I am taking my daughter to a little mommy and me get together next week at a friends apartment pool. They have an 18 pool for little ones and a 3 ft pool for kids. I was planning on getting my 13 month old a swim vest, but it seems to be the next stage up, recommended for 2 and up. My daughter hasn't been in a pool before. She loves her bath. We have a kiddie pool that we've used twice, but both times she prefers only to stand in it and gets a little scared when I try to get her to sit down. I think that might be because the water is too cold or because the bottom of the pool feels strange (it's inflated).
My daughter is very, very mobile and active, so I thought the freedom of a swim vest might be good, but really, I have no idea what is typical or best for her. She's on the thin side, so the vests I have found at Target are pretty big on her.
So, my question is: Should I get her a swim vest/sweater? Or should I go with the baby float products? Does anyone have any pro/con experiences with either?
I'm planning to do swim lessons later this summer, but haven't quite figured that out yet.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks everyone for all of your input! I took my daughter to the pool playdate today. I ended up buying one of the step 1 infant floaters from Target--the mesh one with 2 smaller inflatable rings. She really enjoyed it at first, but then realized that she loved being in the water--with absolutely no fear or concept of how deep the pool was. We ended up meeting at a 4.5ft pool that had a small shelf that was 6-8 inches. She kept trying to walk right off of the shelf, pushing me out of the way. Ugh! I think I will need to get her a life jacket, as those come small enough for her (compared to the swim vests). Then, at least I can breathe a little more easily. Of course that all depends on how well she tolerates it! Ah, the joys of a young toddler. :-) Thanks again!
When mine was that age, I just held him on my hip and walked around the pool with him. Also a little yellow baby float is a nice inexpensive toy to put them in. you can get one at walmart, and they're very cheap but mine liked that also.
I'd recommend an all-in-one swimsuit floatation suit. Leslie's sells them and I think Walmart does, too.
I had an infant life jacket for my granddaughter, but she didn't really care for it. The infant jackets have a floatation chamber for the head and neck that caused her to be half laying in the water and it made her very uncomfortable. She prefered a regular life jacket that kept her upright.
I thought about those for my son. The vest I think would be better, if memory serves me the arm floaties are for older kids? If you hold her w/ the vest, I bet shed have a blast.
Re; Not trusting the floaties ... You MUST watch small children all the time when they are in the water. The plastic inflatables are not what you want ... they lose air and puncture too easily. But the floats are the way to go. The swim instructor that my boys went to (at agte 18 months!) used the first one that I ever saw ... 35 years ago. I bought one immediately for us to take along to the pool. That one looked like a small boat with a little cloth seat that hung down into the water and was made of a firm styrafoam. It was not cheap, and we had to go to a swim pool supply store to buy it. But it was worth every penny. Stayed upright and he felt very secure in it. Soon learned that by kicking he could get it to move, and he loved it! Lasted for a couple of summers, and then he learned to swim! The swim instructor would put smallest students in it while he worked with others at swim class.
Enjoy the Pool this Summer! Grandma GiGi
Enjoy the Pools this summer!
I had the same problem when my son was that age.I dont think they make a swim vest that smal.that said you can by a life jacket for infants that is just for kids under thirty pounds.But I would go witha baby boat.We got one of the speedo ones and absoulutly loved it.it has two little squeaky things in front that he could squeeze.However they are very good to play in the lake with if the water is moving very much in that case I would use the life jacket.
Well, those swim vest thingies can't be adjusted for size, so if your daughter might be a bit thin, the swim vest thing might not work well. The float devices will just stretch up to around her neck and the bottom part of the swim suit will stretch up her crotch.
The thing I do for my daughter is that I've gotten a life jacket for her. You will need the smallest one - up to 30 lbs. It is great because you can adjust the straps around the torso to make it as tight as you need it. Also, there is a strap that goes down around the crotch and it does NOT stretch so the jacket will stay in place.
You can still put her in the yellow floatie ring and she will stay afloat. As a matter of fact, when I put my daughter in her life jacket I can put her in a regular float ring (with no bottom to sit in) and she is totally buoyant. Of course, I stay with her the whole time, but she isn't bobbing her head in the water or anything.
Just my advice: those swimsuit/float combo things aren't so good because they stretch too much and the float things end up moving around and not staying where they need to be.
I really do not trust the floaties and use vests but since she is only going this once and will have you with a focused eye on her floaties would be ok. Just make sure she has them on before intering the pool. I had a friend that went and took her kids to a pool and while she was distracted putting the floaties on one child the other one fell in and there where men around and no one pulled him out or helped her. It scared her. I also had a friend that took two babies and one fell in and my granddaughter was there to grab her out. So start by going there with them on before entering the pool. Help her to exhail water too by blowing bubbles out not allowing her to swallow the water. I just resently saw a show where this woman waited until her kid was 10 yrs old and they moved into an apartment. Her son wanted to go so bad and she let him go. Later they found he has swallowed the water and died. I do not want to scare you but they said it was a dry drownding. I have taken kids over and over swimming and they dunk in and I had never heard of this. Rare I guess but just watch her close and teach her to blow it out not swallow. I guess he tried to breath under water and sucked it up instead of exhailing. So beware and have fun and you do not need to over scare her by being scared but careful. I just took a little one swimming this week almost two and he tripped twice floating in the water. Once they get used to the life jackets they gains some self confidence. I took on that once he learned to float was always head first floating with holding his breath. Lessons are great and I found if you wait too long they are not as easy to follow. Once they are into that independent age of me and no. So go as soon as you can. Also in these classes they teach you how to teach them to swim. G. W
my daughter LOVES her swimsuit with floaties in the body of it...seriously...LOVES it!
I thought I saw them in little kiddie sizes too...check walmart, kmart and target...also the blow up rings with leg holes was a big hit too!
Hi B.,
I have a 14 mnth old and recently went swimming with him. We bought a baby float at Walmart and he LOVED it! I thought he might be a little scared at first if he didn't feel secure but not at all. He was so excited the entire time so that would be my recommendation to you. If the vests are still to big for your 1 yr old then it probably won't be too comfortable for her and she'd probably have a lot of fun in the float. Take care and have fun!
The safest solution is a Coast Guard approved life jacket. Both my girls wear them (3 yrs and 13 mos). If I am holding one, then I let her take it off, but it always goes back on when I am not holding her/swimming with her. We have done this from the beginning with my 3yo and she doesn't question it or complain. I sometimes used a float (the kind you put the legs in) with the baby (last summer), but I never took my hands or eyes off of her. Have fun!
We used the Swim Ways baby spring float boat. They usually have them at Target or Babies R Us or Toys R Us and are around $18. My son used it until he was well over 2 1/2 in the big pool and I've had my friends use it for their little ones as well. It folds up into a little circle that stores in it's own bag. Dries quickly too. She is too little for arm floaties - although they make new ones that are fabric vs. all plastic and don't float off their arms (that was always the danger). Otherwise everyone in our neighborhood raves about the suits with the built-in floats, my son was always too barrel chested for them or the swim vests to fit him right.
They won't let you use any flotation devices on her for swim lessons, although they may use "noodles" during class.
I would go with a float that has a bottom her feet go thru two holes. Much more security for her and if she can't walk then floating is just as fun. I used this for my son as a baby at the lake and he loved it. He would actually fall asleep.
I would be worried that a 13 month old would be able to "roll" in a vest - like a weeble wobble. I have an 18 month old and we just spent a week at the beach with a condo pool. I got one of those floaties that they can sit in and float around the pool in. She LOVED that. She especially loved this one because it has a little area in front of where she sits that she can put toys to play with.
-L.
B.,
A float is your best bet at that age or a life jacket with the head collar on it the only bad thing at those jackets is they will put her on her back naturally if you let go of her which is great for if she fell in the pool but not as good if she is trying to swim around and does not have enough weight to keep it upright. We had that problem with my 16 month old.
As far as the lessons go we are taking a parent and child class right now at the YMCA that is very good at getting them used to the water etc. My older daughter took her parent/child lessons at Eastfield Community College in Dallas and they are also very good. Those are just a few options if you are in the Dallas area. Hope this helps enjoy the water.
On a side note as someone else mentioned do not take you eyes off her even for a second, because as you know they are quick and have no fear at that age my 16 month old almost got into the pool even with us right there as we put wings on the other one.
Enjoy,
Kim
A great question. Please let us know what you ended up with--I have an adventurous 13 month old girl myself and would love to know how you solved the problem!
Our kids had the seat to float in when we were in the big pool and loved it! It's big and takes up some room. that's the only problem with it if you're going to have a lot of people in a small area. They also make swimsuits that have the built in flotation devices. I used them with my kids. I got worried about the vests because my kids were small for their age and I never felt safe enough that they wouldn't slide right out of the vests once they were wet and slippery. The swimsuits didn't seem as confining either as a big vest or floaties on the arms. Good luck and have fun!
The swim vest will not work if it is already too big now. My twin girls couldn't wear theirs until they were well over 2 because of the slim build. They have to fit snug so they don't slide up to their neck when the water pushes up on the vest. We have a pool in our neighborhood and have gone since my kids were babies.
My best advice. Get a baby float so if you are in the big pool she can float in it and be safe and have a good time. In the kiddie pool that is 18" do your best to give her NO flotation device or floaties, etc. My rule with my kids was if they can stand then no floatie device. It encourage water exploration and swimming. All my kids learned to swim in the kiddie pool. They would glide across on their tummies and play and had no idea they were learning to swim. That's also where they learned to put their faces in the water. If they lost their footing and fell I would help them up to their feet and even if they were scared looking I would look cheery and say "good job...you got up." So they would learn to get back on their feet and not panic. Good luck!
When my daughter was this age we used those swimsuits that have the float built in them. There not cute for pictures; however, they work better than anything else I tried. I tried the floats; however, I just didn't have as much control. However, is she is in a baby pool they probably would work fine. My daughter is now 2 1/2 and we use a float that tightly fits around her body. We bought it at Dick's Sporting Goods. That works better than a anything b/c she does not feel restricted, it helps her float for swimming practice and makes it easier to hold on to her if needed. Good luck!
My 23 month old has a swim vest. It makes him float but if he happens to let go of the wall or not have good footing (2 ft pool) he floats either on his stomach and can not get his face out of the water, or on his back where he ends up rolling over where his face is down. With a swim vest you will have to be there at all times. With the baby float devices, you can pull her along with you with less worry of drowning.
my experience with the vest/sweaters, almost all, if not all of them have a tendency to tip the little swimmer over, face-forward in the water
we have had happy, stress-free times using the baby float products
happy swimming!
