Toddler Swimming - Float Suits, Life Vests Other Swimming Aids?

I teach swimming lessons (parent/child classes at 6 months and lessons starting at 2 and a half) and I love the speedo swim vests with the strap through the legs. I don't use them in the actual lessons, but I allow them for the parent/child classes. My 2 boys had very buoyant bottoms and this vest really helped them (and my little one, who really doesn't need a float, still uses it when he is playing in the pool).

Another parent in one of my classes swore by the suits with the built in floats. The floats in his suits needed to be filled with air. They made me nervous because they could possibly pop.

The main thing I tell the parents in my classes is to push their bottoms down. When their legs float up, their chins go in the water and this freaks many children out. The more often you push their bottoms down and tell them to run their legs, the more independent they will become.

I hope this helps,
T.

Life vests always on when around the pool. Non-negotiable. I still follow
my grandson around but know that if he fell in he would pop back up.
Might get a mouthful of water but that is all. I feel better when he has the
life vest on. He is 3 y.o.

I agree with the others. A life vest with the strap that goes through the legs. Don't mess with the floaty suits or anything else but a true life vest. They work great.
C.

Get her a coast guard approved life vest and have her wear it ANY time you are in the back yard (in the pool or not)! If she can't yet swim well enough to get herself to the side and climb out (or even if she can) she needs a vest on any time she's around the pool.

The other swim aids aren't meant for life saving and won't necessarily help her in case of an accidental pool injury. Plus, the vest can go over regular clothes if you're just out there hanging out or eating bbq or whatever.

HTH
T.

A real life jacket is best.

You also might be able to purchase a pool alarm. This floats in the pool when the pool is unoccupied and sets off an alarm if there are any waves (ie, if someone falls in). There is no installation.

A pool alarm does NOT substitute for hyper-vigilance and a life jacket, but might be a good additional layer of security, depending on how long you'll be at the house.

Those suits that have built in floats are extremely dangerous and they have recalled many of them. The kids slide down in the suit sometimes and their face is below water while their suit is pulling over their head. Use a standard life jacket at all times in the pool. She needs one that is hers. Go in the water with her, show her how to lean back with her head, to get her face out of the water. I have never heard of not letting little guys take swimming lessons. There are kids barely walking at our swim lessons. They do so well. You must teach her to trust the jacket to save her life so she won't fight it.

My 3 yr. old grand daughter was on the boat with her older sisters. One of them worked over 30 minutes with her one time to show her how to trust her life jacket and how to turn her head and lean. They had them out on the inner-tube and it blew. She went flying as did everyone else. She popped up out of the water, turned on her back a bit, leaned back and put her hands out to her side. That few minutes of safety instruction taught her to trust the jacket and how to use it.

I wouldn't use a swimming aid. Get in the pool and teach your child how to swim. Using swimming aides gives kids the false sense of security around water. They are more likely to get into trouble with water when they have worn them. I would highly recommend you teaching your child to swim asap. Babies can learn to swim---you don't have to wait until age 4. GL

M

We have a pool that's fenced of course, but my rule has always been lifevest is required at all times once in the pool area, even if you are not swimming.

It took me trying a dozen life vests, and it was the suggestion of one of the moms on mamapedia that recommended the Super Soft life jacket. So far this is the ONLY vest that my kids can wear that do not ride up in their face and they can bend at their waste. This is the ONLY vest that my oldest would ever wear. I went ahead and just got the same one for my youngest and we've had no problems at all. They are pricey, but my hubby found our 2nd one at a thrift shop for 2.00 bucks, while I paid $50 for my 3 year old.

The ones I got have a crotch strap, and I got the xtra small--my 22 month old is swimming freely with it no problems. My first was 26 months and both were around 28/30 lbs when using it. I love it and recommend to anyone who asks.....

Here's a link, sometimes you can find a 2 pack deal on amazon---

http://www.amazon.com/TEXAS-REC-U-S-C-G-CHILDS-VEST/dp/B0...

I disagree with Livinglife&Loving ItF. Both of my kids had floating devices of some sort when they were small and we had a pool. We kept extras for those kids that didn't have something when they came over. It taught them to learn how to navigate the water without clinging to their parents. They ended up getting their faces wet and realized it was worth the fun. Our kids, as well as the others, learned how to swim so easily when it came time because they had the feel of maneuvering on their own. Of course, we NEVER were out of reach. Nothing beats constant and close supervision.

As far as the age goes, it really depends on the child. I wouldn't waste the money for lessons if they are still clingy and won't get their face wet, etc. Letting them learn about the fun of water play without being told to follow a group worked for our kids. As we saw them getting really comfortable in the water, then we taught them how to swim.

I have tried many different flotation devices. Nothing compares to the Puddle Jumper. You can get it at Target or online. Every child I have used it on can independently swim around the pool (with adult supervision of course). What I loke best about it is that the kids tend to be in a better swimming position instead of straight up and down in it. It is also Coast Guard approved.

I just went back to Toronto for a month where it is super hot and we spend the summer around pools or lakes. I have two-year-old twins and a four-year-old, none of whom have had formal lessons, though the oldest can swim. I was terrified of the same thing so I brought life jackets with us and the rule was they had to wear them at all times around the pools or on the boats, even if the boats were anchored. I'm only one person so I can't be in three places at once. This eased my nerves and the kids had lots of fun without me hovering over them barking orders to get back from the edge. :-)

You have to get a Puddle Jumper vest by Stearns. It is an actual coast guard approved life vest but it looks more like a floatie. Both of my kids (3.5 and 2) have them and my youngest has worn them since she was 18 months. They aren't as restrictive as a life vest but float them extremely well and don't tip them back and forth like some of the swim vests you can get.

We got ours at Fred Meyer but I think Target has them (unless they are gone for the year already) and you can order them on Amazon.

Definitely the best!! I cannot say enough great things about them.

I highly recommend an AquaJogger Jr. As a former lifeguard and swim instructor this will allow her to 'swim' with the others because it doesn't restrict arm movement like water wings and life vests, but will keep her upright at all times with the option to lay forward or back to 'swim'. I think you can find it locally at Portland Swimwear and Dick's but they will be expensive (but it's worth it!). The best price I see online is from www. swimoutlet.com. You could ship direct to your in-laws.

One thing that my 3 year old loves is the "swimways baby swim float", it's basically a raft that she puts her legs through, and then she can kick around the pool with us right next to her. She loves it more now, than she did when she was a baby! Google it, you might still be able to find it at Target or Wal Mart in the swim section.

Good luck with the visit. We had a similar situation and I was worried too. Make sure everyone knows to keep the doors locked so that she can't get out on her own, etc., and that someone is always assigned to watch her specifically. Pools are fun, but also so scary with little ones.

My son LOVES his suit with built in floaties! Made me nervous at first, but he has found his balance in the water and now doesn't want anyone to help him out unless he asks :)

I have an almost 2 1/2 year old and I tried everything with my oldest child. Target has these vests that havena floating chest piece with closeted attached. My daughter can just float/kick around the pool and we dont have to hold on to her or worry about her face going under water. Best invention ever. Floaties don't have enough support and the life vests are hard for kids to maneuver.

We loved our daughter's life vest. It was a speedo designed for children, coast guard approved, with two chest straps and a strap through the legs. It didn't have the panel that goes behind the head (we didn't like that style, actually.) It worked wonderfully. She could go from stomach to back and never, not once, did her head go into the water. We used it for four years (ages 2-5) until she learned to swim.

**And just for fun...three weeks ago, all she could do was doggie paddle in a half hearted sort of way. After two weeks of swimming lessons, she's going off the diving boards. Aren't kids amazing?!?!?

I'd get a good, comfortable life vest. My daughter loves her. It lets us have fun in the pool with her without worrying (we still don't let her in without an adult in the pool with her, supervising).

Get a speedo life vest that has the strap between the legs or something similar) Water wings just give a false sense of security and are actually more of a toy then a floatations device.

I would not be comfortable staying at a house for more then a day visit if it had a pool that wasn't fenced with young children but that's just me i would be too nervous and anxious it would interfere with enjoying the vacation. Hopefully it is at minimum an above ground with a self locking ladder.

We like the life vests also.

I used the floatie that is like a foam pad across the chest (covered with whatever material it is they use), with foam "wings" attached, it buckles across their back. My son used it just before he turned 3. He is/was a water weanie and was brave enough and safe enough to go to the deep end of the pool unaided. He doesn't like it as much now, would rather not have anything, so might try a vest this year, but that worked GREAT for us at that age! good luck :)

Life vest. My daughter loves hers and she is 4 1/2. She has had it since just before she was two.

Properly fitted life vest. For a compromise, check out Stearns Puddle Jumper.

I want to find something better than a life-vest, but that would work for the meantime. My boys were in them at all times when outside at my in-laws' camp, including when they went "swimming." My oldest is 4 1/2 and we haven't been able to get swimming lessons, but he had fun in the water anyway. He still has to work to keep his head up and could paddle around, but it wasn't as nerve-wracking for us. I would rather find something more recreational and let them keep the life-vests for just the boat or dock fishing, but for now that's what we used. (My in-laws keep them there and that is their camp rule--no wee ones outside without a life vest since the camp foundation is actually in the water.) Without swim lessons you can let her have fun in the water with the floating suit or toys (noodles are fun, too) and teach her some emergency things like treading water or never to pretend to drown if she tries it. My boys splashed in the wading pool and shrieked that they were drowning this summer and I made sure they knew that it is never okay to say in play. Have fun, but you're right that watching at all times is the best thing.