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Armbands, floatation jacket and other swimming aids

2 replies

milkyjo · 25/09/2013 12:58

Has anybody got any recommendations for a nearly 3 year old nervous swimmer (through lack of experience really). DS used to do baby swimming but hated the lessons and stopped at 18 months with me vowing to take him to the local pool once a week for 'fun' swimming - oops naughty mummy broke her vows! So anyway we went the other day, I managed to convince him to enter the pool after 15 minutes of watching another little boy jump in off the side and having a great time. Once he was in he loved it, and managed to pick up the skills we had learnt from the lessons. I think he will need some sort of floatation aid. So I am after some good recommendations for armbands whether they are normal rectangular ones or circular (what's the difference?) or a vest, or floats etc. I feel absolutely clueless after googling them. DS is tall, he managed to stand up in the pool with his chin just out of the water at a depth of 0.8m. Thanks.

OP posts:
becsbornunderadancingstar · 25/09/2013 15:55

I'm not a fan of flotation aids - I think they make nervousness worse tbh. Is there a shallower pool you can take him to nearby, where he has his shoulders out of the water to help him feel safer? Then I'd move him towards jumping games (I don't mean jumping in, just jumping up and down) to get him used to the feeling and 'ring a ring a roses' where you 'all fall down' and get wet together.

The ultimate cure for nervousness is - just like your DS watching that other little boy - find a friend who has a child the same age who enjoys the water and go swimming with them to give your child a role model. My DS cured three of his friends who wouldn't go near the water. I should have hired him out really... but he's too old to be a useful role model for littlies now!

But others may come along and disagree in which case at least I've bumped the thread for you Smile.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/09/2013 16:03

My DD was nervous - wouldn't even get off the steps for ages. The only thing she liked was a ring - they're not generally recommended, they're crap for actually swimming but she felt safe and had fun in it.

Whatever you do, don't push it or stress about it - he's very young. I wouldn't do actual swimming lessons with a child who wasn't keen until more like 4 or 5, in retrospect.

My water-shy DD is now a total watersports nut!

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