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Goldfish Swim School in Fort Washington #RealMomBigGIVE

Many MANY many MANY MANY years ago I was a lifeguard.  Why yes.  I was in charge of hundreds of people for over seven years of my younger me life.  I was in charge of their LIFE.  Their SAFETY.  Their ability to SURVIVE in water.

Sounds kind of insane when you think about it, doesn’t it?  I was actually the Head Lifeguard in college and taught water aerobics for all those years with elderly.  So needless to say, even though I was never on a swim team, I was one heck of a lifesaver.

So it was an obvious concern in motherhood that my own children HAVE to know to how to swim.  Not just because it’s a sport or an after school extracurricular activity. But because it means LIFE OR DEATH!!!  Seriously, not meaning to be a holiday buzzkill—but let’s face it you all—water is DANGEROUS for children!  It doesn’t matter if you live near the ocean or Alaska, every human being should know such an important life-saving skill as knowing how to swim to safety!

You think he LIKES this place!!!?? Hudson LOVES @goldfishswimschool in Ft Washington!!! #Philly #RealMomGiftGuide

A post shared by Joey Fortman (@joeyfortman) on

I mean, think about it.  Soccer, flag football, music class…do THEY have the potential of saving your life?  Not that I know of!  But knowing how to swim?  One of those life skills that no one should ever miss.

My neighbor had been talking about this really great swim school in Fort Washington all summer.  And again, my mind kept coming back to the major need to get my kids into the water to learn to swim!  I knew that even though I probably taught 1,000 kids how to swim in my lifetime, I could not be the only resource my kids have.  So when I heard about Goldfish Swim School it kept ringing in my ears with my neighbor and the summertime.  Fast forward to this past September and the stars aligned!  We joined the swim school!

The best part of Goldfish Swim School can’t even be explained until you set foot in the facility. IT IS IN AN OFFICE BUILDING!  They gutted an office building, put a pool in it (with OTHER offices STILL in the building) and ROCKED the cuteness of this place!  I love that when it’s cold outside, it’s warm and tropical inside Goldfish School!

The water is warm. ALL the TIME.

The teachers are beyond adorable. They are truly in love with the students and with a class like Hudson’s the parents as well!  I take the class with him and LOVE how sweet it is. I really want to do a video IN the water with him.  Maybe I’ll do that next time for sure.

I can’t tell you what a great place this is for kids in Philly. They are popping up all over too.  Chicago, Michigan, you name it. There is no better gift this holiday season than teaching your kids to swim!

This post originally appeared on Real Mom Media on December 4, 2015.

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