Do toddlers need arm bands for swimming?

[rubbishmum33]

Taking my 2.5 year old swimming for the first time next week. Do I need to take any equipment, like arm bands, to help him float? Unsure what’s best.

Arm bands aren't great as they make the child vertical.
We always just used a noodle.

We've used arm bands and the vests, prefer the vest/jacket

Goggles are good though.

For a first lesson I would honestly just take them without anything and get them used to the water, staying close to you etc. In the baby pool so they can stand up.

Once you are actually trying to get them to float, a noodle seems to work so much better than arm bands used to.

We were advised by our local swimming instructors not to use arm bands as children using them get a false perception of what they can and can’t do in the water.

We use kickboards and noodles when they were little as that’s what they use in classes.

Yeah as above arm bands are out of fashion now (in the same way as bikes with pedals and stabilisers rather than balance bike)
Just be sure to keep a close eye and be within arm's length and paying attention.

Another tip if it's their first time is let them go into the pool area and get in at their own pace, as the first time can be strange and overwhelming depending on your child's reaction.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that DS has used arm bands since one and they work really well.

He's vertical when relaxing but can easily kick to swim or float on his back.

Mine never had them but they'd been swimming since tiny and could hang off a noodle without letting go ( I was never far away). I did consider it when I had two to watch but by that point DS could reach the bottom in the baby pool.

Noodles, floats and / or a swim fin. Always layer up a swim fin over a rash vest otherwise the straps are uncomfortable.

Your child is 2.5 and has never been swimming? That’s really sad

We used vests. Some you can even take floaters from inside as the child progresses

Covid 🤷🏻‍♀️ mine were 4 and 6 and never been swimm before this summer 😭 can you believe I grew up next to the beach???!!!

Also swimming clubs near me all had this policy of an adult having to be with each child. With more than one kid, I couldn't do it 😔

A big chunk of their life has been a series of lockdowns. If their local pool is anything like ours it is still really difficult to actually book a casual swim session.

Errrrrrrm... PANDEMIC !!

My DS is a lunatic in the pool so I put arm bands on him. DD is slightly more sensible and manages a pool noodle really well and is doing well at swimming with it.

They're 3 and 4. I take both things for both and usually end up swapping around. I'd just have a noodle each when there are 2 adults for both kids, me on my own with them terrifies me as DS just loves to see how long he can hold his head under water rather than attempting to swim 🙄

Pools have been open absolutely ages

Oh go away with your opinions.

What a nasty, unnecessary and judgemental comment. You have literally no idea what is going on in this persons life and decide to judge them and have a sly dig from behind your keyboard. Shame on you!

We've always taken our two with arm bands on when we take them ourselves, which admittedly isn't often. At eldest's swimming class, they make her wear two floaty discs round each arm.

OP I'd recommend puddle jumpers, my 2 year old swims really well in these. They hold them well in the water and allow their arms a good range of movement.

How shallow does the pool go? I wouldn't let them out of my arms at that age unless they had feet on the floor - and then they need to be in grabbing distance. Noodles and floats when they are a bit older.

If you’re taking just one child to a shallow pool then you don’t need arm bands - you can support them yourselves and teach them to use a pool noodle (curved under their armpits) as a support.

Armbands aren’t considered the best way for children to develop their swimming skills. However I used armbands with my second as I had two non-swimmers and we used to go to sessions in the shallow end of a standard pool, so I felt it was important he was wearing a buoyancy aid.

Buoyancy vests are better than armbands when it comes to providing a more natural swimming position, but personally we didn’t get on with them

Highly recommend swim fin, helps with safety and learning to swim in correct position. First few times is just about water confidence…..lots of splashing, playing, singing, maybe take some water toys that float to reach for in the water. I would practise in the bath at home getting their face wet/dipping it in and out the water so they aren’t upset if their face gets wet at the pool.

1:1 you don't if you're going to be 100% focussed on your child and he's averagely biddable (not completely bouncing off the walls and unable to follow instructions when necessary).

If you take 2 preschool non swimmer children swimming then you do need flotation devices you can strap them into ideally - we had ring type devices with harness which held them in a forward swimming position a bit better than armbands and which were secure, allowing me to take two fairly well behaved (buy toddler standards) under 3s swimming on my own. For just one child you don't necessarily have to have floats as long as you're confident and not going to be distracted by another child or by chatting to a friend etc.