If anyone hasn’t noticed by the sweltering weather as of late, summer is here. I mean, how can you not know? There is obviously a looming fear of hot seat-belt buckles brushing our skin, causing a cry comparable to that of a newborn puppy. But, other (more important) concerns lie within our minds when it comes to our children’s safety during the summer.
When you and your family have fun at the beach, community pool, or even your own pool, the safety switch is on. Who am I kidding? It’s ALWAYS on! When that switch clicks, we as parents take the initiative to make sure our bases are covered and our children are safe and sound. One way of doing so is with the use of floaties. But, we must be aware that floaties can help… and “not help” simultaneously.
Now, I know… Floaties give us a sense of safety and calm when they are worn by our children. Besides that, we wouldn’t have the freedom to do fun adulty things. If it wasn’t for the floaties, you wouldn’t be able to:
- Keep your hair dry, and get a tan
- Keep water spots from forming on your sunglasses
- Be able to enjoy your favorite cocktail without getting an unwanted splash of chlorine in it
But, when you consider the progress your child has made in their swim lessons, you may reconsider using floaties the whole time they are in the water. Love Swimming is about teaching your child swim technique, as well as helping them to have confidence and independence in the water. We teach our students how to swim without floaties so they won’t become too dependent on them. But, you shouldn’t stop once you drive away from our parking lot.
The best thing to do with your children is to have them swim the first 15-30 minutes without floaties, with you. Once their time is up, they are welcome to wear them if they or you so choose. The reason why we suggest swimming without floaties first is to give them a confidence boost. If they know they can swim without floaties, they won’t rely on them later on. Also, if they really want floaties, swimming without them will be the incentive to get them back.
It’s all about consistency. If your child can swim without floaties at Love Swimming, they are capable of doing the same elsewhere. It just takes time, consistency, patience and support. As long we offer that to our children, they will not only have the tools to become confident swimmers, but confident human beings as well.
-Coach Will