Question 1

What is your 1:1 Parent Coaching program?

Accepted Answer

Trust-First Parent Coaching is async, one-on-one support delivered through an app called, CoachNow, built for parents who want to help their child feel safe in the water without pushing, bribing, or waiting it out.

You share short videos and questions on your own schedule, and you get back guidance on what your child's body is telling you and what to do next.

The focus is reading your child's body language and other signals, so progress comes from safety and trust rather than pressure. It works whether your child is just starting, working through fear, or building toward full skills and strokes. No pool deck required, and no need to be local.

Imagine it's a lot like Heidi, in your pocket, no matter where your swimming adventures may be. In the bathtub, on vacation, grandmas hot tub, or with friends at the community pool. 
For pricing information please click here.

Question 2

How Do I BOOK NOW?

Accepted Answer

Enrollment for classes will be available in starting on April 26, 2025.

Question 3

How much do lessons cost? When do I pay?

Accepted Answer

**Tiny Tub Swimmers**
• Tuesdays & Saturdays (during Winter months only)  
• $30/session  
• Best for: Off-season under water acclimation & drowning prevention for young swimmers. Only held in the hot tub ( ages 12 months +)

**Baby & Me**  
• Saturdays (30 min class)  
• $40/session  
• Best for: Warm pool bonding & early safety intro

**2-Day **  
• Thursdays & Fridays (after 3 PM)  
• $88/session  
• Best for: Early pool/beach trip prep

**Single-Day**  
• Fridays or Saturdays (varies)  
• $50/class
• Best for: Busy schedules, fine-tuning, or a refresher

**3-Day Package**  
• Mon–Wed (AM or PM options)  
• $140/session  
• Best for: Skill-building & water readiness through consistency

When do I pay?
Payment at the time of service is preferred. There’s no need to pre-pay or pay in advance to hold your time slot.
I accept:
• PayPal @ checkout
• Apple Pay @ checkout
• Zelle
• Venmo
• Cash
• Check (made payable to SWIM WITH HEIDI ACADEMY)

Question 4

How does enrollment work?

Accepted Answer

I usually send out an email in March to my past year’s swim families and anyone who has requested to join my email list. In the March email I will announce dates of enrollment and potential summer schedule.

On the designated “sign up date” my calendar will become open and you will click BOOK NOW to reserve your swim lesson slots. ALL SIGN UPS ARE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS ONCE THE DESIGNATED DATE ARRIVES. Enrollment on the designated date is highly recommended as slots fill very quickly. If you are a late comer to my schedule, don’t worry! I always have a running waitlist and somehow additional slots seem to open up.

Question 5

How do I get on your waitlist?

Accepted Answer

Please email me at goswimwithheidi@gmail.com if you notice the schedule is completely booked. I will add you immediately to my waitlist and reach out to you with other options.

Question 6

Do you teach group lessons or private lessons?

Accepted Answer

I specialize in private swim lessons, and here's why: in just a 20-minute session, I aim to maximize focused instruction and ensure your child receives my full attention. One-on-one lessons allow for a calm, supportive environment—especially important for children who may feel hesitant or fearful of the water or depth. In this individualized setting, we can build trust and confidence as your child explores essential concepts like breath control, buoyancy, and depth perception—free from distractions, peer pressure, or mismatched energy levels.
That said, I do offer semi-private lessons upon request. If your child is at a similar skill level as a sibling or friend and looking to develop stroke technique in a more social setting, feel free to reach out! I’d be happy to discuss whether a semi-private lesson would be a good fit.

Question 7

Where do you teach?

Accepted Answer

I currently only teach from my home pool at this time. The address will be directly emailed to you once you are scheduled in my calendar. I live over by the college in Moorpark.

Question 8

What ages do you teach?

Accepted Answer

I teach swimmers of all ages—from infants to adults! Here's how my lessons are structured based on developmental stages:

👶 *Baby & Me* (Ages 6–18 months)  
In this class, a parent or caregiver joins the baby in the water to learn how to:  
- Safely hold and support their infant in the water  
- Comfortably introduce water on the face (often the most sensitive step)  
- Begin cue-based breath control  
- Introduce gentle movement through paddling and kicking motions  
- Support early back floating and water orientation

These classes also support gross motor development by encouraging:  
- Rhythmic movement patterns that build coordination  
- Bilateral motor skills and body awareness  
- Strength and balance through water resistance  
- Early sensory and spatial exploration

🚶‍♀️ Toddlers (Walking to ~2.5 years)  
Once a child is walking, I recommend beginning private lessons. This is a high-risk stage when toddlers are curious and mobile but unaware of water dangers. Lessons focus on:  
- Water safety and edge awareness  
- Learning how to enter/exit safely  
- Developing comfort and basic breath control  
- Starting paddling and kicking patterns in short intervals

🧒 Preschoolers (Ages 2.5–4 years)  
This is a powerful window for growth! At this age, children develop:  
- Better coordination and muscle control  
- Increased ability to follow instructions  
- The capacity to practice and retain swim concepts  
Lessons are focused on:  
- More consistent breath control  
- Independent movement in the water  
- Introduction to stroke basics and floating

🧑 Older Children, Teens & Adults  
I work with all ages and abilities, including:  
- Adult beginners  
- Teens and adults with fear or anxiety around water  
- Swimmers looking to refine technique or build confidence  
Lessons are fully customized to your goals, learning style, and comfort level.

Question 9

How can I electronically sign the Waiver and Release of Liability form?

Accepted Answer

I have hard copies to sign with a pen, available on lesson day, at the entrance table. But I am also happy to offer an electronic version of the Liability waiver by clicking this link: 
https://www.swimwithheidi.com/waiver-and-release-form

Question 10

Do you teach ISR (Infant Swimming Resource or Self Rescue swimming)?

Accepted Answer

No, I do not specialize in this method of instruction.

Back floating is a tool, and genuinely useful skill. It is a rest position, a way to conserve energy, a moment of regulation in the middle of swimming. Children should absolutely learn to back float.

I do not have concern with back floating, and it is incorporated into my lessons for every age that enters the pool, but I do have concern with back-floating being taught as the entire survival plan for a one-to-three-year-old child.

3 specific problems with self rescue back float:
It asks a scared body to do the opposite of what biology is telling it. A panicked toddler's instinct is to get vertical and reach for air. The back float asks them to override that instinct during the exact moment their protection response is strongest. For some kids, calm temperaments, low sensory reactivity, strong instructor attachment, this override gets trained successfully. For sensitive, neurodivergent, or highly-attuned kids, it often doesn't.
It's one tool for one scenario. Back-floating could be the answer for a child who "fell in fully-clothed and needs to wait for rescue and was fortunate enough to not panic." It's not the answer for "growing up in a family that spends weekends at the lake," or "older sibling has a birthday pool party every summer," or "the ocean is five miles away and we go all the time." Most children's actual relationship with water is ongoing, not emergency-based, especially here in Ventura County/LA County communities.
It can create false security in parents. A parent whose child passed ISR may feel the water-safety box is checked. But a back float learned in one specific context with one specific instructor doesn't always transfer unfortunately, which parents discover when they get in their own pool and the baby doesn't replicate the skill.

Back-floating belongs in a child's water vocabulary. It just shouldn't be the whole vocabulary. A well-rounded foundation, like the Swim With Heidi Method, includes back floating, vertical recovery, breath control, paddle-kick rhythms, and — most importantly — a calm nervous system that can access any of these skills when needed.

Question 11

How long are swim lessons?

Accepted Answer

Each private 1:1 lesson is **20 minutes long**—and I make every minute count.

Research shows that young children have an average attention span of about 15–20 minutes for focused activities, especially when learning something physically and emotionally demanding like swimming. These short, consistent lessons allow me to give your child my full energy, and help them stay engaged, safe, and successful in the water.

I take a lot of pride in how I use our time together. Every activity, every cue, every correction has a purpose. I always teach with the mindset: *if your child were to fall into a pool tomorrow, what can I give them today that might help them get to the edge or keep their head above water?*

I schedule lessons back-to-back, but I always take a moment at the end to lean over the pool edge and share how your child is progressing and what you can reinforce at home.

For **older kids, teens, and adults**, I recommend booking **two back-to-back 20-minute lessons** (for a 40-minute session). This allows for deeper instruction, more stamina work, and the time needed to focus on technique or water comfort at a slower pace.

Question 12

What do I need to bring?

Accepted Answer

Please bring your signed liability waiver (attached below), a swimsuit, towel, and goggles if your child likes goggles. Apply sunscreen minimally if possible! The build up of chemicals accrues over time and creates imbalances in the pool. If your child is not potty trained please bring a disposable swim diaper AND a swim diaper cover if possible. If there is a poop accident in the pool without these diaper covers, I need to cancel the remainder of the day to sanitize things and makes for a rough day.

Question 13

How do you feel about goggles?

Accepted Answer

I recommend starting lessons **without goggles**. I want children to learn to swim in the most natural way possible—without feeling like they need “gear” to be safe or successful in the water.

That said, I do use goggles at certain points in lessons. My pool is chlorinated, and some kids have sensitive eyes that genuinely need the break. I’ll usually introduce goggles once your child is comfortable getting their face wet, and I make sure we practice both **with and without** them.

Why? Because goggles can quickly become a crutch. I’ve seen many kids believe they *can’t* swim if they don’t have them on—and I want to break that mindset early. Water safety means being prepared in *any* situation, whether goggles are on, off, lost, or broken.

If you don’t have goggles, I have a few clean pairs to borrow during lessons—no need to rush out and buy any.

Question 14

How do you handle crying or very upset children?

Accepted Answer

It’s completely natural for a child to feel emotional or overwhelmed during swim lessons—especially in the beginning. Taking on swimming takes courage at any age, and sometimes parents are ready before their child is.

I work with a lot of children who are hesitant, fearful, or tearful. My approach is always **genuine and empathetic**, and I never rush the process. I focus on helping your child feel seen, safe, and supported as they start to build trust in the water—and in me.

If your child is very upset, I strongly encourage parents to **step out of direct view** during the lesson. Saying something like, *“I’m going to grab something from the car real quick,”* or quietly watching from around the corner can prevent your child from reaching for you or trying to climb out of the water. This gives them space to focus on my voice, learn to trust me, and begin to feel capable on their own.

For swimmers with more fear to overcome, **the first one or two lessons are often about building trust**—and that’s okay. If you suspect your child may fall into this category, I highly recommend signing up for **a multi-day session (like three days in a row)**. That consistency is a game changer. We can use those first few lessons to build rapport, assign simple homework (like practicing water on the face during bath time), and begin to grow real confidence that sticks.

You’ll be amazed at what just three consistent days can do.

Question 15

Is your pool heated?

Accepted Answer

Yes! I am confident a warm comfortable pool will impact how your child learns, especially if they are young. I usually heat the pool to 85 give or take, unless its an extremely warm day outside it might be a few degrees cooler. When a chlorinated pool is heated, this requires more chlorine (an unfortunate pay off of the comfortable water), so rinsing your child off real fast is a great option as I have a solar heated pool deck shower for anyone to use 🙂

Question 16

Do you have a cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes—and it’s built with real life in mind. As a mom, I totally understand that things come up. If your child is sick, coughing, showing signs of COVID-19, or something unexpected happens—please cancel for the sake of your family’s health and mine. No need to apologize. This is one reason I ask for payment at the time of service—you won’t be charged for a missed lesson, and there’s no refund to worry about.

That said, please be mindful that I run a full schedule, and there’s always a summer waitlist of families hoping to get their child water-safe. Last-minute cancellations make it tough for me to offer your spot to someone else without notice.

I can’t guarantee make-up lessons, but if an opening pops up, I’ll reach out. Thanks for being thoughtful and respectful of my time and the families I serve!

FAQ

Frequently asked questions