The little fish who won't wear armbands...

[*Liz*]

DD. For once, not DS.

Actually DS is a VERY nervous swimmer and is REALLY struggling with it all  .

But DD is very water confident, and doing very well. But obviously no swim aid is not very safe - she fails all over the place and pushes off my knees with her legs  . she has ended up under - but that has not persuaded her into armbands.

Additional concern is that I take them swimming alone sometimes as DH can't swim, and it is quite hard to look after 2 non swimmers in a pool, without adding a non swimmer with no armbands to it  .

Will she get over it?? Should I try a swim fin? Although I do know she will need to move for that to work. Saying no armbands, no swimming doesn't work well as it is hard to follow through on when I am alone with 2 kids. I have tried. She still refused. I forced them on - she SCREAMED - and forced them off  .

Any ideas??

(oh, and how do all the other Mums always seem to not have these issues?)

[~Karen~]

Lewis won't wear armbands or anything else so I just hold him and we play.  The pool we've been going to this summer is about .85m deep so the other two are comfortable.  They swim/play while I hold Lewis.  It's a bit of a pain as can't play with the others much but I'm happy he's getting more comfortable in the water.  This is a local school pool I'm taking them to right now as can't take all three of them on my own to a public swimming pool!

[~inbalance~]

Are you talking about at the pool?  I used to take both boys and didn't put anything on them.  DS2 is very confident in the water as well.  DS1 would paddle around the pool on a noodle, and DS2 wanders on the shallow steps, and I stay in between (closer to DS2, but really the kiddie section of our local pool is not very big at all).  But I would only do this when the pool was pretty empty and the lifeguard was right there watching us, kwim?  TBH I've never tried arm bands on either of them but I should!!

[Fiver]

A fin might be the way to go.  They're quite fun as well as being a floatation device.  Or what about one of the floatation vests you can get?  Splashabout do one where you can take out the floats when they're no longer required and they keep LO warm in the water too.

DS has never worn armbands, but I haven't got up the nerve to take him and D swimming together on my own yet!!

[~Karen~]

See my kids have swimming lessons where they don't use armbands but noodles but they can stand up in the pool.  I know it's not particularly young but the were both swimming before they were 5.  My younger brother didn't swim till he was about 10 and when I asked my Mum why she said that once he had to take the arm bands off he wouldn't go to lessons anymore.  So I personally don't think that not wearing armbands is a bad thing iykwim?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Spencer hates armbands...so she wears a lifejacket, which unfortunately she knows how to get off. Daycare took them swimming and she managed to jump in over her head without it on, was fished out right away, puked all in the pool so they had to close it!! She is still game for swimming, it didn't phase her one bit.

I have never been brave enough to take them swimming on my own yet. Masyn can finally touch the bottom though, so soon I will feel more comfortable.

[Fiver]

http://www.splashabout.com/en/float-jacket-navy-white-dotty/ - for example.

Some swimming teachers will say that armbands aren't really that good as they don't promote a good position in the water.  If she's totally against them, I'd go for either the fin or the float jacket, personally.  Good luck

[Buntybear]

My gym is selling something like this (but a Speedo type) I thought I might buy Olly as he won't wear arm bands either.

http://www.johnlewis.com/211760/Product.aspx?s_pccid=pc_gs__&

[*Liz*]

DS is only just touching the bottom of the shallow bit of the kiddie pool. It is 0.85m as well, but he isn't confident enough to do it without holding the side. So if I have to hold/ restrain DD then DS can do very little iyswim. He needs me to help him as well.

A vest or a fin, or a jacket then. I will have a look about.

I did know some swim schools have given up on armbands now, it was more for my security than actually teaching her to swim.

Glad to see plenty of others refuse them though  . Confidence in numbers!

[rach321]

Have never used armbands with either of mine- a swim fun will support their weight without having them do much work or maybe a swim jacket. My spirited ds1 loves getting his shark fin on!!

[koe2moe]

DS wont even go into water unless he was a koala on me or DH!  There is absolutely no fun to go swimming at all!  Not yet anyways.  I wonder if there are toddler swimming class that M can take if she isnt scared of water.  Over here every kid must take part in swimming lessons at some point.  I am not looking forward to when school starts!  

[*Ali*]

Cadan has been doing lessons for just over a year now and he doesn't use arm bands either. Is there not a family/kiddies pool that is shallower that you can take them to Liz? The one we go to is like a beach style slope that goes from 0 to about 0.5m so cadan can just knock about on his own or with a noodle or float. Having confidence gained from the swimming lessons really helps and he knows to blow bubbles etc. if he goes under the water (which he does deliberately all the time) so I only really need to watch him and not touch him unless he gets into trouble.

[*Liz*]

Nah - no pools that are more shallow near here - ongoing issue of being in a small town really. Nearest beach style entry is about 25miles away.

I do take Megan to Mum and Baby classes, but there are no real swim lessons around here until they are 3 (apart from the baby classes and TBH all she is doing is drowning small babies these days with all her splashing etc, plus from Sept my timetable won't fit that in anymore either).

Koe - I understand the Koala only too well - that is DS really. The last time we went he had a REALLY good time, but the are other times when he won't let go. I have just had to stop his swim lessons as he just screams all the way through  . He does like going with me and Megan, and I am really hoping I can make this work before swim lessons start again  .

But to do that I need neither of them to drown  .

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Nah - no pools that are more shallow near here - ongoing issue of being in a small town really. Nearest beach style entry is about 25miles away.

Same issue for us! Love zero depth pools, but not willing to drive all the time, plus the one in a city near us has a set up where the big pool can be accessed from the kiddie pool and I could so see Spencer trying to sneak off!

[koe2moe]

I know perhaps this isnt what you want, what about a little family pool in your garden for now to build up that confidence in J and you wont have to worry about M?  I know it isnt the same as going out to a pool. 

Koala calls himself baby Koala these days

[*Liz*]

Outdoor pools hardly ever get used in the UK, and certainly not this year  ! Plus Jacob doesn't like them much due to them tending to be cold and tending to get the odd blade of grass in them  .

Jacob is FINE in the bath. He will go under a shower and get water all over his face, will lie down so I can wash his hair, will blow bubbles etc. But hates the pool, so I guess we are at the stage where we need to slowly start doing the pool itself.

Great to hear people's experiences though, and that life jackets and swim fins both have fans. I just need to decide which one to try now!

[koe2moe]

Oh yeah we did have to add a couple liters of hot water in the tiny pool :p.

[*Liz*]

Love it Jen  , but not a bad idea really!!

[babyrose]

We got ayden a swim fin for when we went on holiday. Ayden used this with armbands but held onto us for dear life then dh took off the bands and by the time holiday was just about finished we couldn't get him out the pool!!! And that was the deep end!! Highly recommend them.
HTH