Life vests for kids

[KCT]

Now that the grand boys are older (2 & 3), I want to buy life vests for the pool this summer.

I’m thinking Coast Guard approved. Other than that, what features might I want to look for?

Waiting to hear from the moms re: weight of each boy.

Thanks!

 

[babochka]

Now that the grand boys are older (2 & 3), I want to buy life vests for the pool this summer.

I’m thinking Coast Guard approved. Other than that, what features might I want to look for?

Waiting to hear from the moms re: weight of each boy.

Thanks!

You can get a basic life vest for around $15, but if you get a more expensive one, it will have comfort features that will make it more likely that the boys will wear one without complaining. The material is thinner and the fit is better as you go up in price. $25-$30 will get you a really nice one.

 

[SaintRita]

Are you looking for a life vest for boat usage too?

We have these for the kids for the pool - its what the YMCA uses…
amazon.com/Water-Gear-Float-4-Color-Split/dp/B0002HRAZ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371422572&sr=8-1&keywords=swim+bubble

We use these for when we are swimming off a boat or kayaking/canoeing:
amazon.com/Stohlquist-Infant-Nemo-Personal-Floatation/dp/B006LJOC4E/ref=pd_sim_ba_4

They work in a pool but I’ve found in general that life vests in the pool make it pretty cumbersome and use the back bubbles with pool noodles and adult supervision in the pool.

 

[Kelfa28]

I used to lifeguard and teach swim lessons.

If you want the boys to swim…I don’t recommend a life vest…it makes swimming very cumbersome and difficult.

However, for boating…they are an absolute must.

There are some wonderful swim aids available now.

One that I like is called a puddle jumper. My daughter is in swim lessons with me and the instructor has introduced puddle jumpers.
There is a minimum weight requirement. I know my daughter, at 15 months and a peanut for her age, is too small.

They wrap around the body and put floaters on the arms. It keeps the body up and out of the water but gives the freedom of movement so they can actually swim.

They are about $30.

 

[underacloud]

I used to lifeguard and teach swim lessons.

If you want the boys to swim…I don’t recommend a life vest…it makes swimming very cumbersome and difficult.

However, for boating…they are an absolute must.

There are some wonderful swim aids available now.

One that I like is called a puddle jumper. My daughter is in swim lessons with me and the instructor has introduced puddle jumpers.
There is a minimum weight requirement. I know my daughter, at 15 months and a peanut for her age, is too small.

They wrap around the body and put floaters on the arms. It keeps the body up and out of the water but gives the freedom of movement so they can actually swim.

They are about $30.

I agree.

IMO life vests are not suitable for the pool. They are cumbersome to swim in, and don’t allow young children to get a proper feel for the water. Kids need to know that the body naturally tends to sink into the pool, not bobs around in safety and comfort. There are some good swimming aids around that provide some assistance while allowing the child appropriate freedom of movement as well as a better feel for how their body sits in water.

But nothing is as good as a child with no swimming aid being closely supervised by an adult in the pool with them. Let them feel their own weight in the water, and learn to swim short distances, go under the water a bit, etc. The younger, the better.

 

[Aggies08]

Find their weight- at nearly 4, my daughter still can’t wear most life vests. We had to order a specialty one for a boating trip due to her weight. She’s almost big enough for the 30+ lb ones, and smaller are very hard to find here. THe kids I have seen in life vests can’t really swim at all- it severely limits range of motion in young children, and they cannot bob or pick toys up from the bottom of the pool (my 20mo LOVES doing that in the 24inch part of the pool). I’ve also seen kids become very afraid of swimming because they don’t have a vest on… I would encourage confidence in the water, with close supervision.

For swimming, we only used the arm floats a bit, and she has started swimming on her own this year, at 3 1/2! Our 20mo old now uses the arm floats, and is doing VERY well with them, she really likes to play with her weight and see what happens when she takes her feet off the floor of the pool/leans forward/leans backward/etc. I think she’ll be swimming sooner than sister did… I hate the puddle jumpers because it doesn’t let them lean fore ward to blow bubbles/put their face in the water/pick up toys easily. They also can’t sit on steps unless the water is very low on that step.

Talk with the parents, and see what they think is appropriate/safe for their kids.

Obviously, boating does need one- get the ones with the head thing on back for young kids.

 

[Kelfa28]

I agree.

IMO life vests are not suitable for the pool. They are cumbersome to swim in, and don’t allow young children to get a proper feel for the water. Kids need to know that the body naturally tends to sink into the pool, not bobs around in safety and comfort. There are some good swimming aids around that provide some assistance while allowing the child appropriate freedom of movement as well as a better feel for how their body sits in water.

But nothing is as good as a child with no swimming aid being closely supervised by an adult in the pool with them. Let them feel their own weight in the water, and learn to swim short distances, go under the water a bit, etc. The younger, the better.

I agree.

In reality…nothing beats a simple water bubble that you strap around the child’s waist. Cheap and effective.
It gives them full range of motion. Lets them feel their weight in the water and lets them put their face in the water and blow bubbles.

My daughter has me holding her. We don’t uses aids. She’s too little to use an aid anyway. But she’s learning to kick, scoop her hands, getting her face wet and climbing out of the pool and jumping back into my arms.

I do like aids for children who can’t touch the bottom of the pool but need to swim independently.

Noodles are also excellent swim aids. But you really need to watch your child with them…it’s easy for them to let go.

I had a student do that to me when she was learning to swim without the bubble. She let go of the noodle and couldn’t reach the bottom…

Thank-goodness I caught her quickly.

 

[HolyRosaryChild]

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