Picture a toddler who is a novice swimmer running around a pool, jumping in the water and splashing around. To most parents, this probably sounds like a stressful scenario.
However, I recently saw a toddler doing just this, and his parents, who were of course closely watching him, looked relaxed. I think this at least partly had to do with the swim vest the little boy was wearing above his swim trunks.
This is why today’s hint is to consider outfitting your little rookie swimmer in a swim jacket or floatsuit, modern alternatives to old-fashioned arm floaties.
Over the last decade or so, a slew of such products have come on the market. Konfidence, for instance, launched its swim jacket, the “Original Konfidence Jacket,” in the United Kingdom in 1998 and began selling the roughly $40 product in the United States in 2006. Since then, Konfidence has rolled out a number of products in the United States, including floatsuits, i.e. bathing suits with floats built in. Konfidence is giving away $100 worth of its products to one lucky Hint Mama reader – details below.
Other companies and brands offering similar products include Speedo, Swimways, One Step Ahead and Floaties.
A Konfidence spokesperson describes its swim jacket, which comes in sizes 18 months through adult, as “training wheels for swimming” and as safer than traditional arm floats. Each jacket comes with eight floats that parents can remove one-by-one as children become better swimmers, and the jackets allow for a swimmer’s arms to be free so proper stroke technique can be developed.
The company’s floatsuits, which come in sizes for 1- to 5-year olds and cost about $40, work similarly, and are meant for parents that prefer an all-in-one-swim aid style rather than an easier-to-remove jacket design.
So far, reviews of such products have generally been positive. Cool Mom Picks, for instance, wrote back in 2007 that the Konfidence jacket “is safer than those arm floats and smarter than a life vest.” Elsewhere, the Rookie Moms recently included Konfidence floatsuits in their great round up of “water toys and gear that make swimming more fun for rookie moms.”
To be sure, there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind. First, these products aren’t life jackets and shouldn’t be used as them. In addition, like childproofing products, they’re not substitutions for parent supervision – kids should always be supervised when they’re near water.
What are your tips for making pool and beach time with a novice swimmer a little less stressful? Have you tried these, and similar, swim aid products? Share your tips and experiences, and enter to win $100 of your choice of Konfidence products, below.
Photo credit: Konfidence
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Making it easier was something I had to figure out. I started my second one in a small pool and eventually went to a bigger pool with float devices and made sure that no one splashed or made waves around her. She started to love being in it when it was fun with just floating around.
I keep pool time safe and relaxed by participating with my daughter. She barely kicks in the water, so full on swimming hasn’t happened yet and I always need to be right there with her. Something like this Konfidence Jacket would give her a bit more security in the water without being glues to me, I think. Thanks for sharing!
We have never tried swim aids. When our son finished his first swim classes, we signed him up for a summer swim team. In that manner, he mastered swimming.
I always like to have help especially if I have several kids.
We haven’t found a swim aid my daughter is comfortable with yet so I would love to try these! We had luck with Puddle Jumper style floaties with my son though.
It always helped to have other kids around for my little one to watch and learn from.
Carter being only 4….is a very novice swimmer. We have a pool in our backyard, so we do swim often. We have been trying to get him more comfortable with the pool, we do use a regular lifevest now…but we do not really like how it fits on him. He still gets very scared in the water …even with the vest on. I would love to try the Konfidence and see if these would help him gain some confidence!
I take several family members to help lol! Hey it really does help!
My 4yo with autism uses “Puddle Jumpers”, but I think he is getting closer to being able to swim now and I think he needs these “training wheels” with 8 removable floaties. Little by little I can take away the inserts until he is swimming on his own – this would be perfect! Thanks so much 🙂 -Jennpup
Always try to get the young one’s started by using a little pool and then when you do introduce them to shallow water, make sure you hold their hand for the first few times