any decent front office staff because she's so awful, but has no problem hiring a friend of hers who can't keep things organized or even responds. So when you show up thinking you are enrolled in the class, she will talk over and shame you like it's your fault and not her incompetent friend. It's total chaos. Keep your kids away from here. read more

WE LOVE WATERBABIES!! The warm water, small classes, and homey vibe make the perfect environment for swim lessons! The staff is so kind and patient with the kids. We wouldn't go anywhere else!! read more

Waterbabies Swim School - PARENT TOT CLASS (3 MONTHS OLD ) - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me

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This swim school is very unique. It looks like it was previously a house that was converted into a swim school which makes it feel very cozy and welcoming. The swim teachers are very knowledgeable and kind. The owner Ms. Wendy is amazing and very good with my kids especially my son with special needs. They have taught him to have confidence in the water and he now has learned to swim on his own which is a huge relief for me! It is nice that they welcome all types of kiddos regardless of their abilities! I didn't think my son would be able to learn/understand directions since he has many delays but they learned very quickly on how to communicate with him and really helped him learn and grow! We are so thankful for water babies!! Also- their pool is heated and very warm and comfy! They also have a playroom for kids waiting for their turn or siblings :) read more

My daughter has been enrolled in Waterbabies for over a year now. She was 2.5 when we started. She used to be terrified of the water and would not put her head under the water. She now swims on her own and has the tools to save herself if drowning. People are always amazed that my 4 year old is such a strong swimmer. Absolutely love this place. Her teacher is Ms. kaylee, who is by far the best swim teacher I've ever known. Ms. Kaylee has helped my daughter in so many ways and I am so grateful for her and Waterbabies. I only left 4 stars because of the owner, Wendy. DO NOT let your kid swim with her. I've now had over 15 parents telling me horror stories involving their kids and Wendy. read more

We love all the instructors here. It is a wonderful place for swim lessons. I'm so glad we found waterbabies. We will be going here for many years. I would highly recommend this swim school. Review update: We have been with waterbabies for years and have now moved up to the ole Hanson pool. Jordan is a great instructor he concentrates on form and safety. I'm very happy we found waterbabies swim school. read more

We started coming to Waterbabies Swim School with our 2 year old 6 months ago and have seen amazing results! Our 2 year old went from no swim experience to bring water safe and able to swim across the pool on her own after a few short months of lessons! The most important thing was being water safe and that was the main focus for the first couple of months. Miss a Kaylie has been an amazing instructor for our daughter and we are excited to continue lessons with her. would highly recommend this swim school to anyone looking for quality swim lessons! read more

I love this swim school. Every instructor is so sweet and kind. They have small class sizes with many class times to work with busy schedules. My child looks forward to class. She started at age 2 1/2 and had basic skills after completing her first course . There is a lot of individual attention and I see her improving her skills each week. ‍ read more

This place is amazing. After 2 private lessons with super expensive private instructors we went with Waterbabies and we never looked back. Our 3 year old has progressed in amazing ways in the last 4 months and as his skill level continues to rise. Waterbabies adapts to his abilities and keeps pushing his growth. The staff are extremely professional and amazing with my wild one. Even giving him time outs when he needs it haha. With all that said, our family that loves the water can rest easy knowing our lil one can swim well. read more

I have nothing but great things to say about our experience so far with Waterbabies! Kaylee is an amazing swim instructor and both of my girls love her! Couldn't be happier with how Kaylee teaches them and how fast both of them are loving the water and learning to swim. Thank you!! read more

Just got an email that the owner is offering classes again. Do not sign up! She abruptly closed the school 6 months ago and never issued refunds. read more

My 3 1/2 year old girls love to swim now thanks to Ms. Kaylee! The receptionist was so helpful when we had to switch times too. The entire atmosphere is calm and pleasant. Very thankful to find this swim school for my girls! read more

We have been using the team at waterbabies and have had great results. Miss Kaylee is great with our son and he has excelled in his swim courses. The piece of mind we have when around water is worth every penny. read more

I love, love, love this swim school (we have been to others). It is an outdoor pool but is shaded and the pool is warm. My son goes year round, started at barely 2, the weather has never bothered him. The instructors are amazing. There is a playroom if you have a sibling that may get bored. It has such a homey feel and they treat you like you are family rather than just another student. There is not a huge instructor turnover (like many of the other schools). This is not playtime, it is swim and water safety instruction in a fun and loving environment. The instructors may be stern at times but the priority is your child's safety. read more

I've been bringing my son here for well over a year now. He absolutely loves it! During the summer we took a break due to vacation and he would swim in our friends pool for hours during the day! He even wears his googles in the bath. Thank you for taking care of my boy and teaching him how to swim! read more

Our 4-year old started Waterbabies this spring after our family's relocation back to San Clemente from the East Coast. Thanks to small classes and wonderful teachers with Ms. Kaylee and Ms. Erica, he easily caught up to other swimmers at the 2/3 level. His confidence, love of swimming and water skills have blossomed. When his 5th birthday came up in July, we looked at several local options including a birthday at home and other venues. Waterbabies offers weekend birthday party packages - and was a perfect match for our child and his friends. Ms. Kaylee and Ms. Erica were on-hand to make it a special day, providing assistance and most importantly safety. They reviewed the rules, allowed free swim and access to any pool resources including noodles, swim boards, various animal toys and guidance to all the children. There were plenty of sitting areas around the pool and the enclosure was a nice place to setup a tailgating table for snacks, presents and drinks. We love supporting a community business and definitely recommend the school for instruction as well as a great weekend birthday venue! read more

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The teachers were really nice. The problem is we showed up for swim class one day (no email or call) and my daughter was ready for her class and the owner told me to get our and they were closed. She was very rude. She also owes me 150 dollars read more

Erica and Vanessa are wonderful teachers! We started taking my son to class at ~4 months and he loves swimming! I love all the songs we sing during the lesson :) - 1 Star because of the owner. As others have said in their reviews, she's extremely rude and outspoken. I'm debating whether I'll continue classes at this facility after my negative experience with Wendy. read more

My 3 year old daughter is finishing up her first session of swim lessons at Water Babies with Miss Vanessa. Ever seen the child screaming and crying through an entire lesson? That's typically my child, but not this time. Vanessa immediately gained rapport and trust with my child. She talked her through everything so there were no surprises. Although she pushed to ensure she was learning, she didn't push to the point of breakdown. My child actually left the lesson smiling and excited to get piece of licorice. It has been amazing to watch my daughter turn from being terrified of going underwater into a little fish. The school itself is clean and organized, and very family friendly. The entire staff we encountered at Water Babies was also very nice and helpful. Monica and Claudia assisted us with the registration and scheduling process and were really friendly. Instructors Wendy and Karen also deserve a particular mention as they are fantastic. I just registered my daughter for another session of classes with Miss Vanessa & Miss Wendy. Will have to see how things go over the next few weeks, but Vanessa and the rest of the team at Water Babies exceeded our expectations for outcomes and customer service. Thank you, Water Babies! read more

We started our 5 year old at Waterbabies when she was 2, three years ago, after glowing reviews from our neighbors and friends that have sent their children through the Waterbabies program. We have since started our son, and they are both completely water safe. Living in Southern California where there are pools everywhere and the ocean, getting them water safe was our priority. I'm so grateful to Waterbabies and the teachers making that a possibility in a calm, safe environment for them to learn. The temperature of the pool was inviting even on chilly mornings, and the spa is a motivating reward after each class. They offer child-size showers to utilize after class and convenient changing rooms. The nice homelike setting makes it so welcoming for young swimmers. read more

Best swim school in San Clemente we have been conning for 3 year since mommy and me class. My son Hudson loves all his teacher's. They are very detailed in there lessons along with making it fun and exciting! We would not go anywhere else!!!! read more

My son is 5 and used to be so afraid of going in the pool farther than he's knees. The swim instructors were gentle but firm and got him comfortable in the water in no time! After just a few weeks my son started asking most days if it's his swim class day because he is so excited to go! It is amazing how much progress can be made in such a short amount of time! The swim instructors are really The Best here. The pool is salt water and has a canopy over it so you don't have to put on sunscreen. They also have showers inside so you can rinse off after and get your kiddos dressed. read more