Would I be unreasonable to warn my family of the dangers of puddle jumpers?

[LifeOfAShowGirl]

We’ve had my two nieces and nephew over today for a day in the pool. My two youngest niece and nephew were sent with puddle jumpers.

Every time I look at them I can’t help but think of the tragic case in America of Trigg Kiser, who drowned in his family’s pool. Part of the reason was speculated to be because of the false sense of security that puddle jumpers create, because they make children feel like they can float, when they can’t. I don’t have children myself, but this case has really made me think about pool safety. Would I be unreasonable to tell them?

Very wise.

I used to be a lifeguard. I've had to rescue kids using various wearable flotation aids. One of them, the kid took the thing off when the parents' backs were turned in the pool. They were playing with their other child .

I think you can just bluntly tell them that they need to supervise the kids.

My DM did this constantly even up to the time my DS was 15. She was convinced that he could drown in an inch of water even after he was nearly 6 feet tall.

I think just get your thickest skin on and tell them.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing I thought so too. My children age 4-7 range have never been given these by their swim teachers

YANBU - a quick Google will tell you how dangerous they are, you're quite right that they create a false sense of security.

I have a colleague whose child died from drowning on holiday. He was supervised but she happened to turn her back for just a minute or two and he went under. I'll never forget what she said to me - that that happened to be the day he didn't have his floaty on. Made my blood turn cold - he wouldn't have known what to do because those aids encourage them to be in the wrong position. I bought one for my son but after hearing that, never let him wear it.

Do you have a fence or locked door between you and the pool? That is the most reliable protection against drowning apparently.

I think the puddle jumper thing is a red herring - unless they are running around all day with them constantly on I don't see how they encourage children to assume they can float, especially if they aren't little toddlers. (And if they are toddlers, then 100% supervision around water is the only thing really).

I also think the blue/green swimming costume thing is very online and probably doesn't make that much difference IRL. Again it sort of comes down to what kind of water are you taking them into that you envisage them being difficult to see?

Yes, this is what DS2 and DDIL have been told.

They’ve been taking DGS (19mths) for swimming lessons since he was 8 weeks old.

BTW, I do agree that a lot of people are really blasé about water and don't seem to understand the risk of drowning, I just think that worries about the colour/type of a flotation device, unless it's one of those stupid baby neck float things, are missing the point a bit.

It’s an above ground pool and there’s no way to climb into it, plus they don’t live here!

The swimsuit thing is actually really worrying when you see it in person - a blue/green swimsuit really blends into the water. You can’t see it at all.

My toddlers have flotation devices. We are fully aware of the risk, don't let them unsupervised, and will get them to learn to swim as soon as they are able to.

There are pros and cons to those, the bottom line is to not let your kids unsupervised until they know how to swim/are the right age.

Have they spoken with their kids? Mine were always taught that under no circumstances were they to go in the pool without an adult there and without their armbands/shark fin etc. They knew they would not float without them on as they would have time in the shallows without them on. We were pretty strict about accessing the pool.

They’re not a drowning hazard if parents are in the water and supporting and supervising their children as they’re supposed to.

Right but you said they came over to play in the pool, so they are at your house sometimes. A locked door means no child can sneak out early through excitement when an adult is distracted.

You're over egging it, OP.

These devices have been around for decades and thousands upon thousands of children have worn them and been fine (and have gone on to learn how to swim perfectly well). Of course there are horror stories in the news, and they're heartbreaking, but the common denominator (as many many PPs have said) is lack of supervision.

My husband was a lifeguard for many years, and my kids wear arm bands - and one of them also has a blue swimsuit! But it doesn't matter a single jot because he's never more than about six inches away from my hands - and that's when I throw him up in the air!

When they're at the stage where they want to swim independently (i.e. not with me) then I may re-evaluate. But you'd be staggeringly wrong to look at my child's floatation device and blue swimsuit and assume I don't take water safety seriously.

Anyway, I'm off to cut out my seatbelt from my car - having it on will only make me drive more dangerously 😉

I think the evidence is actually that they are better full stop! Your neck is supported, so less likely to get whiplash in a crash.

You just can’t fit your legs in if you sit backwards as an adult. We should really all be sitting backwards like Captain Scarlet 🤣

If they were sending their kids with floatation devices that caused direct harm eg. A known fault that could flip them head under water, that would be a danger the parents need to know.

The claim that puddle jumpers are dangerous because they might make some children over-confident and jump into the water without them on, is not the same kind of danger. This happens a lot with social media now. One parent explains why they don‘t use them and explains it as a safety issue because they think it is better to learn without them, and then you now feel like using them means your relative is a terribly dangerous parent. That‘s not imminent danger. It‘s a different approach to swimming. You are uncritically being influenced. At the moment the children are in your pool, they are safer with a puddle jumper on, than without it. If they had no puddle jumper on and you turned your back, and they then went under, that would be more dangerous for them, so actually your relative is being safe. If your relative has had them exclusively in puddle jumpers from day one, with no discussion or experience of water without the puddle jumper on, if there are no swimming lessons in evidence and if the kids seem blithely over-confident and unaware, then maybe that might be something to discuss. Is it the general approach to swimming that worries you? I wouldn‘t send my kids to swim at someone‘s house without a 1:1 adult : kid ratio and I wouldn‘t send them to anyone who didn‘t know exactly how good each child is at swimming… So I kind get that.