Workshop Information

Dear Interested Baby Swim Teacher: Swimming to mom

Thank-you for your interest in the gentle "whole child" approach to baby swimming. If you read the web site you will understand that this is not "survival backfloat swimming" or "drown proofing". New teachers will learn to teach the child centered way from day one. Experienced teachers will learn tools and techniques to enhance and sharpen their skills. All will find it an enlightening and rewarding experience on many levels. We are a holistic school, and while we do teach safety skills over time, we are a child centered, child paced (not fear based) as well as child and family friendly. We are a happy place, filled with smiles not tears.

We are currently teaching four to seven infant-toddler/parent swim classes per day. In the summer our Lifestyle Swim School teaches 30 to 65 infants and toddlers per day. Though we have taught many children of the rich and famous, from business, media, world class athletes (including Chris Evert), to actors and musicians, the vast majority of our families are regular folks, down to earth, caring, nurturing people.

The longer a trainee apprentices with us, the more they will assimilate the information, subtle nuances and actually see the progressions of baby swimming. Your results are reflected in your time invested. Four weeks is highly suggested (8 weeks even better). However, if time is limited, some people are only able to stay for one week.

The majority of learning will occur through observation and actual hands-on teaching in our on going classes. You and a small group of other trainees will apprentice by our side in a variety of classes. This direct experience will allow you to get the feel of handling children of various ages, swimming levels, and developmental situations. Here you will learn the subtle, highly refined techniques which Rob and Kathy have developed over a combined 50+ years of careful observation, practice and adaptation. We will also hold classroom discussions on the topics listed below.

Our workshops include both water and classroom time.

Topics Included Are:

Teaching Philosophy
Benefits of Infant Swimming
What Babies Can Learn
Optimal Learning Environment
Course descriptions and pre-requisites
Class format
Teaching progressions, building blocks theory
Class activities and equipment
Adapting to various class sizes and corrective measures for student/parent challenges
Proper holding techniques and when to implement them
Passing techniques, timing and strategies
Plateaus, peaks and valleys
Working with cautious or frightened children
How to assist over protective parents or tune-in over ambitious parents
What skills are most appropriate for what ages and level of readiness
Identifying readiness and demonstrating appropriate child-centered techniques
Building harmonious relationships between teacher, parent and child
Methods of Water adjustment and identifying comfort in the water
Principles of Breath control
Basic swimming skills
More complex swimming and safety skills
Encouraging positive parenting
Child development ages and stages
The holistic approach

Daily Teacher Training Schedule:

The week one work-shop hours are approximately:

We normally begin with a welcoming reception and dinner on Sunday evening and then teach through-out the week ending on Friday morning.

5:00 pm-7:30 pm Sunday evening

9:30 am-12:30 pm Monday through Thursday in the water

2:30-4:30 pm class room Monday and Wednesday

5:15-7:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday evenings in water

9:30-11:30 am The one week only session will conclude with a summary discussion on Friday morning.

(Two or more week participants no class first Friday).

For those staying on for two-weeks , work-shop hours are approximately

9:30 am-12:30 pm Monday through Thursday in the water

2:30-4:30 pm class room Monday and Wednesday

5:15-7:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday evenings in water

9:30-11:30 am The two week session will conclude with a summary discussion on Friday morning

For those staying on for three or four weeks work-shop hours are approximately

9:30 am-12:30 pm Monday through Thursday in the water

1:00-2:30 Questions and answers over lunch Monday and Wednesday

5:15-7:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday evenings in water

All participants attending multiple weeks who have classes canceled due to rain, holidays or miss a week day class may attend the Saturday and Sunday infant/toddler morning classes when available, in place of the missed week day class..

To create the full swim school experience and to help keep our workshop fees affordable, our apprentice/teacher trainees learn through assisting with various class duties including pitching-in with class set up and take down.

If you have any questions after reading the following material please do not hesitate to email or call us.

We look forward to meeting you,

Rob and Kathy McKay

Sample teacher trainee testimonials:

Rob & Kathy,

I wanted to write to tell you both what a wonderful experience I had while attending your baby swimming workshop!!! From the positive attitudes and smiling faces of the instructors (both of you, and Heather), to the smiling parents, and especially, the smiling children, it was a positive experience from start to finish.

It was obvious to me that you have done your homework over the past 20+ years putting your curriculum together, especially while I was in the water watching the infants and toddlers do their first submersions, unaided swims, diving to the bottom, etc., etc. The most exciting thing for me was actually holding the children during their first submersions, and the smiles on the children's, and parents, faces after the submersion. It was definitely a "feel good" experience each and every day being in the water with the children.

You profess the "gentle method" of teaching young children to become comfortable in the water, and you definitely practice what you preach. I was very impressed with the kindness and understanding you showed each child, and never once pushing them beyond what they were ready for in the water.

I also appreciate you taking me into your home for our out of water class time, and making me feel like one of the family. You have a wonderful family, along with Finley the dog, and it was a pleasure seeing a loving family in action.

I will be in touch with you down the road to keep you up to date on my baby swimming experiences, and with the instruction you provided me, I'm sure that the experiences will be positive ones.

Thanks again, and please keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Tom Jeitz

South Dakota

Dear Rob and Kathy:

I am having classes this week and the week of July 11th at no charge.... to just get the word out and get some interest going in the area. Then we will see what happens from there. If you have anyone in the area that wants to try out the "Gentle Journey", just have them contact me.

I enjoyed my week with your family immensely and appreciate the kindness that you all have. It is refreshing and I came back a better person. Thank you!

Take care,

Jennifer Martin

Orlando, Florida

Aloha Rob and Kathy,

Thank you ever so much for a great workshop. It was top notch and I learned so much. Thank you for all your hospitality. You were so gracious and went way out of your way to make sure my stay in Boca was wonderful. I truly appreciate all you did for me. Thanks again for the bike too! She is a great beach cruiser that one.

Take Care...miss you already!!! send my love to Jodi and Yoko and Scott.

Much Aloha, Ericka

Maui, Hawaii

Your Workshop hosts Kathy and Rob McKay

Kathy (L) and Rob McKay (R) with fellow "expert" Iron Chef Cat Cora at the Experts Guide to the Baby Years book launch, in New York City

Tuition for Small Group "Teacher training"

workshop/apprenticeship:

The workshop tuition is $750 per week. However, please note the following discounts for multiple weeks.

$750.00 for first week

$700.00 for second week

$650.00 for third week

$600.00 for fourth week

$550.00 for each additional week

Payment is available through cash, check or credit card. To reserve your selected week(s), a $150 non-refundable deposit is required at least one month prior to your workshop dates. This fee will be applied to your workshop fee. If deposit is not received we assume that you decided to opt out of attending the workshop and thus we may cancel that particular workshop. This deposit of commitment is necessary as we need to schedule and plan in advance our teacher training workshops. Those individuals applying after the deadline will need to request special permission to attend and to find out if that particular workshop will still be held.

Full payment will be made upon arrival by either, check, cash or credit card.

Workshop participants are requested to read our book Learn to Swim prior to attending the workshop.

Though not the reason we teach babies, you will make these tuition fees back quickly as word travels about your own program. We take this training very seriously as we feel babies must be guided in the water with care and respect and each taught at their unique rate of learning and readiness. As a teacher trainee you will find the experience uplifting, fulfilling, informative and enjoyable. Baby swimming when taught in the gentle way, can change your life forever.

Kathy training Nina on swims through the hoop

Questions and Answers

1. What do I bring?

A positive attitude towards life, children and swimming. Also, a big hat (or baseball cap) and sunscreen for our Florida Sun. We also wear sun protective warm-up tops. Also, make sure that your pass-ports etc. are in order, as traveling abroad is getting a bit more complicated these days.

2. Do I get in the water?

Yes, you will spend a great deal of your time with us in the water apprenticing and "shadowing" us during real live baby swim classes at our Lifestyle Swim School. A chance to glean knowledge from our combined 50+ years of teaching babies in the gentle way. Those who pay close attention will take home many unforeseen treasures.

3. What is the daily schedule?

See schedule above. We normally have two blocks of time per day to train. As this training can be exhausting, we try to build in plenty of time for you to rest and recharge your energy.

4. Do you "certify" us.

This is a comprehensive teacher training workshop for learning how to teach infants and toddlers how to adjust to and then move about in the water. We don't quote "certify" but we do present a certificate of participation for the number of weeks that you participated and trained with us.

5. Is this a franchise?

No, several infant swimming franchises run 10 to 15 times the cost of this workshop. This is an educational opportunity. We open up our school during this workshop period so that you can have the opportunity to learn from us in observation, lecture and discussion as well as hands on experience with our students. Unlike a franchise, we will not be handing you a business plan, advertising/promotional plan and ad copy with photos, nor any legal documents. We do encourage you to take notes., and utilize Learn to Swim as your textbook,

6. How many people are in each workshop?

When traveling in other countries we may have several dozen folks participating. Normally, here at our Florida site we try to limit the number of participants in order for you to actually be in the water in with us during our on going infant/toddler swim classes. This also allows us to keep the workshops more personal for our teacher training participants, as well as not overwhelm our baby swim students and their parents.. We usually have between one and six participants here at our Boca Raton site per workshop.

7. Why are you offering the teaching training.?

It is our hope that the "right" people with a big heart and gentle spirit will use their baby swimming training to help spread, peace, joy and happiness, to children and their families though-out the planet.

Participants will receive a certificate of workshop participation from Rob and Kathy McKay and the Lifestyle Swim School

For further information you may email us at: mckayswim@aol.com

Or reach us by phone at: 561-362-5490

See list of transportation and lodging...