I am looking for a GOOD swim class for my 2 year old son in West Knox. Some people have said to try Mr. Ed's and others said to stay away. Anyone have any suggestions? He is potty trained and likes the water. The only problem I have is that I have a 7 month old also and for me to try to take a Mommy and Me class with him is nearly impossible unless there is child care available on site. Someone had suggested Fort Sanders but when I called the man told me you had to join to be able to participate in the swim classes. I REALLY need him to be able to swim comfortably (at least with floaties on) by summer as I have 2 older kids also and I cannot take 4 children to the pool when I have 2 that can't swim....HELP!!!!
Thanks all!! I will check schedules at Adventure Swim (Mr. Ed), YMCA, Ft. Sanders and Court South! Will see which one best fits our schedule and will let you all know how it turns out!
My daugheter took swim lessons at Court South. You do not have to be a member to take swim lessons, but I think it is $5 more per month if you are not a member. My daughter also took swim lessons from Mr. Ed's when she was about 18 months old and it was fine. I have heard people say that about it, but never could figure out why. ???
Go to Mr Ed's! He is awesome. He's been doing swim lessons for a long time and is very good at it. My daughter (7 1/2) loved his classes and begged to go back. She took her first lesson when she was 4. She was jumping off the diving board by day 2 or 3 (and loving it). She even drew pictures of herself at swim lessons with Mr Ed after she was done. You can go to http://adventureswim.com/ to check out his website. He also has classes for babies and parents. There's room to sit and watch the lesson in his enclosed pool area. Hope this helps.
If you can get away, I would try Mr. Ed's swimming class. I have to admit, it's not for everyone. My daughter has had a wonderful experience there, however she has never had a fear of water or swimming. We have been taking from Mr. Ed off and on since she was about 18 months. She's 4 years old and in her last class she was able to dive off the diving board and swim the length of the pool. The water is warm and there is music playing under the water. Mr. Ed has a no-nonsense stle, so I have noticed that the children who are fearful tend to struggle with his this (as well as their parents). Good luck!
My kids take swim classes at Court South. You do not have to be a member. They both love it!
I must differ with the above review. I found Ed to be rude and unprofessional. He is running a shoddy operation. Several times during the lesson he had to leave my daughter in the pool unattended because he was "understaffed" and went into his office to answer a phone call. In addition, he heats the pool with some wood burning contraption and after waiting just 1 hour for my daughter's lesson to be over my hair and all my clothing smelled like I had been camping for 1 week. My daughter also complained about the smoke burning her eyes and making her dizzy. When I complained about this, he said "No one talks to me like that." Save yourself some grief and choose the YMCA.
We went thru Mr. Ed's a couple of years ago. He was OK, but he's a little odd. He's strict, which is what a lot of kids need.
We're members of Fort Sanders, which is great. Since you have such a large family, you would be able to get your monies worth. Their indoor pool is open year round.
I have a friend who took at YMCA and loved it. She didn't have to be a member and it wasn't a parent participatory class. In that case, you should be able to take the other kids while one is getting lessons.
Stay away from ED. I recommend YMCA on Winston Road (behind Toy's r us on Kingston Pike, close to West Town Mall)
Y. Rose, aka Ms Cookie is an excellent swim teacher. She is American Red Cross Certified, has been teaching swimming since 1984. She is also a teaching instructor trainer in lifeguard and water safety. She will teach at your back yard pool.
