Hosting ISR classes (toddlers) at your home pool

AndyTN

Bronze Supporter
Mar 27, 2019
463
Memphis
Pool Size
26000
Surface
Vinyl
Has anyone ever hosted ISR (Infant Survival Resource) classes at their own pool? It would be 10-15 kids under the age of 5 coming every weekday for 6 weeks with their lessons in 10 minute sessions. We are likely going to host starting in June and we are supposedly released of any liability since the instructor has her own liability policy. We are verifying with Allstate to be sure.

Besides the obvious concerns about liability, any other major concerns my wife and I aren't thinking about? What has been your experience hosting and any major changes to maintaining your chemicals?

We have a toddler who is just over a year old which we are needing to get into for the upcoming summer. The list is so backed up that our only way to get on the list of sessions before the end of the summer is to host the lessons, which also saves us $600-700. Our older son did ISR when he was 2 so we swear by the ISR lessons for safety and kick starting kids' swim skills.

 
Contacting your insurance company was a good move. I'm curious how Allstate will respond. If Allstate tells you they won't cover you, stay away. Even with a strong written contract/agreement, you'll still need an (expensive) attorney to protect your interests in the event someone files a lawsuit against you.

Just my 2 cents...
 
Make sure you have a lawyer look of any and all paper work to make sure you ARE covered!!

FC=LOTS of liquid chlorine on hand. I would have the pump running the whole time so the water is getting mixed up good as there will be lots of extra *stuff* added to your water during this time. I would push the FC up to just under SLAM level first thing in the morning THEN again after the last class and keep the pump running all night to mix things up good.
 
we are supposedly released of any liability since the instructor has her own liability policy. We are verifying with Allstate to be sure.

Someone else cannot release you from liability to a third party. The instructor can agree to indemnify you for any liability loss if she has the means to do so. If something happens on your property it is likely you will be named in any claim. You or your insurance company will need to get you dismissed or defend you.

This is not the place to discuss legal advice and I suggest you have your own attorney advise you, not an insurance company.
 
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. If something happens on your property it is likely you will be named in any claim. You or your insurance company will need to get you dismissed or defend you.
And you have previously claimed to said homeowners carrier that there was no business taking place at the residence. Buying your own event coverage would probably be very expensive, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
 
Out of curiosity, do you even need an "official" class? Why don't you just DIY teach your toddler to swim? Seems like this shouldn't be super difficult, especially since you own your own pool so you can take them in any time for any length of time.

Full disclosure I don't have kids (or a pool) yet, but I sure would take my own kids in the pool as early as I could. I think I'd rather do that myself rather than having a stranger do that.
 
I don't know what you are getting out of hosting the classes but I'm sure it isn't enough. I won't go into any legal issues but the pool will need a lot of TLC.

I would start the FC level at the very high end of the suggested levels and test after the lessons are over to see the level and raise it back up to the high end again. Each day will be different as you don't know how many will use the pool as the potty.

Make sure you have extra chlorine, enough to raise it to SLAM levels instantly for accidents. Be prepared to shut the pool down for 24 hours for an accidental release, it happens with kids that age. Make sure that the kids use swim diapers if they are not potty trained. Run the pump extra like Kim said to.

Swimming lessons from a certified instructor is the best way to go. Many parents might get a kid "swimming" but really have no idea how to do it the right way. My wife has been in the business for 30+ years.
 
ISR is different from regular swim lessons. The Google machine will tell you all about it.

I actually just got the email back from our local ISR instructor about hosting. We were all planned to do it. I decided to run it by our family attorney, and she advised me against it. Between that, and the worry of pool maintenance and making sure the solar cover was off (we both work full time and lessons would be done during the day), I decided not to.

We did hire a private swim instructor for regular swim lessons though, focusing on proper techniques. I would really like ISR for my 3 year old, but since we aren't hosting, the schedule and location of her other lessons just isn't workable for us.
 
ISR are a form of swim lessons. That is the starting point for anyone who gets in the water for the first time. An infant learns to turn on its back and float buying the parents an invaluable bit of time in case the kid gets in the pool by itself to an adult who accidentally falls in a pool and needs to stay calm and make it to the edge to get out. My wife has taught people from 3 months of age to an 85 year old that never bothered getting in her own pool.
 

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I appreciate the comments and while we did get the OK from Allstate based on our existing coverage, the instructor has decided on another pool close to her house. We are the alternate host pool if this other pool falls through but we were added to the list for lessons, which was the only reason we were considering hosting anyway.

I already told my wife to warn the instructor I will be bringing my test kit to test the CC's and CYA before my kid is allowed to get into the pool. You never know how someone else is going to maintain their FC with so many toddlers and if they are even paying attention to their CYA level.
 
Has anyone ever hosted ISR (Infant Survival Resource) classes at their own pool? It would be 10-15 kids under the age of 5 coming every weekday for 6 weeks with their lessons in 10 minute sessions. We are likely going to host starting in June and we are supposedly released of any liability since the instructor has her own liability policy. We are verifying with Allstate to be sure.

Besides the obvious concerns about liability, any other major concerns my wife and I aren't thinking about? What has been your experience hosting and any major changes to maintaining your chemicals?

We have a toddler who is just over a year old which we are needing to get into for the upcoming summer. The list is so backed up that our only way to get on the list of sessions before the end of the summer is to host the lessons, which also saves us $600-700. Our older son did ISR when he was 2 so we swear by the ISR lessons for safety and kick starting kids' swim skills.

Out of curiosity how much were you going to charge to be the host? I am interested in renting our our pool and not sure what the would be a fair rental Price weekly for ISR instructor to use my pool.
 
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