Swimming, Swimming... advice

There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.

Hi --

My thought would be that if the pool is shallow enough for her to stand,
then no floaties at all. It makes kids too secure around water, and
they're not ready to feel THAT secure if she can't swim yet! Yes,
you'll have to stay nearby, but with a 3-year old you should be very
close anyway.

The best product I've seen on the market is a vest with a set of
removable floats in it. As your child improves with water skills,
remove one float at a time. Eventually the vest will be floatless, and
you can dispense with it completely.

For what it's worth, we only used floats in the first place when the
kids were young toddlers (about 18 months) and we couldn't hold both at
the same time. (Not twins, just both active and no-swimmers.)

My two cents,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.


I would suggest either the floatie arm bands, or else a speedo (or other
similar brand) vest type float.

cara

chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.


If the pool is only 1.5 feet deep, then your child doesn't need a
flotation device. It would only get in the way.

DD (now 8) never used any of these things, and DS (3) doesn't use any
now. Our community pool doesn't really allow them in the big pool. If a
child wears a flotation device, then a parent has to be with the child
at all times in the pool. I think some parents had balked at this when
they first learned this rule and I probably would have agreed that this
was kind of weird *UNTIL* a 6 year old child at a neighboring community
pool drowned. Apparently, he initially was wearing some sort of
flotation device but when he went to the restroom, he took it off.
Afterwards, he did not put it back on and jumped into the pool. Well,
he couldn't swim. While the child came to the pool with an adult, the
adult wasn't *with* the child when he came back from the restroom.

That's the problem. These devices may lull parents into thinking their
kids are safe and don't need as much supervision when in fact, they need
just as much as if the kids weren't wearing the devices.

DS (3) is also at the independent stage. He's comfortable in the water
(goes under, blows bubbles, wants to dive) but he can't swim. Luckily
for us (?) he's not yet potty trained so he's limited to the baby pool.
The pool's depth ranges from 1 to 2 feet so he can stand up in it. If
he's feeling independent, I sit on the side (feet in the water) and
enjoy the show. But either I or DH is there watching him.

With DD, she had swimming lessons forever. She first took "Parent and
me" lessons at 2. At 4, she graduated to "child only" lessons. That
summer, she wanted to jump off the diving board so we first made sure
she could "swim" from one end of the pool to the other. Once she could,
she jumped off the board (whee!!). But again, at least one parent had
to be physically with her in the pool at all times.

By the time she was 6, we felt she could be in the pool by herself if we
kept a close eye on her. At 6, she also joined the summer dive team.
Now 8, she was on both the dive and swim teams this summer. She wanted
to do dive team again. I gave her the option of either more swim
lessons or swim team. She chose swim team - it turned out to be a great
way to learn the different strokes. We bagged several swim meets but
the reason for the swim team was to allow DD become a proficient
swimmer, not to be a competitive swimmer.

chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.

I can't imagine why one would use any sort of
flotation device in an 18 inch pool for a 3yo. I have
a 3yo (just turned 3 in July). I never put anything on
the kids. I just keep an eye on them in the kiddie
pool, and am within arm's reach in a deeper pool. No
type of flotation makes it safe for them not to be
under constant surveillance. Virtually none of those
solutions, short of a Type I PFD, can be relied upon
to keep her afloat with her face out of the water.
Personally, I'd skip the flotation devices and keep
her in the kiddie pool if she didn't want me right
by her.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka Kammerer wrote:

chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.

I can't imagine why one would use any sort of
flotation device in an 18 inch pool for a 3yo. I have
a 3yo (just turned 3 in July). I never put anything on
the kids. I just keep an eye on them in the kiddie
pool, and am within arm's reach in a deeper pool. No
type of flotation makes it safe for them not to be
under constant surveillance. Virtually none of those
solutions, short of a Type I PFD, can be relied upon
to keep her afloat with her face out of the water.
Personally, I'd skip the flotation devices and keep
her in the kiddie pool if she didn't want me right
by her.

I agree. Either a PFD which will keep her face out of the water, or
no floatation device and the parent within arm's length. Because
there is a significant risk (and I've seen it happen several times)
that the kid will think they can swim and will take off the device and
jump in, or will slip in by accident and panic when they don't float.
Do NOT use floatation devices.

"chickenfishies" wrote in message
ups.com...
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

A problem with the floatation devices is that adults who are responsible for
the kids with the floatation devices may not pay attention they way they
should and the child drowns.

Jeff

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.

Jeanne,

were you the one who asked about bikes today? You sound just like me!
My 9 year old is a avid swimmer and loves her bike too! Glad to know
there are other Mom's out there who encourage activity!

Thanks for the feedback.


Jeanne wrote:
chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.


If the pool is only 1.5 feet deep, then your child doesn't need a
flotation device. It would only get in the way.

DD (now 8) never used any of these things, and DS (3) doesn't use any
now. Our community pool doesn't really allow them in the big pool. If a
child wears a flotation device, then a parent has to be with the child
at all times in the pool. I think some parents had balked at this when
they first learned this rule and I probably would have agreed that this
was kind of weird *UNTIL* a 6 year old child at a neighboring community
pool drowned. Apparently, he initially was wearing some sort of
flotation device but when he went to the restroom, he took it off.
Afterwards, he did not put it back on and jumped into the pool. Well,
he couldn't swim. While the child came to the pool with an adult, the
adult wasn't *with* the child when he came back from the restroom.

That's the problem. These devices may lull parents into thinking their
kids are safe and don't need as much supervision when in fact, they need
just as much as if the kids weren't wearing the devices.

DS (3) is also at the independent stage. He's comfortable in the water
(goes under, blows bubbles, wants to dive) but he can't swim. Luckily
for us (?) he's not yet potty trained so he's limited to the baby pool.
The pool's depth ranges from 1 to 2 feet so he can stand up in it. If
he's feeling independent, I sit on the side (feet in the water) and
enjoy the show. But either I or DH is there watching him.

With DD, she had swimming lessons forever. She first took "Parent and
me" lessons at 2. At 4, she graduated to "child only" lessons. That
summer, she wanted to jump off the diving board so we first made sure
she could "swim" from one end of the pool to the other. Once she could,
she jumped off the board (whee!!). But again, at least one parent had
to be physically with her in the pool at all times.

By the time she was 6, we felt she could be in the pool by herself if we
kept a close eye on her. At 6, she also joined the summer dive team.
Now 8, she was on both the dive and swim teams this summer. She wanted
to do dive team again. I gave her the option of either more swim
lessons or swim team. She chose swim team - it turned out to be a great
way to learn the different strokes. We bagged several swim meets but
the reason for the swim team was to allow DD become a proficient
swimmer, not to be a competitive swimmer.

chickenfishies wrote:

THANKS for the feedback everyone!
I think we will skip the floation devices.

Good! Both swim schools we've been to are
adamantly against flotation devices. They
give a false sense of security, at best, and,
at worst, they can work backwards in that
they keep a child's head underwater and
the rest of the body above.

If young children are in the pool, there
must be a parent per child nearby.

-- Anita --

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

Ericka Kammerer wrote:

chickenfishies wrote:
There are LOTS of products out the to help kids learn to swim.... the
swim suit with floatation sewn in, the little arm marshmallows (as my
older child dubs them), Now there is an inflatable swim suit of all
things! My 3 y/o is at the point where she can go under water, blow
bubbles, kick, etc.... Has anyone else tried this other stuff? I've
seen the inflatable swim suit at our pool but it looks just
uncomfortable.... their bellys are in the air while the rest of them is
in the water! My older child never wanted any of that and I swear is
1/2 fish. My 3 y/o however isn't taking so fast. She does a once a week
swim class and I take her 1-2x's a week to the community pool. She
loves the water and is at that "independant age." Doesn't want mommy to
hold on to her 100% of the time. I wouldn't dream of at least not
having a floation on her.....

--the pool we go to is 1 1/2 ft deep and she can stand up in it.

I can't imagine why one would use any sort of
flotation device in an 18 inch pool for a 3yo. I have
a 3yo (just turned 3 in July). I never put anything on
the kids. I just keep an eye on them in the kiddie
pool, and am within arm's reach in a deeper pool. No
type of flotation makes it safe for them not to be
under constant surveillance. Virtually none of those
solutions, short of a Type I PFD, can be relied upon
to keep her afloat with her face out of the water.
Personally, I'd skip the flotation devices and keep
her in the kiddie pool if she didn't want me right
by her.

I agree. Either a PFD which will keep her face out of the water, or
no floatation device and the parent within arm's length. Because
there is a significant risk (and I've seen it happen several times)
that the kid will think they can swim and will take off the device and
jump in, or will slip in by accident and panic when they don't float.
Do NOT use floatation devices.



I spent a chunk of time a few weeks ago at a private pool with my sister
and her kids and two other families with two or three kids, all under
the age of five. The DID use some flotation devices, but ALSO stayed
within arms reach. It helped with the issue of being outnumbered. I
know I used them the few times I was in a pool with my twins when they
were young. I STILL stayed within arms reach, but it allowed me to
have them in the pool with me.

The kids didn't have them on ALL the time, so they still knew what they
could and couldn't do without them on, but their parents would have them
wear them when they started to get tired, or when their sibilings wanted
to come in the water, too, so Mom would be outnumbered.

They are like any other tool: capable of misuse, and even of being
dangerous, but helpful in some situations.

--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care