"My child can swim with floaties" - So can they swim?
The Short Answer: No!
While floaties might seem like a great way to give children more independence in the water, they can actually hinder their swimming progress. Parents often rely on floatation devices for peace of mind, especially when supervising multiple children. Kids enjoy floaties for the freedom they provide, allowing them to jump in and float effortlessly. However, relying too heavily on these aids can negatively impact your child’s swimming development.
What Are Floaties?
'Floaties,' often confused with 'flotation devices,' come in various forms such as water wings, pool noodles, and Puddle Jumpers. These are typically worn around the upper arms to support buoyancy for younger swimmers. In contrast, flotation devices like lifejackets are designed to turn an unconscious person onto their back to enable breathing, making them essential for open water activities like boating and canoeing. Seal Swimming does not endorse the use of floaties unless they have specific teaching benefits or are classified as safety flotation devices like lifejackets.
Do Floaties Help Children Learn to Swim?
While floaties can assist in the learn-to-swim process for very young children or toddlers, their overall effectiveness is limited. Swim fins, for example, help keep the swimmer in a horizontal position, which is ideal for learning proper swimming techniques. However, most floaties maintain the swimmer in a vertical position, which is counterproductive to swimming lessons that focus on horizontal movement. This can create a false sense of security among young swimmers and parents alike, leading to misconceptions about the child’s swimming abilities.
The Issue with Relying on Floaties
Children who rely on floaties may struggle to progress when learning to swim without them. Floaties can provide both physical and mental support, making it difficult for children to transition to swimming unaided. This reliance can also cause anxiety when children are asked to swim without floaties, as they need to relearn how to be comfortable in the water.
The Cottage Swimmer Phenomenon
Children who frequently use floatation devices at home or a cottage often develop poor swimming habits. These “Cottage Swimmers” may swim with their heads above water and their arms restricted, leading to inefficient swimming techniques. Overcoming these habits requires significant effort and relearning of basic swimming skills.
Supporting Your Child’s Swimming Progress
To support your child’s swimming progress effectively, keep these tips in mind:
Continue Swimming Lessons Year-Round: Ensure your child remains enrolled in swimming lessons until they are competent and confident swimmers.
Practice Without Floatation Devices: Encourage your child to swim without floaties to practice skills learned in swim class. This helps them build real swimming proficiency.
Understand Their Limitations: Make sure your child is aware of their actual swimming abilities to promote water safety.
Balanced Supervision: If you need to use a floatation device for one child, ensure they also get time to swim without it. Always supervise children in, on, or around water.
Investing in swimming lessons for children is a great step, but it's crucial to support your child's progress by avoiding reliance on floatation devices. Proper practice and consistent lessons will help your child develop essential swimming and safety skills, ensuring they become confident swimmers.
For more information and to register for lessons, visit Seal Swimming.
Unless a floatie has specific teaching benefits for use by swim teachers or is classed as a ‘flotation device’ or Lifejacket as mentioned above, Seal Swimming does not endorse their use.
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