Swimming with a 2 yo?

[slgt]

DD is 27 months, and I'm trying to figure out the swimming thing. We have a friend who has a pool with no shallow end - I think it's 4 ft. at its shallowest. What do you recommend for "swimming" with a 2 yo? I'm not going to let her float around on her own, even in a life jacket - plus I think she'd be afraid. Should I put little floaty things on her and hold her? Any other ideas for enjoying the water?

And did I mention that I'm 8.5 months pregnant - so I'm a bit physically limited...not quite as agile when holding a squirmy wet kid!

[HeliMom]

At the YMCA (where we have parent child swim class) it's also 4 ft deep in the shallow end those babies who can walk are given a bubble belt and they hold on to mom or a flotation toy (noodle/ floaty barbell/ inflatable) She can also hang onto the edge and practice kicks with you. Also the lower you are in the water the less strain on you when you will have to hold her. Let the buoyancy do the work.

I really like doing song games in the water. We do tick tock cuckoo clock, wheels on the bus, I'm a little pancake ( a floating song to the tune of i'm a little teapot).Also showing her how to blow bubbles while hanging on the edge can be a lot of fun.

These activities won't teach her how to swim but they will be a fun way to get used to the water.


Safety: Oh and a swim bubbles is not a life saving device it's mean to encourage a face down position in swimming. Not that I expect you'd leave her alone with one on anyway.

[mamakaikai]

I usually put dd in this kind of thing. She likes it and I can relax knowing she can't really get out. Otherwise, she's in a floating swimsuit like this and I 'sandwich' her between me and a pool noodle and can do laps like this. Still works even though I am due in 10 days!

Have fun! I am jealous of your pool date!

[lifeguard]

I personally think lifejackets, pfd's, floaties, etc. all give everyone a false sense of security & don't really help that much in teaching a child to swim. Like any tool they all have their place but I think it is best to spend more time in the water without these aids than with them. The best thing at this age is just lots of playing & splashing. Play with a pool noodle for awhile holding it different ways. Jump off the side. Jump off the side with a pfd on. Practice kicking legs. Practice blowing bubbles. You're right there the whole time so why add the aid? Plus, some kids do become VERY reliant on these things & will refuse to go in the water without them or worse think they can swim on their own when they can't.

[annethcz]

When my kids were that age, I just held them in the water. Much easier than dealing with life jackets. I'm not a fan of floaties, because they keep only the arms above the water, not the head.

[kittykat2481]

DS is 30 months, and he can swim on his own with a life jacket on. Of course, we're always within about 3 feet of him in the pool just in case, but it's great practice for using his arms and legs to move around. Until just recently, he had a hard time controling his body in the water, even with the life jacket. We used a pool noodle for him to hold on to and put under his arms, to help him get a feel for the position his body needs to be in in the water. A whole day in the pool like that, and he's been great ever since! Last year we did a mommy and me swim class, and he still remembers the things he learned there. We practiced kicking legs, using our "scoopers" (arms/hands), blowing bubbles, etc. He practices most of those in the tub too. As far as being pregnant, the buoyancy of the water will probably be very soothing on your tired muscles. I remember loving the pool when my belly felt so heavy.

[MarchMummy]

Both my daughters used something like this. They both loved it.

Have fun, I'm sure the pool will feel great at 8 months pregnant!!

[holothuroidea]

I also say nay to floaties, but I grew up around water and was never afraid. You seem a little nervous, just do whatever makes you most comfortable. Your LO may suprise you with how good they can be in the water.

My mom has pictures of me doing a breast stroke at 3 1/2. My 22mo can do a (short lived) doggie paddle. Kids can be very safe in the water with enough exposure and confidence.

[peainthepod]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

I personally think lifejackets, pfd's, floaties, etc. all give everyone a false sense of security & don't really help that much in teaching a child to swim. Like any tool they all have their place but I think it is best to spend more time in the water without these aids than with them. The best thing at this age is just lots of playing & splashing. Play with a pool noodle for awhile holding it different ways. Jump off the side. Jump off the side with a pfd on. Practice kicking legs. Practice blowing bubbles. You're right there the whole time so why add the aid? Plus, some kids do become VERY reliant on these things & will refuse to go in the water without them or worse think they can swim on their own when they can't.

[dogretro]

We own this vest: http://www.amazon.com/Child-Flotatio...ef=pd_sbs_sg_2 It cost $40 at Pool City. We started taking dd1 to the pool regularly at about 18 months & all she wanted to do was swim. We bought the vest at 22 months and we all loved it! Once she got used to the way it held her in the water, she was zipping all over the place! She could even swim the whole width of the pool by herself. This was a child who was NOT content to hang in our arms and float around. She wanted to swim and play! The vest does not keep her head out of the water, she had to learn how to hold herself up. Good practice for when real swimming time comes. DH and I always kept her in the shallow end and one of us was ALWAYS within arms-reach distance. We were able to walk or swim alongside her. I also loved it b/c I, too, was 349 months pg and the vest helped me to hold her up in the water when I did hold her. Oh, and the pool would not allow anything inflatable even if dd1 had been willing to sit in an inner tube floaty, which she was not. Have fun, I know we did!!!!

edited to add: Noodles and kickboards were available at the pool and dd1 acted like they were made of hot burning fire. This is not a child who is afraid of the pool & she H A T E D those things; would not even play w/ them.

[confustication]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

I personally think lifejackets, pfd's, floaties, etc. all give everyone a false sense of security & don't really help that much in teaching a child to swim. Like any tool they all have their place but I think it is best to spend more time in the water without these aids than with them. The best thing at this age is just lots of playing & splashing. Play with a pool noodle for awhile holding it different ways. Jump off the side. Jump off the side with a pfd on. Practice kicking legs. Practice blowing bubbles. You're right there the whole time so why add the aid? Plus, some kids do become VERY reliant on these things & will refuse to go in the water without them or worse think they can swim on their own when they can't.

Completely agree with this.

I was very pregnant last summer when I was actually working as a life guard, manager, and swim instructor at our local pool. You will have more mobility in water than you do on land at this point.

If you feel like you need something to help, a proper PFD is the only thing I would consider 'attaching' to a child- it's not something I would suggest on a regular basis, but if you feel like you can't manage this without some sort of security, go with that instead of something like arm floaties. . Teaching them to play with noodles etc is a better option as they don't deflate and kids don't learn to rely on them the same way they do floaties or a floatation suit.