Your Water-Safety Instructor in Whitehouse, OH

Kym Smith Cragel has been able to teach over 1100 children Self-Rescue ISR lessons throughout NW Ohio since becoming Certified in 2017.  Her degree in Education and Master's in Sport Psychology provides the knowledge, background and expertise needed when working with children of all ages and abilities. With over 25 years experience teaching traditional swim lessons and over nine years teaching ISR, Kym has had the honor of working with children and families who return year after year for lessons.  Using Sport Psychology techniques, Kym is able to teach strategies for self-regulation to children and adults. Her no nonsense approach to communication provides families with the tools needed for maintaining the highest levels of water safety knowledge. Parents often hear Kym asking their little ones, "Who is a good swimmer?" and children will often exclaim, "I did it!" when achieving their daily lesson goals. Her dedication and passion is evident during every lesson. Tears of joy not only fill parents' eyes, but also Kym's as each child accomplishes their life-saving skills.

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FAQs
If more frequent but shorter lessons are better, then why don’t you teach 7 days/week?
Everyone needs a little break from learning to process the information and in this case to give muscles a chance to recover. In addition, you need to be able to spend time with your family, as does your instructor. Weekends are family time. Periodically, if weather or other issues have cause lessons to be canceled for numerous days, your instructor may choose to offer make-up lessons on a weekend. This is strictly up to the instructor and based on the availability of parents.
Why don’t parents participate in the water during the lessons?
We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention, and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our experience shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water. We gladly invite parents to join us in the pool once their child has independent skills to practice at home.
Why does it take an average of 6 weeks for my child to learn this?
The 6-week average is an estimate that is based on the average time in which it takes most children to learn these survival skills. Every child is unique and ISR’s Self- Rescue program is specifically designed based on your child’s individual strengths and needs. It is important to realize that this is an average which means that some children will actually finish more quickly while others will need more practice. ISR is dedicated to safety and, therefore, we want to provide your child with the time and best opportunity to become proficient in his/her survival skills. We will always honor your child’s needs.
Do parents have to leave during the lessons?
No. You are truly the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child.

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