What swimming aid for a 2 year old on holiday

Make-it-3

We're off on hols next month and started researching what swimming aids to get my DD and now very confused about the array of options.

She is small for her age and the last time she was in a pool she was just 12 weeks old and therefore being tightly held, so has no swimming experience to go by.

This is strictly for holiday to give her a bit of independence and explore floating in water, we'll be by her side of course. I want her enjoy herself but be safe. This isn't about teaching her to swim, I'll leave that to experts when she is older.

Amanda65

Used this type of jacket for all three of mine - then passed it on to my niece. They can run round with it on and no fear of them dropping into the water and sinking to the bottom.

http://www.sun-togs.co.uk/zoggs-girls-bobin-swim-jacket-pink-2-5-years.html?gclid=CKDn9Pyk2rYCFZQZtAodRG4AfA

meritaten

bit confused here. you don't want to teach her to swim, yet you plan on taking her in the pool on holidays? wouldn't it be better to teach her to swim BEFORE she goes? with or without swimming aids?

Make-it-3

Meritaten, of course I want her to learn to swim, but from a properly qualified instructor not her nervous mum who can barely dog-paddle herself. We have just a month to our trip and going to a hotel with a pool. She will see other kids having fun and want to join in. I'm not one of those throw them in and they will learn types - that's where all my neuroses come from.

Thanks Amanda but although that jacket is age appropriate she weighs just 11 kgs and it fits from 18 kg+

pigpen

Get her in baby swim classes when you get back! They are really good. Most children that drown are pre-schoolers.

There was an amazing youtube video doing the rounds on facebook about a place in America of course that teaches tiny babies to float and swim to the pool side if they fall in water and there have been nearly 800 cases of this saving a small childs life.


found the video..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=163936327095493

If you are going to be at her side in an enclosed pool just armbands and maybe a float should suffice that is all our 2 year old has when she goes swimming. Obviously don't ever be more than arms length from her.. and I'm sure even a novice swimmer like yourself can teach her to kick her legs to move through the water.

valk_scot

Armbands.

Don't be surprised though if she starts "teaching" herself, once she gets confident. Your job of course at this stage is to give her this confidence as to water being fun and she'll soon start kicking around. I'm assuming you'll be in a toddler pool or shallow end, a good first exercise is for you to walk backwards pulling her along on her front by her hands while she kicks.

Get her into toddler swimming classes when she comes home, don't leave it till school age. You're missing the perfect window of opportunity for her to learn if you do. Toddlers learn faster than school age kids, maybe not the strokes of course but they pick up the all important floating, kicking and confidence skills.


Finally if you're in a pool complex on this holiday don't underestimate the speed a determined toddler can move at. I was in the toddler pool with my then 20 month old daugher, who was quite confident splashing around, turned to pick up our ball and when I turned back she'd gone over the dividing wall into the main pool. Her six year old brother was there with a large inflatable crocodile and DD had wanted that crocodile since she first clapped eyes on it. For a girl who hadn't actually swum properly up till then she was making a creditable job (she had her armbands on) of it to get to that crocodile before I caught her but I was in the swimming team at school and even old fat mums can move fast in some circumstances. So keep an eye on your DD, you're encouraging confidence remember but that has a downside!

Oh, and my DD ended up in the main pool for the rest of the trip, with part time ownership of the crocodile. She's in the county swimming team now. Start them young!


ETA: And how about some adult swimming lessons for you too, so you can enjoy future family holidays more?

anderson8

You've got a month before you go. That's at least 6 pool sessions you could have to get her used to the water. I agree with arm bands my son is 21months and he's happy to splash and float with those on, but that's been with practice(the floating)

Teenie_D

meritaten wrote: »

bit confused here. you don't want to teach her to swim, yet you plan on taking her in the pool on holidays? wouldn't it be better to teach her to swim BEFORE she goes? with or without swimming aids?

Not sure why that is so confusing tbh, lots of people take their little ones to the pool but at that age don't start teaching them to swim.

MI3 I used to be a nanny many moons ago and the swimsuit I had for the wee by I looked after was this one,I was thinking about getting ne for my boy too as he is real water lover but nowhere near ready for swimming lessons !!

http://www.safetots.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2927&osCsid=0imqaf463jbmp6rmaahckmg7k2

fluffnutter

There's no substitute for simply being in the water with her yourself and holding her at all times. If she can't swim she shouldn't be on her own, with or without a floatation device. All these do is give a false sense of security; they won't prevent a child drowning and they're potentially dangerous IMO, because parents think their child is safe.

Armbands are about the worse type of device possible - it's not our arms that give us buoyancy and they restrict movement too.

choccymoose

We used a back bubble at that age, our son was able to keep it on at all times, his swimming teacher used them and reduced the amount of support as his strength improved. He was water confident though ! As others suggest start taking her now to a local pool just to get her water confident. You don't need to teach her, just play games in the shallow bit, take a little watering can, water wheel and buckets and have fun

jackomdj

We used these. We tried other stuff but it tipped them forward.
http://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/products/Delphin-Swimming-Aid.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleproductsearch&gclid=CK-91Lyo27YCFXMctAodIVIADg#.UXOftsu9KK0

They will use these in swim lessons. As your lo is small they will need less discs. Our youngest wore these from about 6 months and only ever needed two per arm as she grew being used to that, often the older ones start with 4.

I agree with baby lessons, if nothing else it helps their confidence. Also as games get her to blow bubbles in the water and jump her up and down (going under too!), it all helps them with swimming later on.