Swimming pool aids recommendations for 2 year olds

[BernardButlersBra]

We are going abroad with our 2 year old twins this summer. Please could l have some recommendations for swimming aids? They can’t swim, hopefully starting swimming lessons later in the year. We have swimming vests from when we went to Centre Parcs but they seem a bit bulky for packing in a case?

Exactly. I’m not a swimming teacher and neither is my husband, we both swim ok but not amazingly

I think that on mumsnet childcare providers are magical beings capable of looking after dozens of children whereas mere parents should supervise 1 on 1 at all times. In the real world there’s a balance. If I’m honest two is a fairly easy age to manage two in the pool. If they look like shooting off in different directions you pop one on your hip and follow the other. Five to seven is much trickier as they can swim like seals but still need supervising just in case, it’s like trying to wrangle greased piglets.

Yeah this thread is batshit, implying anyone that uses arm floats or dares to have one parent watch two kids while the other briefly goes to fetch something is negligent. Newsflash - even 2 year olds who have taken swimming lessons are highly unlikely to save themselves from drowning if they fall in and panic, and my kids would not have agreed to a pre swim safety lesson when they were two!

Yeah 2YOs can’t learn to swim. Float maybe but they don’t have the coordination, muscle strength and ability to follow instructions to learn proper strokes. I think the logic goes that the kid gets used to wearing armbands and may be tempted to fling themselves in the pool without, because they don’t understand the armbands are what makes them float, and they’ve been lured into a false sense of security. But that’s easily mitigated by never letting your child out of your sight around water, being clear about who is watching DC at all times so there’s no mix up between you and locking the patio doors, pool fences etc. - which anyone with a 2YO should be doing anyway regardless of whether they use armbands, a pool noodle, are enrolled in water babies etc. So it doesn’t make much sense to me… or maybe I’m missing something IDK.

OP, your family consists of two parents and two children. A perfectly unremarkable configuration. You are not outnumbered.

@MissScarletInTheBallroom lm not saying it's especially remarkable. But a lot of the time then it is just me or my husband with them both. As you can imagine (or maybe not!) childcare for twins especially in the baby phase is rather expensive. So we've had to do a fair amount of solo parenting and have a fair grasp of it a few years in. We don't have the luxury (like all multiple parents) of a child who is more independent and at a more advanced phase, as they are fairly similar

Ex lifeguard here - sorry but I would recommend that you and your DH supervise your twins 1:1 at all times. Drowning happens quickly and very quietly. All the rescues I did were non-swimmers who were in water they could easily stand up in but they couldn't work out how to get themselves vertical. Best to be safe than sorry.

I have also seen blow up flotation aids deflate and I have also seen a child remove their armbands while the parents back was turned for a few seconds.

I get that, but honestly, mine are 2 and 4 and at the swimming pool it's exactly the same. At the swimming pool you have to supervise all your children as closely as if they are babies until they can actually swim competently. It's just not worth the risk.

Take a look @swimfin Just spend a few minutes getting them used to it then they will so happy. Search for the reviews from parents who recommend it

I second that. the web site is www.swimfin.co.uk