Swimming advice for 2-year-old - should you use floats/armbands?

[Bishberro]

Hi - My son has just turned 2 and loves swimming. I know they can't do proper lessons on their own until they're 3 and he did baby swimming classes when he was little so we just tend to take him at the weekend for a bit of a splash around. He loves it when we hold him under his tummy and he can kick his legs but he seems to want to go off on his own. I'm just wondering whether this is the right age to get him arm bands or one of those vests with a float in it. But I seem to remember someone at one of the baby swimming classes saying not to use floats/arm bands as it gives them a false sense of security in the water and it's better just to let them learn to swim when they're old enough. I wondered if anyone knew if that was true or if it isn't, what's best for that age? Thanks

[mrs.lotte]

My son had one of those jackets with the floats in that you gradually remove so they have to try a bit harder but it's not a sink or swim! Eventually you are down to one or none of the floats and take the jacket off altogether. There is also the float or woggle (is that the technical term?) option where they have some bouyancy but not total security and they use such things at the swimming lessons where the armbands are taken off for the first time.

I know plenty who swear by the throw them in with no floatation school of thought but the benefit of the jacket is that you can chill by the pool while they get on with it!

I might still have our jacket if you want to give it a whirl

[nunheadmum]

We've been using armbands with our now 4 year old since she was about 2-ish (although we don't go as often as we should) and she seems to be getting quite confident with them - which is unlike her given her normal bent with things physical. At the same time bought one of the suits with floats in it for our second when she was about 1.5yrs and wasn't overly impressed with it - it seemed to restrict the capacity for her to move naturally.

Perhaps if you think you'd leave them unattended at all, go for the jackets but if you'll be with them till they tell you otherwise, then maybe the armbands? But I'm no expert. Benefit of armbands too is that they fold smaller for packing - but need some puff to blow up.

[Bishberro]

Hi - thanks for the advice. We definitely wouldn't be leaving him unattended, it's just something to use while we're in the water with him so he gets more of a sense of freedom.

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Bishberro,

Our daughter had armbands, but we used to always give her some time with them off and doing what you are doing - hands under the tummy etc. so she didn't become to reliant on them.

We are lucky that we get to spend 3 weeks in Spain every year staying with friends, so she gets daily exposure to a swimming pool and spends most of the day in it with other children. At 4 we got her swimming without them, and last August at 5 she didn't even think to ask for them once, and was very confident in the water.

Of course weekly swimming is good, but seeing her progress each year in Spain has really driven home to me how worthwhile daily exposure to a pool is - I know some of the local swimming classes run holiday classes daily for a week and I'd really encourage people to sign up to those once your children are old enough, if you can afford them. She achieved more in 3 weeks in Spain than she did in 6 months of weekly lessons in the UK.

On the armband front, I think like most parenting it is a case of 'all things in moderation'.

Incidentally, the suits with the floats in - we found seemed to hold her at the wrong angle in the water so we never bothered with those, but maybe it was just the one we had, which was passed on to us from someone. They may have better versions around now.

Molly

[linzkg]

Bishberro - I would have to say this is true generally as it does give a false sense of security so as and when you can introduce the child to water without floats and aids and perhaps use the floats and aids as part of a fun activity during the session instead, ie. give them a board to practice kicking or a noodle where you can let them sit on it or use it to do a tandem float with your child.

Please, I am not judging anyone or specifically saying my way is the only way but I do speak from a lot of experience as a swimmer and also I am qualified as a baby and toddler swim teacher.

Just to add as well, its lovely when your kid can swim the length of the pool etc but foremost safety is a priority - if an unfortunate situation arises and your kid ends up in deep water you want them to be confident and able to float and be safe .. so teaching them what to expect is best done naturally ..

[Fuschia]

None of our children have ever used any arm bands etc except when on holiday we dressed no 1 in one of those jackets in case he jumped into the deep bit of the pool (and sometimes if I take both twins I put little jackets on them for similar reason)

I think it makes them nervous then to try without

Arm bands make it virtually impossible for them to get into a natural swimming posture... I am a scuba/snorkel instructor and for me I really want my children to be confident to put their faces underwater and use of aids means they can't do that...

I think close 1:1 supervision to hold them up and make them feel secure, also teaching them to grasp the side and hold on, is the way to go

[littleEDfamily]

I cannot speak highly enough of the all in one suits with the floats that you can gradually take out. When all the floats are in, it enables them to enjoy the water independently (in itself a huge step forward in learning to swim) and as long as they are old enough/ physically strong enough/ up for it enough, they barely seem to notice when you gradually remove them.

On our holiday to Australia recently, our just-turned 3 year old went from all the floats to NO FLOATS in two weeks - ie swimming on her own! It was like a bloomin miracle. Granted we were swimming 2-3 times a day and she has regressed a little since coming back to London, but still we are amazed by the progress that little suit allowed her to make. She seemed to learn all the kicking stuff and paddling stuff she needed while in the suit, whereas armbands I think can be restrictive. So probably not the purist view, but it definitely worked for us!