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Hop along to conversations with the Kaz sisters, Ashley and Angela. You'll find a mix of silly, serious and everything in between. 🦘
This is sisters Ashley and Angela. And
this is sister Rooy. Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to Sister Rooy today's episode. We
are so pumped for a special guest. We have with us
Becky from Safety First Pediaquatics. And we have
a fun episode that we know is going to be super
insightful, I think, for everybody.
So with that, we will hand it over to you, Becky,
and, uh, just introduce yourself, say hi to
everyone.
Hi, I'm Becky and I am the founder of Safety First
Pediaquatics. And I am a pediatric swim
instructor. And a mom.
A mom of how many? There's a lot.
There's five. two are my stepdaughters. And then I
have my oldest daughter and two sons.
And two sons.
Okay, and what are the age ranges?
So one is. Oh, shoot, I think she's 22. And she
has a little boy. we have a 15 year old, Addison.
And then we have Ariana, who's 10, Cash, who's 5,
and Atlas, who is 13 months.
Awesome. Um, so all age ranges. I don't think I
actually knew that you had a 22 year old
stepdaughter with a baby.
I'm technically.
I know you're like a step grandma.
I said don't call me a grandma.
Or the cool grandma.
Ah, yeah, no, we won't. But I did not know that.
That's awesome.
I. Oh, that is. I only knew and because of this
new, uh, program that you are launching or have
launched, um, I really knew about your younger
children that are in the videos, which is super
fun. So we'll leave it at that. And Do we want to
go into, how we know each other? Sure, sure. I'll
let you kick that off.
So
how I found you was actually from, It was a friend
from A friend whose husband, M was like on the
city board council, and he had just approved or
had been part of the, uh, approval of your first
building or of the warehouse of where you were.
Oh, really?
Okay.
And so I was friends with her and she told me
about you and I ended up looking into you for
Ace because she also is making comments to you,
though, about, have you considered swim? Yes.
Because of her experience.
She had a friend who did lose. She had a friend
who lost a daughter or son. A child, to drowning.
And then when I started fostering, I had to take.
It's coming back to me.
Um, yes.
So for the foster care, if you have a pool or if
you're adjacent to water, which in the back of my
house, I don't have a pool, but I have a pond.
Even though I have a fence, we still had to take a
course. And it's just something I never really
thought about as being a mom. And so then when I
had Ace, I looked into it, especially because we
were going to Costa Rica. You weren't available
yet.
Cause I was put on a wait list at first. And, we
went to Costa Rica first, put him in a floaty,
which you say no to. But hey, he looks really cute
in this little Springs pool we had at our hotel.
I've seen the photos.
Yeah. Ah. And he loved it there. and then he was
10 months old when I brought him to you.
Okay.
And then, every time I took him swimming and they
saw him swimming, I got comments all the time
about him not being in floaties. And I don't know
if you would have seen him swim or you guys were
down here and we went swimming. But I can't
remember if I just told you I really loved the
program. And when you moved down here, I
inevitably told you, you need to do it.
Yeah.
Because you have a pool.
I know.
Well.
And when I would have started even thinking about
swim, it would have been after moving to Florida
because I lived in Alabama with Emma. We moved to
Florida when she was three months, so I was still
in new mom mode, not thinking about swimming at
all. We didn't own a pool. We weren't close to
water in Alabama. but when we got to Florida, our
house has a pool and right next to our house is a
pond. So it was like, you know, I want to make
sure I'm super smart about my children and I don't
want to have, some type of anxiety I already was
nervous about. I've never owned a pool luckily it
had a safety gate, a child safety gate for the
pool already. Yeah. But I know because we had seen
Ace doing so well, and Ashley and her husband were
always talking about how important it was. It was
probably more top of mind. As a result, because of
their success with your program and your house,
the
way that it's set up to your pool, you have three
doors from your house.
Three French doors, right?
Oh, my gosh.
Three French doors from the bedroom, a living
room, and another living room kitchen. Hello.
I know. And now I got a little. And now my little
boy, 15 months, is walking and opening of the
doors because it's like that lever door. Super
easy for them to just let them out and let my dog
Stella escape so many times throughout the week.
But, we'll not get into that.
Luckily, Stella's never gotten into the pond or
anything. She's not interested in the water.
No. Thank goodness. She just wants to run forever.
Same as my dog He's. gone But yeah, same thing.
He was an escape artist.
I. I know. When Ashley told me about your story.
I'm so sorry to hear that. Like, I'm like, I bring
it up to her all the time. I'm like, this is how
Stella is going to go. Like, I know.
Like, I can't. I couldn't keep him in.
Yeah.
Like, he was just, living free all the time.
Yeah. Yours was a great Pyrenees. Yes. Yeah.
Angela's is a little rat. I call Stella a rat. I
love her.
She looks like a wiener dog She's not the long
pointed nose. Oh, no, she is. She looks like a
puppy, too. She looks so.
Oh, my God.
She's probably so stinking cute.
She is cute. Yes.
That is the only thing going for her right now.
No, we love her. We really do. It's hilarious. We
love her.
But I call her a rat. Yeah.
She's a big rat.
Yeah. But I definitely met you, obviously, through
swimming, Emma, and having those lessons and, uh,
yeah, once we saw this virtual online program, at
least for me. I know Ashley was seeing your videos
on all of your socials and whatnot, and we were
talking about it, and we just thought you would be
the perfect next guest for us because we are all
about swim safety and especially with both of our
15 month olds. Ashley is for our listeners, uh,
having your boy Sam, her youngest, now, uh, go
through the process of swim lessons with Becky.
Because Ashley doesn't have a pool.
Correct.
And when I saw your virtual online program of how
to help, your child swim in 10 days, I was
like, yes, I'm gonna try this jumped at the chance
I love it.
I love it.
I love it, too. So tell us about that. just how
you got into, I
guess, the idea of launching and how you got to
the virtual.
okay. So originally, when I first got trained, I
was trained to get parents in the pool and teach
them on lesson 10, how to actually swim with their
kids at home so that they could do continued
education. Well, once we got really, really busy
and we got into the facility and we were having.
I'd say there probably would be 600 lessons a week
on average. And it was just insane. We would get
all different types of people in the pool, and
there's all different types of coordination skills
and parenting. Parenting skills and, uh, panic
about the water skills and anxiety. And just.
There was just so much to it that it was like I
couldn't take care of them within the 10 minutes
that I had. And I couldn't also take them for an
hour because we had so many parents.
Yeah.
So I kind of was trying to figure out what to do
with that. Well, then Covid hit, and I was like,
oh, my gosh, what am I going to do with all these
kids that just started. Because when you start a
swim program, kids naturally think that they're
Olympic swimmers, even though they cry at swim
lessons. Like, they're naturally drawn to the
water because they think they can swim. So that's
why it's very important to finish the program and
make sure you maintain skills moving forward. But
anyways, going back to how this all came about, I
created a small video that teaches parents how to
swim with their kids at home after swim lessons at
the facility. And I used that for about four
years, but it was a really. I used a GoPro. Like,
I was really new to this stuff. I'm still kind of
new, but it was kind of like a janky video. but
gotta start somewhere.
Yeah, you do.
You gotta start somewhere. But it worked, and it
gave parents an idea of what to do. And then next
thing you know, I would have all these parents
asking questions. What do we do with this? And
what do we do with this? And I would tell them to
text me if you have questions. and then I thought
about this two years ago, like, hey, I think I'm
gonna teach parents online. So I wanted to do it.
And then I had people say, no, you don't want to
give all your tricks away. You know, you want
people to come to you. And I was like, okay,
whatever. So I didn't think too much far or too
far into it because we had so many people and I
was just crazy busy.
Yeah.
Well then when these investors came in and shut us
down at the facility last year, I was like, what
am I going to do? You know, what am I going to do
with my, my life? Like, yeah, uh, I had someone
offer to help me build a facility, but it was
going to be, years out, so I'm like, what am I
going to do? What am I going to do? And then I
thought about it and like, oh my gosh, I need to
teach everyone how to teach their kids to swim
because I can't reach everybody anymore like I
used to. And this will give parents an option for
refreshers or if they just want to teach their
kids on their own. And then oh my gosh, I can
reach people in other states and people that are
on vacation that need to give them their kids swim
skills here. So it kind of just evolved. So first
I started with the digital book, which to me is
like compared to the videos. So. But it gives the
basis of the process.
Mhm.
then I started doing parenting videos and this was
all going on during winter, so I couldn't get in
my pool with the baby. And then I did parenting
videos where I'm coaching through just me in my
office and talking to the video. And then I got my
heater in my pool in February and then I did the
video tutorials and the rest is history. And I'm
like trying to get everyone to teach their kids to
swim. And now I want to make every
mom a swim instructor so their kids can be great
swimmers.
So that's how it all evolved.
But it's a lot.
We think it's genius.
Thank you.
There are so many videos or like classes just from
parenting perspectives that I see on social media
all the time. there's some for sleeping, there's
some for toddler. Tantrums. And so like, why not
one for swim? It makes perfect sense, especially
in today's society of where we are with social
media.
Yes.
In the digital age. And. Yeah.
I mean, I had already started Sam, and like Angela
pointed out, I don't have a pool.
Yeah.
And you know, I just like. It gets me out of the
house. I like to leave the house and Angela likes
to leave. I feel like you like to continue.
Okay.
I do.
She does.
I enjoy it when you come see me too. Every. Cause
I told Angela too. When you were at the facility,
I always got you. Since I am a late riser,
everyone knows I'm a night owl, so I don't even.
I know this.
You have to have a 12 to
3 o' clock spot anywhere from there. I do not like
the mornings. I loathe them. And in the facility I
was always after your lunch break and so it was
like only us coming in. And so I just like, talked
to you the whole time.
Yes.
Angela always went in the mornings and she's like,
I don't talk to her.
Yeah, I know. I was like, she's always talking
with her, other swim instructors. So I haven't
really gotten a chance to talk with you. But I
mean, there's a reason we've been trying to get
you to come play Bunco with us.
Well, I will. I will say too, though, like, when
you came in the mornings, that time. And in the
evenings, it's like one after the other.
Yeah.
Like we're either back to back to back. And if you
get a few minutes behind as a swim instructor, you
get really stressed out.
Yeah.
And then when you get 10 minutes behind and you're
behind the whole lesson,
you're really, really stressed out. So we're like,
okay, next kid. Like, so. Yeah. I just feel like
there is rarely ever another instructor when you
were there with you, it was always
me and just Ace. Like, I feel like, you know.
Yeah.
And I don't know if that occasionally your
husband.
Yeah. If he could tr. Show up. He came. But. Ace,
he was just such a natural when it came. He just
loved the water.
Yes. He really is.
I don't know if it was because of, it just being
good one on one time with no other people in the
pool.
Yeah.
But I mean, Sam doesn't have people in the pool
either, and he's completely different.
No, I know if he would have started with Sam, it
wouldn't have been the same.
Maybe Maybe. I don't know.
The Ace is such a natural. He really is. He always
has been.
He. He loves. He's a little fish. And if we had a
pool, I would definitely, probably be worried all
the time. If he were missing, I would be checking
the water, number one thing.
Yes.
Which is a good rule of thumb for anybody out
there.
Yeah.
You'd have all the alarm systems, all the locks,
everything.
Yes. Yeah.
And if your child goes missing, you always go to
the pool first or
a pond or water.
Yeah, there's water. Great tip. Yeah.
So bringing up that tip, are there any other tips
that if there was one thing you'd want parents to
know about swim safety in general or like,
statistics?
Three, you know, we know there's probably so much.
Because this is your life.
Yeah, yeah. Like, so there is a lot.
It's funny because me and Ariana did like, a 10
water safety rules for kids and parents that I'm
gonna put on YouTube. It's kind of just, you know,
random, but there's just so many rules that you
need to, talk about with your kids or just have.
But, drowning is the leading cause of death for
children ages one to four. so I think that it's
very important that parents are aware of water
safety. and not just pools like baths. There are
toilets because next, you know, you have a toddler
playing In the water, in the toilet, and then
they're face down and they could get stuck, you
know, so.
Yeah.
But I think of all the crazy things. I'm kind of
psycho when it comes to it. And my kids know I am
too.
Well.
And you'd be hyper aware because you're good at
your job. So, you know, all.
It's like, anything that could happen. Yeah, I
know Sometimes I feel really
extra crazy, but, like, I really am because I just
know how quick it can happen. and we're very kind
of easygoing people too. Other than that, So my
kids know about, making sure when they go outside
to shut the doors. Like, we have a regular door
and a screen door. Before I had the baby, we kind
of just left the doors open. Like, my kids swam
and it was. I didn't need to really pay attention
to the pool because my kids were wonderful
swimmers. They still are wonderful swimmers. But
once I had the baby, I had to retrain them to make
sure they kept the doors closed. Cash knows when
he takes a bath with the baby, he starts draining
the tub as we're getting out. which I'm there with
the baby, but if I take the baby out of the bath,
he drains it right after he gets out and closes
the door. That way there's not a full tub.
Yeah.
open for a toddler to run into. Yeah, there's
those things. But really, honestly, the biggest
thing about water safety to me is just to get your
kids swimming. I know that there's all types of
alarms and all of these things, but the true
prevention to me is, if your kid can swim across
the pool, they're fine. They're going to be able
to save their life. I mean, obviously, a kid could
get knocked out from running around the pool and
falling, but the rarity of that is it's so rare
for something like that to happen.
Yeah.
Truthfully, kids drown because they don't know how
to swim.
Yeah.
Um, so to me, it's like once they know how to
swim, if an emergency happened and you ran
somewhere and they fell in the pool, they could
swim across the pool and get out, you know?
Yeah.
You always think about that when you have three
kids, you're or you're near the pool, you hear
another kid screaming. If you run to that and
forget that the toddler's here.
you want to make sure that they have the skills to
save themselves. I mean, there's all types of
other barriers and stuff that people should be
cautious about.
Yeah, I, I don't know what it is with my
algorithm. It might be because we were talking
about having you on or I'm also just hyper aware
of everything. Or maybe it's because Sam's at the
age that he is,
Or we're just liking all of Becky's stuff.
But I am getting just like horror stories and
anything that I do see, it's not ever like a kid
hits their head and falls in. Like it's usually
lack of barriers or Unfortunately I know a lot of
kids with like special needs are drawn to water.
And I'll see horror stories about kids. Like if
they get lost, they go and find a pond or a lake.
Yeah. Ah.
And the outcome is not good. and then like the
bathtubs and the toilets and I think I even told
you it's like something also you have to think
about when you have a babysitter.
This is another thing that I do, but go ahead.
My babysitter, we love her and she works at a
daycare and everything. And I Had to tell her
because Sam is loving the toilets. Like, you need
to keep them closed because he will reach in there
and they are top heavy, and so he can fall in. And
she was like, oh, my gosh, I haven't even thought
of that. But, like, new fear unlocked. All doors
are closed.
Yeah.
And, it's just like one of those things. It's not
even moms, too, but anybody watching your kids.
Things you don't think about.
I know Before even taking lessons with you, I
remember Ashley being the one to educate me on
toilets. Kids being top heavy. And I do always
hear her repeat that stat that you said of the top
leading, cause of Death for Children 1 through 4.
those are, the two things that honestly have stuck
with me for, I guess, three years now.
And it's the number one meaning preventable death.
So it's preventable.
that's what's crazy. It's like they just need to
learn to swim. Truthfully. but there is obviously
barriers, like the toilet and stuff. Those are
things that, are preventable measures that we can
take to make sure they don't fall in a toilet or
they don't fall in a tub or.
And it's just something you don't think about. But
I have now seen. I've seen Ace be. It's like one
of those ottoman, square cube things that can
have. So when he was. I don't even know how old,
but one. Maybe 15 months, probably around the same
age that Sam is. I have a video of him, getting a
ball, and literally his head is stuck because his
feet are off the ground and he starts crying. I'm
like, oh, are you stuck? Yeah. And I had to, like,
run because I felt bad because I was recording
him. But, like,
this is exactly how it happens with toilets.
Yes.
And the other day I had Ace in the bathtub with
all the toys, and I was getting Sam ready to get
in with him. And Sam just, like, top heavy started
going toward the tub, just falling toward into the
water. And, I was luckily able to catch him in
time. But. Yeah, it's just those things you don't
think about.
I know you don't.
And those.
Those babies are curious little buggers.
They are little rascals.
Oh, my gosh.
Ye. Just to add onto that one last thing, my boy
Zach, he is walking everywhere and just goes
toward the pond. and I'm like, nope. I. Yeah. And
the listening stuff, I'm like, ah, you gotta
listen to me, boy. Um, but Because Emma is getting
potty trained. We are always in the bathroom. And
so he is very fascinated with the toilet as well.
So it's just all the things that you're trying to
prevent water play from a toilet and falling in.
Yeah.
so I love that tip, though. I think that that
resonates and speaks to so much. But, on the
opposite end, I guess, is there anything myths
wise, that you've run into that just you can
debunk is worth. Yeah. Worth trying to debunk? I
don't know.
Well, dry drowning is m. Myth. It's actually not
even a medical term. Um, there was dry drowning.
Can you explain this too?
So dry drowning is supposedly when a child gets or
is swimming. Supposedly they get water in their
lungs at that moment and then they drown by
walking later or just like days later is what they
say.
Okay.
Um, I get this question asked all the time. I
always tell parents, always speak with your
pediatrician because they know medical advice more
than I do. but really what it is is it's a, uh,
it's pulmonary edema And it's when you have like
fluid in your lungs. But dry drowning is not a
medical term. And it's actually something that,
experts say is so rare that they don't even
research. Like if you were to dry drown,
supposedly, or they call it secondary drowning
too, sometimes on social media. it's just from
having fluid in your lungs and That can happen
with an eighth of water from the tub. so it's
something that's very, like, rare thing. And I
think that's a question that gets asked a lot.
It's kind of been more debunked over the years.
But I would say in the last, like five or six
years ago, there was a big influencer that blew
this up about dry drowning. Uh, and kids
supposedly drowning days after being at the pool,
when in all reality they just had fluid in their
lungs from possibly other situations they don't
really know.
so I hadn't even thought about that.
Like, it's like, it's a thing.
I don't know.
But. And I'm not an expert on it, so that's why I
always tell parents, always go to your
pediatrician if you want to ask and talk to
someone about drowning. Because actual drowning,
well, actual Drowning is the leading cause of
death for children. so I would focus more on
making sure your kids can be safe in the pool
rather than something that's supposedly super,
super rare.
Gotcha. I think this now makes sense why you are
always saying like, it's okay that your kid is
drinking water in some of your videos. Cause I'm
like, ah. Cause that fear never was even like, oh,
oh. Okay.
So yeah. Cause when they're drinking water, it's
just like if they're drinking water in the tub,
does your kid sit in the tub and just want to chug
water out cup? Because my kid does. And it's
ridiculous. I'm like, this is disgusting, Atlas.
But I think all kids.
Dirty water. Dirty water. True.
Dirty water.
But we have now taught him to like, if he actually
wants a drink, to get it from the faucet.
Yes.
I'd rather them
close their mouth while swimming.
Right.
But it happens.
Mhm.
And it's nothing to be super stressed about.
I was gonna say Sam. We know.
Yeah.
But for our listeners, my boy Sam just hates the
water. With Becky, I don't know if it's just
because she's doing her thing, teaching him,
because he does know the stuff. now that I have
taken him in the pool on my own, he's happy with
us. and he'll close his mouth underwater. But with
you, while you're like either trying to test him
or trying to float him and make him do the work.
He isn't about it with you. And so yeah, he is
just, his mouth is wide open and he's crying
underwater with you and like totally drinking all
the water and you know, he comes out and he burps
and he's fine.
Yep.
And then he asks, you know, for the animal
crackers that you reward them with.
Oh, yes, animal crackers.
You know what's funny? My boy, my 15 month old, he
is not a fan of animal crackers. I tried giving
him, I'm like, I think I gotta give him fruit.
Like you gotta get the crispy ones or something.
Are they soggy?
I don't know.
No, no. Like my girl Emma, uh, uh, all about it.
She's like, she's like looking for the cookies
afterwards But my kids are very. Food, uh, what's
the word?
Driven.
Um, Food driven.
Yes, they love food.
Absolutely. M. But my boy, I'm like, I don't know
why he doesn't like animal crackers. I gotta
figure that one out.
But anyways, um, are there any other stats, I
guess, that you typically are giving
sharing outside of the number one, preventable
drowning, preventable death for kids. Um, what was
it that kids can drown in? Even just an inch of
water?
Yep, they can drown an inch of water. No one's
drown proof. Another thing that I tell a lot of my
parents too. So I teach the swim float, swim
method. So our little ones learn how to actually
swim and flip over and float for survival. Like
you guys know, but for the listeners. And um, I
always tell parents like even though we do the
safety test at the end where they flip over to
float. In My experience, I would rather if a child
were to fall in the pool to swim to the ledge and
get out of the pool or swim across the pool
because they're just, it's safer. a float can go
wrong at any moment. They can yell out and let out
all their air, losing all their buoyancy and that
can make you drop quick in the water. So I always
tell parents that you want the float to be a last
resort. you want them swimming so good that if
they do fall in the pool to be able to turn to get
the wall, swim across, the pool and swim to
safety. And then if they can't get there, then
they flip over and float to breathe.
I, you know, go ahead.
I was gonna ask about that too because other swim
programs. teach the float, but they will teach the
child to yell for help.
Yeah, that's crazy to me.
Interesting.
Yeah. I don't know. There's also programs that
only teach the floating.
So you're saying that they, go down more because
they're they're expelling their air. Mhm. it makes
sense while you're saying it, but yeah, I've seen
that it. I know that that's another way that
people, you know, it's even crazier is when kids
have a lot of air in their belly from testing,
they float better.
It's the craziest thing.
Like you can tell because you say all the time,
I'll Ask if Sam, um, is fussy because maybe he is
eating too close to, the swim lesson or whatever.
Yeah.
And you can always say that you can, like, feel if
he's uncomfortable. And I'm like, I don't know
what that feels like.
A belly to their bellies get really tight.
I know what it feels like because of her program.
And naturally, some kids. bellies get way bigger,
quicker. And some of. Some kids are completely
fine with it. And then some. It just hurts their
belly so quickly, so you have to really, like,
slow down the process. But you can tell usually by
their cry. Well, I don't know. I think moms can
tell too. Like, when their kid kind of has a
painful cry or they're just crying because they're
not happy about what they're doing.
I just let him in there with you, and he's crying
with you, and I'm like, okay, well, you're
learning to float, I guess.
Yeah.
I trust you. Yeah.
You would definitely know, though, he probably
just doesn't have that much air when you're
swimming with him by yourself. Like, with him.
Because it would be. Yeah, it would be obvious to
you.
Okay.
especially for Sam, because he. His belly is tight
quick, too, I think. Right. I've never swam with
Sam, but I just know you would feel. You would
understand when he is in pain, like, because I
mean, the kid can't stand a poopy diaper for,
like, two seconds, whereas mine will run around
and be happy, whatever. And Sam is just, um. He
doesn't like anything uncomfortable.
He is a sensitive boy. And he is.
He is you.
He is me.
I say that with love.
I am the sensitive, bodily, sensitive type. I
don't know why.
No. But, uh, so I wanted to bring up with the 10
day How to teach my child to swim in 10 days.
Yes.
Does that program teach them to float at all?
Because I haven't. Okay. Because I was like. I
thought I perused everything, and I haven't seen
anything about floating. And I do remember at
least with Ace, when he began and I hadn't started
swim lessons with Emma. I, remember it Was really
important for you guys never to try and float Ace
at home.
Yeah. Becky would scold me if I did,
so I always knew that. And I never even asked.
Like, I was never even gonna try to float my girl
Emma, uh, at home, whatever. But I was curious,
and because of what you said, I mean, it makes
complete sense. Teach your child to swim across
the pool. That is, number one, because floating is
last resort. but Is that something, then that
you'll eventually teach in a different course?
Yes. So I am working on that course. Um, but the
whole reasoning how I created it is. Parents
obviously don't know what it's like to teach swim
lessons, so I felt like it was best to teach them
how to properly teach their kid how to swim first
and get familiar with their hand placement, where
to put their hands, how to move them in the water
before trying to show them how to float a child.
Because floating a child is harder than teaching a
child to swim.
Honestly, it kind of gives me anxiety. Like,
scares me a little bit, because I'm like, okay, I
want to do it right.
Yeah, it's not too bad. But the thing is, is,
Well, you know, incorrect pickups that you can do
with a float. Just like, if. If, you know, in the
course where I talk to you about positive pickups
and positive reinforcements and stuff like that.
With a float, it's harder to maintain the
composure.
I see.
But I feel like the better a parent is able to
handle their child in the water swimming with
them, it'll be easier for them to then transition
into teaching them to float rather than putting it
all together in one and then just being completely
overwhelmed and not having success.
I got it.
So I was thinking it would be best to do steps at
a time.
Makes sense. Yeah. I was curious, and I hadn't
even told Ashley about it because she doesn't even
know, really everything that's in the course. I
haven't showed her yet. But,
When I first heard or saw. I don't remember where
it was.
Yeah.
But I think I saw it on your socials because I
had. I follow you personally. Okay. and I was
like, oh, online program. And sadly, I missed the
launch period. I was like, okay. I. My thought
process, Becky. I was like, okay. I knew you
launched it for the week and that you had, three
different tiers of If you were in the first 20. I
was like, I definitely missed that. By the time I
saw that, I could Sign up. So I was like, okay,
it's the launch period. She's gonna do it for at
least a week.
Oh, no. Which I feel like I did it for four days.
It was such a short amount of time because I
literally, was like, okay, I need to bring this up
with Jake, and just make sure he's cool. Like,
this is what I'm gonna try and do with Emma and
Zach. and anyway, missed it.
Whatever.
Honestly, it didn't matter because for our
listeners, this is what I loved about it. It was
still way more affordable than honestly going to
you and doing all of the appointments and
scheduling around nap time and with two kids, all
of this stuff. Yeah. so I was just like, this is
amazing. Ashley knows I'm a do it yourselfer
anyway in any way that I can. If I can teach
myself how to do something, then I'm gonna be
confident to do it.
Also know that you never check your phone and this
is why you missed the three windows period of an
earlier sign up.
I know my emails are a mess ever since I, am a
stay at home mom. That's great.
But anyway, yeah, I figured I would
share a little bit of my experience because I know
Ashley was saying, oh, Becky was asking me how
you're liking the program and all that stuff. And,
honestly, this is where I'm, um. Like, this is
huge for everybody because it's so doable. so it
freaked me out a little bit, when I. I didn't
really share this so much. But before, even owning
a house with a pool water kind of gave me anxiety.
People don't really know this. I only know this
about myself because I lifeguarded, or tried to
lifeguard. Is lifeguarded a word? I don't even
know
lifeguarded a word. yes, we were lifeguards. I was
a lifeguard as well.
So wait, you passed a lifeguarding test, right?
This is high school or college, maybe.
So Angela had to have been a freshman in college.
I was because I was a sophomore in high school.
Becky.
I'm a sophomore in high school, and I'm a
lifeguard trying to save some lives. Like, no way.
I was smaller than I am now. There's no way. Oh,
my goodness. Luckily, it was a athletic center in
our town, back home. But. So it wasn't like a
water.
It was more than just just being a lifeguard at a
pool.
But, yeah, I was just like, I look back at that
I'm like, what was I thinking? And how did I just,
I don't even know.
I know. I don't know how I passed the CPR
certification test. It. It makes me.
I definitely. I learned so many things, though,
from it, because I learned cpr. I still know some
things from that. and then it's funny, anytime I
go to like a resort now or a water park, if I see
a lifeguard doing their scans, I'm like, all
right, Makes me happy.
Makes me happy. Way more confident if I don't see.
If I see somebody else slacking. But, like,
regardless, I understand why CPR certification is
necessary for, like, recertification so that you
remember, because I have not been certified since
but I know when I worked, I usually am a person
who loves my job. But lifeguarding was the most
stressful job I have ever had in my life. And I
only did it for like three months.
And you did it part time because you were. Yeah,
part time because you were at the golf course,
whatever. Fun center thing too.
It was just the job outside of my initial call
center, grueling type of beginning career move.
Lifeguarding was my least favorite job because I
had anxiety and I was like, please no one drown on
my watch. I just thought it was so important.
Like, I felt so heavy.
I mean, literally, lives are in your hand.
Yes. And that freaked me out. There were so many
people in the pool. So anyway, fast forward now to
now. Yes, to now. Even without being CPR
certified. Uh, saw your program and it was on my
mind of Ashley already has her boy in swim
lessons. I don't have my boy, but we own a pool.
And.
And your boy was walking. Yeah. And.
But I had seen my 3 year old girl kind of regress
a little bit after the winter breaks from the
pool. So I'd be like, do I really want to shell
out hundreds of dollars for, continuing
maintenance when I'm like, I could just do this in
my pool, I just want to know how. Like, tell me
the right way to do it.
And then, ah, uh, like
literally too. Like, my program is $530 altogether
for the actual four week course, and then it's 120
a week and then it's $190 for maintenance lessons.
So that can add up over time when you're doing
actual lessons. So this gives a really great
option for people who either don't have the funds
or have the ability to be able to do it By
themselves. Or, can't figure out a schedule or
whatever the access. Another thing is, that I
dealt with a lot was, like, custody battles, like,
people going through divorces.
Like, yeah.
I would have dads or moms that are like, they
refuse to come to swim lessons. And then I would
have to do custom schedules for them.
I don't get these types of. I know things, like.
But it's sad. Another thing was, like, military
families going on deployment. I've had multiple
military families and they want to come and they
try to get squeezed in, and then I don't have
availability for a couple months. Well, now I have
an option for them.
Yeah.
As well. So I think it's a just great option for
so many.
families all over.
And honestly, the fact that I know, there's a,
selfish reason of trying to keep what, you know,
your education to your heart and you being the one
that everybody is coming to, but it is exhausting.
And you don't get to reach everybody.
Yes.
So I'm so happy that you were like, no, let's
share this with the world. Expand our reach. Let's
do it. So I'm, uh, all for it. I love it.
Thank you.
Yes. So I am currently on day six for both of my
children. Oh, okay. Yes. I've been.
I'm impressed.
I'm staggering their nap times. I'm like, I'm
swimming with you while he's sleeping. Swimming
with you while she's sleeping.
That is so awesome. And what's super cool is very
goal oriented. So if she's like, I'm gonna do
this, she's gonna do it.
I love it. Shout out to our previous, episode.
Talked all about goals, all about.
So that concludes part one with Becky. Stay tuned
for part two as we continue our conversation about
all things swim. Since recording with her, we have
officially become an affiliate partner with Safety
First Pediaquatics. If you use our link to
purchase her courses, we will get a small
commission, but it doesn't affect the price you
pay.
Your little ones deserve to be safe in the water
and you deserve less anxiety knowing they have
these skills. We are so passionate about water
safety and hear stories all the time. Find our
affiliate link under our link tree on our
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. It's also included
in this episode's description. You can find Becky,
uh, at SafetyFirstpediaquatics across all social
platforms.
We'll see you next time.
Bye.