Waiting for adult swim

I love watching my Mom swim. She is like a fish in the water - all clean lines and muscles in motion. I am noticeably less graceful in the water, but I can swim. My Mom made sure we had lessons at an early age and knew more than the basics.

I have inherited her philosophy that everyone needs to know how to swim: My son goes to weekly lessons and even though he is now a strong swimmer, I keep an eye on him whenever we are around water. This goes double for unpredictable water like lakes or the ocean.

He may not always realize it, but he is a supervised kid.

I was under the impression that we had lots of helicopter-style parents these days, but then I read this study by the University of Michigan finding that many parents don't supervise their children when swimming.

And let's be clear here: These parents are letting their children go to pools completely unattended. Not even a lifeguard. That worries me.

The only time that I wasn't actively supervised at the pool - either by my Mother or a lifeguard - was during adult swim, when all the children had to sit on the edge of the pool watching their parents take a long-awaited, kid-free dip while the Light 80s Rock station played in the background. I would usually hang out in a shady spot with friends and wait for the whistle that would make all the parents scurry out of the pool and children splash back in.

Side note: As an adult, I love adult swim time.

As for me, I will be watching my son stay afloat - whether from the sidelines or in the pool with him.

Did your children take swimming lessons? Tell me at what age they started in the comments.