Life jackets, floaties, etc....

Since we are on the swimming subject......

I was just wondering what others thought about using life jackets and floaties. Last summer when the twins were 9-10 months old we bought these little floaties that they could sit in and float around the pool. Of course, both DH and I were in the pool with them and each of us would hang on to one child's floatie. At the time, my MIL made a comment that she had talked to a friend of hers who happened to be a swim instructor. My MIL was just saying how much the twins loved the water, this, that and the other. Anyways, her friend told her that we shouldn't use floaties. I just ignored my MIL at the time and didn't think much of it. Now the twins are 23 months (today) and we have been talking about swim lessons. I have been reading some stuff about different types of lessons and came across a section where experts say you shouldn't use floaties, life vests, etc...for swimming because it gives small kids a false sense of security. The last couple of times we have taken them swimming, we haven't used anything. DH and I just hold them. It would be so much easier to use them not only for us, but also for them because they would have some freedom in the pool. Now I am scared to use them because I want them to know that if mommy and daddy aren't there to catch you.....then this is what happens.

What's your take on it? Do you use them?

 

I use life jackets and it has made for a very enjoyable summer. I am able to take them to the pool by myself. It took them about a day at my IL's pool in the spring to figure out how to use the jackets on their own and now that they can they are great. We would not be able to go to the pool without them.

 

I use them for the pool, I would not feel confident otherwise, at least until the kids get some swim lessons.

 

I tend to agree that they give kids a false sense of security. We don't use them. The babies are also always one-on-one with an adult when we swim. We do use life jackets in a boat on the lake though.

 

Both my older girls used life jackets. My inlaws have a lake-house that we frequent often in the summer. They aren't allowed on the dock much less in the lake without lifejackets. My girls have always respected the water. They understand how dangerous it can be. Anyhow, I don't think it creates a false sense of security. They both can swim independently now. I think its all in how you approach it.

 

I'd be more worried about having kids in the water without anything I think. What if you slip or they get scared and wiggle too much or someone hits you and you lose hold and they sink? Just scares me I guess.

I don't think the false sense of security is a big deal as kids should never be unsupervised near water until they know how to swim anyway.

 

My boys have never had floaties on them (unless you count the required life jackets at Sesame Place). I agree that it gives a false sense of security. In fact, I see it with my friends kids who use them. With them on, they are allowed all over the pool, but then when they would go to a public pool that didn't allow life jackets in the deep end, they would have a fit because they didn't understand why they can't go off the diving board, because in their minds they can swim.

Up until the boys were competent swimmers, we always had one adult per child in the water.

BTW, it is the Red Cross swimming method that doesn't believe in using any floatation. One of the reasons being that when accidents happen around water, it is usually when the child isn't supposed to be near the water, and therefore wouldn't have floatation on anyway. They need to learn to swim without being dependent on floatation for a problem that may occur.

 

I don't agree with using life jackets unless you are a beach or lake. Beaches are just too dangerous with the undertow and you just can't see in most lakes. My oldest NEVER wore a lifejacket aside from being at the beach or lake. She was diving off the diving board before her third birthday and pretty much swimming on her own at 2. I see friends who have their kids run around in life jackets and those kids learn how to swim late. They are so terrified of being in the water without their life jackets. Makes me sad for them!

Last year the twins were too small to get in the pool. This year they are loving it. I take them by myself 75% of the time. They NEVER wear lifejackets. They love the water and are pretty adventurous which wears me out. But we are doing fine at the pool without the life jackets and I have no desire to have them start wearing them. I'd rather teach them to be cautious in the water and also learn that they have to stay together, near me. Now when we go to the beach in August, you bet they will have a life jacket on. So will my 6 year old DD and my 10 year old niece.

 

QUOTE(sharerc @ Jun 26 2009, 09:11 PM) [snapback]1370715[/snapback]
I'd rather teach them to be cautious in the water and also learn that they have to stay together, near me.



This is how I see it. I think I am more worried about them not having a little fear or being cautious around water especially since we live next door to inlaws who don't have a fence or anything around their pool. DS just figured out how to work door knobs. (We use dead bolts and will get top locks in the next couple of days). But, I certainly don't want to give them the impression that they can swim when they can't (by using life vests and floaties). We don't let them in the pool without us in there too. However, like someone else posted earlier. Most drownings occur when kids are unsupervised. That scares me to death!

 

Having a pool or living next to one that was unfenced would scare the crap out of me! I wouldn't be able to do it. Lakes scare the crap out of me with my kids. Just this last week did I let my oldest go to the lake without me there. You definitely should make sure that your doors have locks at the top. Remember that any door to the outside should have locks. My brother has a pool. Now my twins aren't old enough to do doors yet but I'm scared for when they are. I don't want them to be over there unless they figure out a way to have the pool fenced or the doors locked better. I would LOVE to have a pool but we will not get one until the girls are at least 5 and have been swimming alone for a few years. Can your IL's fence their pool? It is required in my town to have a fence around your pool. It has to be a certain heigth and has to be so far from the pool, etc, etc.

 

We would only use a life jacket on a boat or something similar because of the whole false sense of security concept. We opted to do ISR swim lessons and will only take them in the water when there are enough adults to safely supervise. Last year, we did use the floats a couple of times but they didn't like the confinement.

 

QUOTE(sharerc @ Jun 26 2009, 09:49 PM) [snapback]1370767[/snapback]
Can your IL's fence their pool? It is required in my town to have a fence around your pool. It has to be a certain heigth and has to be so far from the pool, etc, etc.



Technically we don't live in the city limits so that rule doesn't apply. They had talked about fencing it in. My DH and I have both encouraged them to do so. However, my FIL says that his kids grew up with it unfenced so he doesn't see what the big deal is. I don't see it his way, but what can I do (besides move). Unfortunately, it is his house, his pool and his property.

 

I have never given it much thought but we have never used floaties or a life vest in the pool. I do however put them in an infant float when I take them to the pool by myself and they want to play in the big pool instead of running around in the kid pool. It's the only way with 2-1. When we go to the lake or take the boat out everyone, including us now (sigh... ) wears lifejackets BEFORE we get anywhere near the water. The boys will run over to the lifejackets if we say we are going in the boat because they know they have to have them to go anywhere near the lake.

I do see where it could be dangerous for them to think they know how to swim before they really do, but you do what you have to. I am sure they can and will learn to swim either way. It seems like it is mostly a matter of pool safety and respect for the water which can be taught in several ways.