well, I am wondering what I should do any suggestions would be great. I live on a lake and my dauther and I go swimming pretty much every day when it is hot. we went last year a lot and even though she was only about 4-6 mo. old she LOVED the water. She had no fear, she wanted to go under the water, she loved splashing, she did not care how wet her face/eyes got, she hates being in tubes of any sort. she likes freedom and wants to get as close to the water as possiable!!! with that being said, I am getting a bit nervous for this summer bc at 15 mo. today and 18 come swim time she not only walks but runs and I think she will want to go in the water the same way as last year and being that she can move more and I wont be able to hold her as much I worry about her saftey! so do you have any suggestions on what kind of thing I can use w/ her? I have seen tubes that she can wear they are attached to a shirt and also those vests that have floats in them and you can take out floats depending on how much they need. any other suggestions? what do you think? thanks!
I really appreciate that everyone out here is worried about my daughters saftey, I mean you dont know me so you dont know what kind of mom I am so thanks but I am SUPER cautious and I know all aobut the dangers I would NEVER let her out of my sight. Actually I dont let ANYONE take her in the water except me and the hubbie even though the MIL gets mad about it...too bad she is my baby and I need to keep her safe. So I really did not need the swim lesson suggestion, but again thank you bc you did not know that about me. Also they do have the lake tested once a week so I know that is safe also, but that is a great point too. I did call to check that out actually when I was pregnant bc I worry about things like that. I will check out the devices that you recomended and if anyone else has more please let me know of them. Again, I dont think that she is now safe bc she has them on, I just want extra protection and a piece of mind even though she will be in my arms at all times being that she is so active and really wants her freedom I want this float to be sure if she accidently squirms out of my arms that for the two seconds before I catch her I will have some floating support. Thank you again, my daughter appreciates your concern as well I am sure.
The life vests that have the floats that remove a little at a time are great. Start out with all of them in there. When you take some of the floats out, she has to swim harder to stay afloat, but it still holds her up a little. I have a pool and didn't let my children near it without a lifejacket on. It was one of the rules. If she is that fearless, you will never have enough eyes to watch her every second.
Good Luck,
S.
Swim lessons would be my suggestion. Never trust a floating device of any kind. She is old enough to pick up on swimming easily and without any fears. If you are going to opt for some type of floating device I would recommend the swim suits they sell at wal-mart with the built in floaties. These don't easily come out.
They say NOT to use swim floats, you don't want your child to be dependent on something that isn't always going to be there, much better to teach her to rescue herself should she fall in. Go to infantswim.com. My son took lessons with an instructor last summer (and will again this summer) and I'm really impressed with all he was able to learn (he started at seven months).
We used a life jacket that also fastened through the legs when ever we went near the ocean until my son was 7 or 8 yrs old. Mostly because the waves could get pretty rough sometimes. She might still be a water baby this year, but don't be surprised if all of a sudden she flips and suddenly hates the water. I saw a toddler do this at the beach. Her Mom said she loved it last year and this year all the girl would do is scream and cry and want her Mom to pick her up. As they grow, they get a better idea of themselves, and all of a sudden they seem really small and the water seems really big. At any rate, make sure she has a life jacket on all the time if she can get anywhere near the water. You can't be too careful.
I don't recommend any of the swimsuits that have the floatation devices built in. I have never seen one on a kid that didn't completely ride up into their face when the got into the water. Truthfully, the same with a life jacket. They are good to save a life, of course, but for freedom of movement and maneuvering, not so good.
We did use the Swim Trainers that had the removable inserts for the childs independence level, and they weren't horrible, but read on for my recommendation.
Last year, we stumbled across the Puddle Jumper by Stearns. It is actually certified by the US Coast Guard to have properties of a life vest, but made in such a way that it's far more conducive to swimming. Here's a link to the website. If you go to the bottom, and click on MultiMedia Views, it actually plays a video of kids jumping into a lake and swimming in the Puddle Jumpers.
http://www.stearnsflotation.com/Basic-Puddle-Jumpertrade-...
Walmart and Target sell them and they are relatively inexpensive. The nice thing about them is that they go under the child's arms, so naturally, the water keeps it on by pushing it up, but it can't go up higher than the chest, which is great for safety and freedom of movement.
My only concern would be that your daughter might still be a little small for it. I think the weight range is 30-50 lbs. But if I were you, I'd definitely look into it. They have a "Basic" model and "Deluxe" model that is about $5 more, but I have yet to figure out what the difference is... might be worth investigating. May have something to do with weight range? Not sure.
Hope this helps!
I got a swimsuit from Walmart last year (DD was 2 in late June) and it had foam pads (for flotation) built/sewn into the front and back, wider at the shoulders and narrowing in the lower back. I'm not sure how great it worked, but it did make ME feel better to have her wear it, which is what it sounds like you're looking for.
I think you said you don't want this anyway, but I highly DO NOT recommend one of the "baby tubes" where there are leg slots to keep the baby upright in a circular tube. My DD loved this, but she did flip over once.
Best of luck!
I took my daughter to the YMCA starting at 18 months, and we used a back float like what you described, where you take the floats out as the child progresses with their swimming. At first I bought the Swim 123 type that you can find at the store, but I found the straps a bit cumbersome to get on and off. At the Y, the float belt just snapped around their waist (much easier to get on and off!). i highly recommend this type!!! The website I bought it from doesn't have it right now, so I will find another.
here you go!
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Gear-Float-Progressive-Orange...
My daughter has always been small for her age, and I figured out that having all 4 floats on the belt was too much for her since she was so little... it would plop her face in the water. One day, i used it with only 3 floats on it, and off she went!!!
This is not a floatie to be used without supervision though, and she will need to learn how to swim with it ( I think the tube shirt type and arm floaties are easier, but won't help her learn to swim), ... but once she catches on, it's awesome!!!
it's scary at first, but don't be afraid to let go. They pick it up quick!!! Good luck!
Hi H.,
In my opinion in a lake I don't think you need a float. Most public lakes do not allow flotation devices of any kind in order to make sure the parents are watching. Since you are right there with her I say just let her play and explore. Most kids don't go much deeper than waist level anyway. My kids, on the other hand, go under all the time. I do have a pool and I always use flotation devices when they are in there since they cannot touch the bottom. You can also begin teaching her the basics of swimming on your own. Try and get her to float on her back, kick and do basic "dog paddle" strokes on her belly. I used to teach swimming lessons back in the day. At her age lessons are mostly about water exploration and getting comfortable with the water more than about actual stroke technique and learning how to swim. I have never taken my kids to swimming lessons since they were always very comfortable in the water and now that they are getting older, I have been teaching them myself. My suggestion, if you have not already done so, is to get CPR certified. I think that is the best thing you could do for your daughter. Best of luck!
Oh man, haha, it's awesome when you ask a simple question and are treated like you are ready to drop your child in the English Channel.
Swim lessons are a totally great idea, totally, but guess what, not going to do much good before the age of three. There are lessons out there that teach survival to infants and young toddlers, those are useful. Beyond that it's all about having fun in the water. Swimming lessons aren't going to do a lick of good before 3 years, provided that a child is comfortable in a pool environment. A 2 year old that is totally at home in the water can decide they hate it, and vice versa. Well, okay, they do good, but there is little you couldn't teach them on your own.
As a former swim instructor and lifeguard, my 2 year old uses a floatie thing we got at Target. She can also blow bubbles, submerge her face, float and run out into the street. So, yeah, everyday life is just as unsafe as the pool. :)
The floatie thing we have has a chest part attached to two water wings type things. She is never in the water by herself, and really I'm sort of blown away that people think that a Mom asking this question would let their child into the water by themselves.
If you want extra protection and peace of mind than teach your daughter to swim, DO NOT teach her to rely on something that she will not always have with her (swim floats). As parents it is our job not only to watch our children but to make sure that even if we should glance away for a moment - which is all it takes for a child to disappear beneath the surface and drown - they have the skills to protect themselves. To believe that you can keep your eyes on your daughter EVERY moment of EVERY day is both naive and dangerous. I know a child who drown in a pool SURROUNDED by adults - including his parents - at a birthday party. Perhaps had he known how to swim instead of depending on floaties and his mother who "never let him out of her sight" he might still be alive. Please check out infantswim.com. When (not if) your daughter manages to get out of your sight she will have one more tool in her line of defense.
http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=S+5+...
(swim sweater--the one in yellow)
I just copied and pasted the address of the swim tube/shirt both my girls used. They do NOT ride up. The tube rests just under the arms so it stays down. My older daughter loved it when she used it (she is now swimming on her own under water and has never had a swim lesson-- at age 4.5) and my younger daughter, almost 2 is using it now. She can be independent in the water (which is important to her) but of course we are always within arms reach. They can tip the wrong way so you should stay close by but once they get the hang of it they can turn themselves the right way again.
**I agree really learning to swim is important, but it sounds to me like you are looking for something that will give her a little freedom and the ability to play in the water too. Safety swimming is a great skill --but maybe not much help for such a young child in terms of just splashing around and enjoying herself in the deep end with the adults. Let's face, even if she learns to swim to the edge and pull herself out, are you going to just let her swim around by herself at 18 mos? I doubt it. :)
I think the main thing is to use something that is not something you blow up yourself and therefore cannot accidentally deflate. The things that are like a swimsuit and cannot come off but also leave her arms free are the best. The donut things they put on their arms don't allow the child to move naturally. Anything on the back alone pitches them forward into the water. I think vests are bulky and the child can slip out too. At this age, something that keeps her vertical and has floats that are parallel to her body is the best. It will be a long time until she is able to fully master swim lessons so the main thing is that she have fun in the water.
I highly recommend you do not use the artificial float devices. It gives
kids a false sense of security and instills a fear of swimming without them
on those occasions when you can't put them on, forgot them etc. I put my kids in swimming lessons at 12 months......year round. This way, your child will learn proper safety etc. from someone other than you and it will reinforce what you are teaching her. Next, call on experts to make your lake home as safe as possible.....alarm on the doors, gate on the dock etc. My mother never learned how to swim. She raised 11 kids....all good swimmers thanks to lots of access to water, and proper instruction. The toddler years are labor intensive on this but well worth it in the long run. good luck! C.
k.
the safest thing would be a life jacket. Floaties and other things like that are not safe. And stay with her the whole time. Don't ever take your eyes off of her (even though I'm sure you never leaver her alone anyway I just had to say it anyway). But, just go and get a good life jacket
I agree with the previous poster! It was a great answer! We did swim lessons with both of our boys, and they now know to not get in the water unless they are with mom and/or dad. It was a process. Our oldest is now 3 years old. He's taken swimming classes twice. Our youngest is now 18 months old. He's taken classes one time. They are awesome!
I agree with getting her into swim lessons ASAP. You would be amazed how much she can learn in a couple of months. Get her into the survival ones though, not the "let's get comfortable with the water" kind. I say that because my daughter actually learned to jump into the water, swim and then roll onto her back to get air this past year, whereas before, her lessons were more just bouncing in a circle and singing songs.
In ADDITION to the swim lessons, not in leiu of, there is a float that I got at Target a couple of years ago that is like a shirt that you put on over their bathing suit and has an innertube inside of it. So, they are actually wearing it so they can't fall out of it. It does take a certain amount of coordination for them to learn to swim with it and not have their face fall in the water, so your daughter may be too young for it (I don't remember the age recommendation on it), but it might be worth looking into, especially if you're going to get her some lessons so that she can learn how to kick and use her arms.
I think the bottom line is that I would never let her out of my sight when you are outside. That is a tough age when they are mobile, but have NO understanding of the consequences of their actions near the water. Swimming lessons are ideal so that she can learn to survive if she did fall in by accident until someone can get to her. Good luck and have a great summer!
If you live on a lake have her wear a USCG approved life vest at all times she has access to the water. For kids this little it takes but 2 seconds to drown.
The life vest will let her get into the water, without restricting tubes around her. When you buy one, have her try it on. We had one that just wasn't a good fit, so my daughter hated wearing it, but I have seen other kids being very mobile in them with no issue.
Good luck and have fun!
BTW, while swim lessons (especially water survival) may decrease your child's risk for drowning (so the are a good idea) they are not a substitute for a life vest/supervision/fencing.
.
