Floaties or other swimming aids for a 14 month old?

[FabFiona]

Hello all lovely people on this stinking hot Melbourne day!

I'm hoping to get a bit of guidance on the issue of floaties or similar for my 14 month old son. He really likes going to the pool so we try and go once a week.

He's a very independent child with no fear. He's at the point now where in the pool that he can stand up in he wants to wander off and will actively push me away. I would never leave him and so am chasing him around. However he will fall over as he's still a bit unsteady on his feet or will be pushed over by another kid.

I'm wondering whether or not to get him some little floaties that go on his arm? Or one that looks like a foam block that straps onto his back?

I know there are various schools of thought as to whether they are any good or not but I just think whilst he is so little it will help his head stay above water when he falls over.

Any thoughts?

Ta,
Fiona

[Shanti]

IMO I believe those floaties and various devices not only give kids false security but also parents.....I think it's really important that kids and parents learn how to move through the water and to hold their breathe and that parents remain diligent with their children at all times (which you sound like you are ) because many parents have relied on those floaties etc and kids have still drowned. I also think kids that don't ever have floaties etc possibly learn to swim faster too....and learn how to breathe underwater etc faster.
Your DS is ok if he goes under for a little short while, they do tend to automatically hold their breathe but for how long, is up to each child.

Laurie Lawrence (that big swim school advocate, you know that guy?) who produces those swim safe DVD's etc about pool safety and what not, he believes they aren't a good thing. I would never buy any of that stuff for my kids.

I just spend lots of time in the pool and in swim class with my DD teaching her about how to help herself coming up from the water etc, and she's always within arms reach of me, always. She's nearly 2 and throws herself from the edge of the pool and dives in, off the steps, and I have to be watching her ALL the time as she is so quick to go under.

At the end of the day, you know what is best for your child so it's your decision if you buy them or not

[Party-of-five]

you can get little vests that have foam in them and as the get better at swimming you remove some of the foam peices Ive seen them in sports shops
or you can just get arm floaties thats what my DD uses but she is 2 and a half...DD2 just floats around in a ring thing with a seat

[ss_storm]

I bought some floaties for DD, but she won't be using them for much longer as I won't be able to get them on her arms. we really don't go swimming much (yesterday was the first time she has been in a big pool, and the first time in 2 years I've been in a pool!). A friend recommended a Wahu vest (I think), but I don't know how good/bad they are.

[Livinthedream]

I was quite adverse to floataion devices, Like Shanti, I wanted my DS to learn to swim properly, although I dont know that he will ever learn to breathe underwater!
However, now I thinking they may not be such a bad idea.
DS is water mad! and will spend hours in the pool, we can throw him in the air and dunk him under, he jumps splashes and play like mad. The problem with this is, it means we have to be in the pool with him constantly (like for hours!)
This is not always super practical (like at a bbq at BILs house on the weekend) we would NEVERleave him unsupervised, not even for a second, but it would be nice if we did not have to be in with him the whole time.
I got him a kick board, and that is good but if he lets go, he sinks LOL, we tried one of those vests and it was no good, he just bobbed around like a cork and fell forwards and he couldnt right himself. I am seriously thinking of trying some floaties......
I dont know...... soooo conflicted.....

[boomba]

We never wanted the boys to have flotation stuff...but when we were on holidays at the coast DS1 would only swim with his skiing vest on....by the end of the week he was swimming by himself no vest I think as long as you supervise him and teach him to swim without them its ok....but he may not even like them DS2 doesnt like anything floaty on him when he swims!

Go with your gut feeling hun

[helle]

Have you considered swimming lessons? Children as young as 15 months can swim

[~Kim~]

Look I'm not a fan either, but my two are bolters and despite constant supervision, there's always that split second. Ours can both swim, but I wanted something extra for DS for when I had to tend to DD and he got away.
We tried the vest but I didn't like them as he could flip himself onto his face anyway. The bubble did the same thing but in reverse. We found a set of floaties that have a chest piece so he can't tip himself forward in the water should he fall in. He started with them at 16months old.

[Freya]

Have you considered swimming lessons? Children as young as 15 months can swim

Swimming lessons start from 3 months. Around aged 2.5 is when they go to lessons independent from their parents.

Im a swim instructor and we are taught that floaties interfere with children learning how to float independently and keep their bodies up when swimming.

However..............I have 3 children all under 5 and when my husband and I take them swimming we only have so many arms to hold them. For safety because they love swimming and have no fear they wear swim vests. I always make sure I take them off them one at a time and get them to practice their swimming for about 15min but otherwise they wear them; at the beach or pool.

I definitely think swimming lessons are an absolute must for all children but I would never tell a parent not to use a flotation device for safety's sake. I would only recommend a swim vest until the child can swim unaided after taking lessons, the arm floaties and back floatie would only really be useful for a child who has the swimming movements learnt but has trouble staying above water on their own.

[boomba]

Like the girls said definitely swimming lessons We have been going since about 3 months with both kids

[Shanti]

Like the girls said definitely swimming lessons We have been going since about 3 months with both kids

:yeahthat: we started at 4mths. And will do so with all our kids.

[AndiE]

Depending on what you're aiming to achieve, then I'm all for floaties, under strict supervision.

We've just returned from a holiday where there was a pool - my boys swam every day. DS1 (almost 3) has done swimming classes for about 18 months. We put him in floaties so he could have a bit of fun in the pool. He adored it. Swam/floated around happy as larry. We took the floaties off for a bit each time so he could remember that at his swimming lessons he doesn't wear them. And he had his first return swimming lesson on Saturday without any problem - he didn't try to swim/float etc as if he was wearing them.

We put floaties on our 13 month old too, so that he could enjoy the pool. I or DH still held onto him, but the floaties sure helped him to stay afloat and have a bit of a splash. He's not in swimming lessons just yet, but he will be within a couple of months.

I personally think that if you're only going to swim every now and again in the hot weather, then the floaties are beneficial. They certainly gave us a little more piece of mind for the leisure swims that we had. It helped the kids stay afloat in the water and enjoy it more too. And as I said - our DS1 had no trouble making the distinction between floaties on/ floaties off.

I think if you're worried about your 14mo getting too confident then make sure you give him some floatie-free time, and take him to swimming classes.

[SammyRo]

Swimming lessons start from 3 months. Around aged 2.5 is when they go to lessons independent from their parents.

Im a swim instructor and we are taught that floaties interfere with children learning how to float independently and keep their bodies up when swimming.

Its interesting you say that, we're we take our 2 swimming, DD wears floaties for the main part of the lesson (she's with 1 instructor to 3 kids), and DS, who goes in with DH, wears them for a little bit. When the instructor is giving them one on one time, she takes them off. I didn't think it was hindering DD's ability to swim at all, but then I haven't seen a child learn to swim without them.

I do like the floaties though, as it gives us that extra bit of security, we're always in the pool with her or next to her in the sea, but I always thought it gave her a bit more independence.

[helle]

Swimming lessons start from 3 months. Around aged 2.5 is when they go to lessons independent from their parents.

Yeah, I know. We started it with DS at three months. The instructor where I go says at 15 months tho they ate able to move thru the water on their own, with an adult near obviously.

[lissy]

The best thing Ive seen by far are the little life jackets for kids. My friend has one for her 3yr old as they go out in the boat too.
They hold the kids upright in the water with their head out if they get into trouble & they still let the kids use their arms to manouver unlike floaties.