Swimming Wings for Toddlers?

I agree with the others get a life jacket/float vest. They can still tip forward face down in them as my son demonstrated in front of me!

Dear C.,

Please get you daughter a good life jacket. I have a friend whose daughter just drowned by not having a life jacket on at the lake. Try maybe REI or some other camping store thing to find one. If you can find one that will cause her to float on her back it she falls down in the water.

I was a lifegaurd for 7 years and I completely agree with Jen H. Also NEVER turn your back on the ocean. I grew up on the coast and this is a huge rule. Do not play on driftwood ever either. I know of so many kids who have had accidents that went from a minor owie to never recovering the body due to not respecting the ocean. There is no substitute for vigilant supervision and following the rules anywhere near water, even in a boat.

We have a life vest our daughter, who is 1, LOVES -- she wears it in the jacuzzi with us and has a blast. It's the type with the thing behind their head (think that's a type 3 or a type 1) that has a soft outside -- I think it's a HO brand. I got it at Costco for about $20. She has it because we also go sailing, and I know that no matter how careful I may be, there is the possibility of her going over into the water.
Water wings and floaties can be dangerous unless you are right there with them -- practically holding onto them. They are dangerous because your child can be floating with them, and feel kinda safe, but then end up floating face first -- especially around the waves. My suggestion is a life vest -- that will give you the safest option and with two kids only 20 months apart you won't have to worry about keeping your eyes (and hands) on both of them at all times. But keep your hands on the 20 month old at the beach -- even small waves could bowl him over. Have fun!

Wings have worked great for us in a pool, but in the ocean I would definitely go with a good vest.

I like how even though you put down that you didn't need a talk on water safety you still got one. makes ya pissed right? LOL. Anyways I just wanted to say that I have a 2 1/2 year old and we have tried lots of different flotation devices. Water wings are only good if they know how to swim so don't waste your money on those. I would say a vest and a little floaty tube. My daughter likes the vest but still thinks she will drowned in deep water because she doesn't have anything to hold onto. so the tube is good cause she feels safer. But of course they can slip out of those so that is why I do both. Vest so I know she's safe and floaty tube so she feels safe. I hope that helps have a great trip.

I have always believed that you should get a U.S Coast Guard Approved life jacket, it will cost a little more but everything else are just toys. If you get a life vest that fits properly your kids will be able to move and play and still be safe. Floaties are fun but can be dangerous if relied on as safety devices. I have 3 little munchkins none of whom have any fear of the water and all of them LOVE their life jackets. Just my thoughts.
J.

I agree with Jessica. When my kids went to swim lessons last summer, they stressed arm floaties give kids a false sense of security and do not properly hold their mid section out of the water in the event they get in a bad situation. Being in the ocean, currents and tides are a concern and having a full vested life jacket is the safest bet as it supports their bodies and head out of the water, even if they got tired. Floaties are hard to remove when wet too. Life jackets are not that expensive at Target I got my son one for about $1, it was lifeguard approved. It even has a strap that goes up through his legs so his body cannot slip out of it.
Much easier to remove for potty breaks too and when they get out of the water.
Have fun!

Ok... I might be a little opinionated on this one. I was a lifeguard for 5 years during and just after HS and we didn't allow most types of flotation devices on children because it gives parents and children a false sense of security and they separate too far from each other. If they were using a type of approved flotation device we still required that parents be within arms reach of the child. Water wings have been known to come off of children. Swimsuits w/floaties and cheap lifejackets can cause children to roll over so that their face is in the water and/or inhibit their ability to roll back onto their back. Kids can flip over in inner tubes w/leg holes and get stuck that way. IMO just stay close to your little one. Let them hang onto you. If you really want a floatie for their confidence look for a coast guard approved lifejacket that will make them roll onto their back. I found this suit online that also looks kind of neat and is coast guard approved. http://www.mypoolpal.com/products/aqua-force.php I don’t want to imply that you would do any of these things; I’ve just seen it happen before. Hope that you have a fun and safe trip

Hi C. I have a one year old daughter and last time we went swimming I ordered a sort of swimming shirt that had a tiny tube that goes around their waist. I ordered it from the Toys R Us site. It worked great! Plus is was inexspensive. Have a good time!
B.
www.4ellise.com

C.,

I'd go with a life vest with a zipper front and those closer things that I can't remember the name of! Much easier than water wings to put on, AND they only come off WITH adult supervision. Water wings can be painful for both mom and child to put on when fully inflated. A lot like stuffing your arm into a blood pressure cuff when it is already pumped up. AND, I see a benefit to your child being able to actually use his arms and start those early swimming motions. This could be the start to a lifetime of love with the water for your boy.

V.
married 9.5, oldest daughter 7.5, second is 2 months (just went in the pool Monday for her first "swim"!! And we've got a swimmer dog that is 2 years old.

Hi C.,

We have used the suits they sell through www.onestepahead.com that have the floatation devices built right into them. The floaties are removeable also, but not so they would fall out while he was swimming or anything. Once our daughter outgrew the one we had, we switched to the life vests at the swimming pool. That seems to make her feel the most secure. We have tried water wings, but she didn't really like them much and they didn't really help her as much as the vest did. Good luck finding something that works!

We use life jackets on our little ones when we do the beach. We have 7 kids in 9yrs, so it's a herd of little ones, and despite the fact that we obviously don't leave them unsupervised or send them off swimming alone, it's nice to have that added level of protection there in case they do slip out of sight for just a second, and for when we take them out to play in the water with us.
We purchased out from a boating store (there are a handful right over by South Towne Mall, just south of 106th and right off the freeway, and Taylor's is just over by Ikea). They were more expensive than the ones you'd get at Walmart or somewhere like that, but of much higher quality as well. We went boating occasionally last year as well, and it was nice to know that everyone had their own well fitting jacket.

In case you have not already received an answer, I have a two-year old who LOVES to spend time in the pool. We bought him a Speedo brand "swimsuit" with inflatable flotation inside. I bought it at Target. It's not the kind with the harder styrofoam pieces, these are pieces you can blow up. It has been wonderful. We've tried many suits and this is by far the best we've found. In fact, the only one I could find was pink with white flowers on it, and he's been wearing it for two years, just because the others I've tried do not even compare. It gives him pleanty of ability to move around - he's not all frozen like a snowman - but still keeps his head out of the water and helps him float on his back when he wants to.

LIFE JACKET for sure. Floaties are NOT enough if the child is not already a good swimmer. Doesn't matter where- just make sure it is US Coast Guard approved, and that it has the strap that goes in between their legs. ( I found the Wal Mart ones & ones like it weren't that great. We have K2 ones we got on sale @ Big 5 sporting goods for fifteen bucks and they are great. Watch sales at Sporting Goods stores, if you have some time you can find a good deal. Even if you don't, the extra security offered by knowing that no matter what they physically can't drown is worth it!! Have fun!!

Hi, Someone may have already posted this but what I have for my son is a floaty suit, or at least thats what I call it. Its a one piece uv suit that has foam pieces sewn right into it like a life jacket. It zips up the back so he can't get out of it without me and it protects him from the sun too. I got mine a walmart and some of them are even approved as life saving devices(the one I have is). He found it a bit bulky at first but better than a life jacket. The best things ever!! Then they can play and be free in the water (with supervision obviously) but not be so bulky with a life jacket or be tied into something like those little boats with the leg holes that look like fun but give them no freedom, my kids HATED them. Anyway.. have fun on vacation!!

I would get her a coast-guard approved life vest. Make sure it is the right kind for her size. There are also lots of different kinds, for near-shore to farther out (the level of flotation varies). A near-shore would probably be sufficient. I got them for my kids (just for the swimming pool), and when we rented a boat for the lake later on they already had their jackets and were comfortable with them. And I knew they wouldn't panic if the hit the water, because they knew what the vest would do.

Be aware that many kids freak out the first time they go in the water with a life vest. It may be that mom is no longer holding them, or maybe the way the vest floats them feels weird. But you'll need to teach your children how to use the vest. For a little one (like your 2 year old), they are generally designed to flip the child onto their back and keep their face out of the water, as long as the child relaxes and doesn't fight. But it can feel very scary for the child until they're used to it! (Went through this with both of my kids at this stage!)

I don't trust floaties myself. My SIL bought my boys life vests & was kind enough to let us have them at our house & we just brought them when we went to visit them & their boat. Check your vest though, because I got one for my nephew & it ended up being a "swimming aid vest" rather than a "can't swim, hold me up" vest. I have gotten Stearns vests from Target in the past-they had a better selection than Walmart when I looked. They're not cheap to me, about $30/vest, but the fact that most pools will let you have a life vest even if they've banned water wings or floaties-that & the whole not drowning thing-make it worth the price. Make sure they're for the right weight & both of your kids will still need the crotch strap-make sure any vest you get has one. The clips are impossible for my 5 YO to get undone so yours should stay in them w/ease. Get some floaties from the dollar store for them to play around with when they can but stick to the life vest for floatation help.
Good luck w/2 little ones! Our lifejacket swimmers are 2.5 years apart & it was tough hauling them both around in the pool til they got confident enough to float on their own.
Have fun on your vacation & get a waterproof disposable camera-they're such fun w/lil kids!

The only addition I have comes from my sister-in-law. She lived in Southern CA and most of the pools she goes to didn't allow flotation devices. I would suggest checking with the pools to see if they have special requirements. Hope you guys have a ton of fun!!!

I would check out Onestepahead, they have steps for different age/ability. A friend recommended the blowup innertube with the leg holes and sunshade for my son's age. I was able to find it at walmart too. While I didn't end up using it, (my son preferred to hold onto me), I felt better having it there, and it folds up like a car's sunshade, so it packed well.
The suits that were suggested by the lifeguard also look cool, but only you know what they are ready for. Maybe your sons have a preference too? Have fun!!