Whether you have a Clearwater pool home or not if you have kids then teaching them how to swim should be a priority in the Tampa Bay area. Unfortunately drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 in Florida.
We don't have a pool at our home and so as life would have it our youngest son has avoided becoming a proficient swimmer - now this is hard for me to believe since I've been swimming since I was 2 years old and swam competitively into High School.
It just kind of happened and then before we knew it he had a "phobia" of putting his head under water. He would even voice that he thought he would drown. (it broke my heart) When I had approached taking lessons he would become hysterical and obviously terrified. I asked around to find a good swim teacher. The same name kept coming up..Mollie Brauer, owner of Making Waves Swim School
As life would have it - several new friends moved into the neighborhood and they all had pools - so now my youngest was being left out because he couldn't be around these pools (with all the other kids) since he couldn't swim. This forced me to face his fears with him and enroll him in private swim classes with Ms. Mollie. He may have been one of her toughest students yet because at his age his fears were real and hard to overcome - the first lesson he screamed for his life - she calmy and patiently engaged him - with clever activities and a even-keel disposition. She just has a calming presence (even for the nervouse Mom sitting on the edge) and she encourages and motivates the kids to keep going one step further. It was truly amazing to watch.
Ok, so as far as results go - she had him putting his head underwater and beginning to swim on his second lesson. The results we absolutely amazing and the thing I appreciate most about Ms. Mollie is that she is so caring and sensitive yet firm. She never yelled just encouraged and praised his progress, while acknowleding and not just dismissing his feelings or concerns. Mollie kept working within his capabilities and building his confidence and trust. Below you will get to hear him talk about his experience in his own words (after just 6 lessons) - and trust me he tells things like they are!
I have some video of her teaching him, however, they are not loading properly but I hope the pictures will give you a sense of what it was like.
We have several private swim schools locally that just throw kids in the pool until they "just learn to swim" - while they are effective, personally, the way she connects with her students is quite impressive and was the kind of experience we wanted for our son. If you're lucky enough to have her teach your kids - I promise you won't be disappointed.
Sean Swimming
Swimming Phobia to Fish Swimmer - thanks to Ms. Mollie Brauer
Here's what he had to say after his 2nd lesson with Ms. Mollie
What a difference only 6 half hour lessons make - everyone's happy, now that's success.
Pinellas County | Hillsborough County Swimming Lessons
Mollie Brauer, Owner and Certified Swimming Instructor
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42 Comments on Clearwater Florida Pool Homes | Kids Swimming in 3 hours with Local Certified Expert
This will definitely inspire other children Cyndee! (or at least encourage other parents who have children who need a safe and encouraging environment/teacher) Great to put a video with his feedback!
Sally - I can't tell you how stressful it is to have a child who's afraid and to hear them crying and so afraid and to see someone work with them in a gentle dignified way and still get phenomenal results - I admire her gift with children and her "loving" teaching style from someone who's had lots of swim coaches in my life.
When I asked him after the first lesson if he trusted her he wisely said, "Yes but I've only known her for a few days" - that's how insightful kids are and she understands that and works to build that trust - doesn't just assume it.
How cool..... I too took to water like a fish and had trouble understanding the fear of others - I am glad Ms. Mollie came into Shawn's life it will make things so much easier as he grows up - good for you to take the time to find the right match - you are a great mother
Cyndee, that is so wonderful that you have found someone to help him. What a intelligent little boy. I have friends in Florida and her children swim like fishes. It took my kids a while to learn because we only use pools outside about 3-4 months a year.
Hoooraaah for Miss Molly!! Hoorraaahh for Sean!! And now HOORRAAAHHH for Mom and Dad as you can rest easy as he's safe in and around pools whether you're in Clearwater Beach or on vacation somewhere!
Great lesson...and in only 6 lessons! That is fabulous!!
It must feel great to have both boys swimming like FISH!!
Cyndee, a man in Cape Coral found a 3 year old walking in a median at 4:00 a.m. on his way to work. My first thought, besides thank GOD an honest man found her, was she could have fallen into any canal or pool and that would have been IT!
I moved to a canal when my kids were little. I told them we weren't allowed to move to the new house until the could swim the length of an olymic pool. (which is a little longer than our canal was) They did it and we moved in. Kids take to water like fish, but you got to get 'em in it.
Cyndee, Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story.
I'm so glad your son has gotten past his fear and learned to swim so quickly. Miss Mollie sounds like a real treasure. The videos are adorable...your son is quite the little spokesperson !
Cyndee, We had issues with our children learning to swim too and had to go an alternate route other than the big group lessons at the rec center. It sounds like we had an similar experience. On another note, I had a client a while back moving to a year-round warmer climate. They were not buying a home with a pool, but knew there would be a lot of exposure yet their children were very scared as well of the water and had not done well in lessons either. As soon as they found their home, they found a specialized swim teacher as well to help with their children's fears. Good post.
Cyndee - He is just too cute! I'm sure its such a relief to know he will be OK while swimming at his friends. Miss Mollie sounds wonderful! No wonder she was the name that kept coming up when you asked!
Exellent post!! I have two children and I am very strict when it comes to swimming pools. I hear all of these warnings everywhere and yet children are still drowning, something has to be done and you wrote about a great start!!!
Great article, Cyndee. Good information for parents' whose kids need to learn about swimming. The teacher sounds like a gem. Thanks for this important post on safety.
Missy - he is bright and that's why it was important to have someone who didn't discount what he was expressing. In this case - it's not all about results - I didn't want to have him know how to swim but hate it. I'm glad shw could pass on the joy that I've found in the water.
Susie - you know where we started and where we've come in such a short time - I'm so happy!! His favorite thing to do is dive for sticks with points on them - think "collecting points" is a family trait (LOL)
Chris - what a great plan you had. It is a real danger and I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child to drowning. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jo - you can tell he's a very self assured little boy - I'm so glad he can know the power of overcoming a fear and feel the sense of accomplishment. You should see the video he did with her on Pool Safety - He's truly a sponge!!
Steve - thank you for sharing - I think it's hard for parents especially when they get older and it's even a little embarrassing but ultimately the ability to do "what each individual child needs" is the key to success. Nothing keeps my ego in check like being a parent - it's humbling EVERY day.
Kim - thank you - he is "just to cute" - he makes me smile everyday - Ms. Mollie is a true gem!! It's great for her that he's old enough to give a testimonial in his own words - he's no easy customer. I hope it will give other parents some real insight - you know we live by referrals and testimonials so I believe in doing the same when I find great service providers.
Cyndee, He is so adorable. We have a pool and I hear you nothing is more important than teaching the kids how to swim. I am so glad you were able to find him a good teacher, someone who he could connect with.
Tom - you have to be - you never know in FLorida when they're going to be near one and it only takes a second for them to slip in. She really stresses Safety with the kids and teaches them what to do when you fall in - thanks for shaing - I can tell you I'm sleeping much easier now.
Jeff - Tampa Bay Pool Homes are in high demand here and many people moving to the area aren't aware of the safety aspect since they haven't been around it. I am going to be posting more on actual Pool Safety Tips and about Florida's laws regarding "installing barriers and pool access" in the near future.
Mana - I think he's adorable too - but I'm partial (LOL) - you don't know how I struggled to find a good solution to a bad situation. The local recreation centers and YMCAs offer lessons and I found they weren't equipped to handle a child that was afraid.
Don't get me wrong - I would also hate to have my child distracting or monopolizing the teacher or staff on the one hand or being left our on the other - so the one on one swim class or one on 2-3 group lessons is a perfect solution.
The other great benefit is that meeting for lessons 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week he was swimming in just 2 weeks - that also worked better for my schedule much better than weeks and months on end that other options entailed and he could see results quickly which really spurred his confidence.
Cyndee, thank heavens he will become proficient and good for you for getting the word out on this valuable service! Pool owners in Clearwater would do well to heed your advice!!
Cyndee, thank heavens he will become proficient and good for you for getting the word out on this valuable service! Pool owners in Clearwater would do well to heed your advice!!
This is such a wonderful post on such an important topic. I'm giving you a 5 for this. I hope your videos are watched all over the globe. Pool safety is crucial for us all.
Cyndee- How cool is that! What a great testimonial for Miss Molly! We have a pool so Tristan was swimming when he was just a tiny baby. It is great to find good teachers and I am glad your son is swimming. This is so important especially here in Florida. Thank you for a great post that will help other parents and kids. Katerina
Cyndee - Living in a place like Florida, it is imperative for children to at least learn about water safety and learning to get over their fear of the water is a first step. I am so proud of Sean and I know you and Jack must be pleased. I'm sure many other parents will be happy to hear about your positive experience and the availability of swim lessons in Clearwater.
Cyndee you have the cutest little guy! I know I keep saying that but he is really adorable. I am so happy to hear he is over his fear of the water. Now he can enjoy all those wonderful beaches in FL.
Chris - yesterday we went to a pool party and he was in all day by himself swimming for about 8 hours - LOL - it's amazing to see the confidence it's given him as well.
Lynda - Florida has taken many steps to make pools more safe. A few years ago they instituted safety gates and locks and more on each new pool that goes in or is renovated after a young child at a party fell in after a toy - the family championed a bill to make pools safer for all kids. I'm going to write more on the specific requirements soon :-) - For now I'm just glad we got one of the Best Swim instructors in Pinellas County!! YEAH!!!
Katerina - I'm so happy you kids enjoy the water and are strong swimmers - not having a pool at our home made it tougher for us - but even more important because not being around a pool all the time it's easy to not appreciate the danger when you're a little kid. Ms. Molly makes Safety a top priority too - she's the top swimming teacher in my bo ok!!!
Paula - You are so right - finding a top swim instructor who also is caring, patient and effective is not as easy as it sounds. I had been looking for a while and just so glad things worked out the way they did - having an awesome swim teacher makes all the difference.
Ashley - thank you - I think he's pretty amazing too!! He definitely tells it like it is - trust me - he is an awesome communication. If he hadn't had a great experience this would have been a much different video (LOL) - you should have been there on day one - the good news for us is Ms. Mollie came back for day two (I was afraid myself - I know she has much easier clients then we were) - She didn't back down from a challenge - and how rewarding to see the outsome of Sean swimming like a pro. :-)
Hi Cyndee, I'm going to put my little one in swimming lessons next year..it is SO important. This post was great talking about pool safety and the need to a great swim instructor!!
I grew up in New Zealand, a small country surrounded by water. They teach you how to swim in school. Every school had a pool and we swam at the beach on field trips. It was just expected that you would know how to swim, and everyone learned. A necessity in an area with lots of beaches. Hooray for Mollie and Shawn. (and Mom and Dad!)
My son had an unnatural fear of swimming too - now he complains if we don't take him to the neighborhood pool! Swimming is so much fun and I am glad you found a great teacher for your little ones. It would be a shame if they didn't enjoy the waves along your great Clearwater beaches.
Awe this is SOOOOOO great!!!!!!!!!! I am SO glad Sean can swim now! I never got the under water pictures of baby, but I took someone with an underwater disposable, but never developed them let alone posted them. LOVE THE DIGITAL CAMERA MOVIE UNDER THE WATER THERE!!!! How awesome is that!!!
Whether you have a 
Ok, so as far as results go - she had him putting his head underwater and beginning to swim on his second lesson. The results we absolutely amazing and the thing I appreciate most about Ms. Mollie is that she is so caring and sensitive yet firm. She never yelled just encouraged and praised his progress, while acknowleding and not just dismissing his feelings or concerns. Mollie kept working within his capabilities and building his confidence and trust. Below you will get to hear him talk about his experience in his own words (after just 6 lessons) - and trust me he tells things like they are!
Hoooraaah for Miss Molly!! Hoorraaahh for Sean!! And now HOORRAAAHHH for Mom and Dad as you can rest easy as he's safe in and around pools whether you're in Clearwater Beach or on vacation somewhere! 
This will definitely inspire other children Cyndee! (or at least encourage other parents who have children who need a safe and encouraging environment/teacher) Great to put a video with his feedback!