Krisula Moyer

Joylyn wrote:
Swimmies are dangerous. They give kids a false sense of security,
parents too! Kids who use them are most likely to drown, in my
opinion. They do not understand how their body reacts with and floats
in water. If they ever did fall in without their floaties they would be
unable to deal with the water, as they would feel different in the water
without the swimmies.


With great respect and admiration for Joylyn (and for Lexy and Jeanine).
This has not been our experience with floaties. When they were very little,
each of our kids was thrilled to be in the water without floaties as long as
there was a grown up right beside them (which was, say, half the time). If
the grown up was helping another child, though, or "life-gaurding" from the
side, they would wear a floaty- suit. As they grew, they gradually gave up
the float suits because as they say "you can't sink down in them!" (duh,
mom). My youngest dd 3 1/2 still likes to wear hers b/c it gives her more
independence in the water. We still watch her like a hawk *all the time she
is in the pool* and she still likes her "sink down" suit when mom or dad is
with her. She swims great but cannot stand with her head above the water in
the shallow end yet. So being without the float suit tires her out pretty
fast and she really would rather be in the pool much longer than that. In
our case, all of our children were capable of swimming well before they
wanted to give up floaties altogether.

I can remember the first time each child fell into the pool accidentally (at
about 2yo for the older 2 and about 18 mo for the younger) In all three
cases, they were able to kick themselves up to the surface and get to the
wall. I was right next to them but did not interfere while they were doing
ok. Anika loved this so much that from 12 months she would jump to me. I
would not catch her but would guide her to the surface after. She would
jump again and again and I never once "caught" her. And she didn't want me
to. It was her game. "do again!"

As I write this the kids aree in the pool with dad for a little before
bedtime swim.

Krisula