# "Life Jacket" on a kid playing in the waves?



## LilacRhodes

A certain family member has his child wear a life jacket, designed for the child to wear on a boat, to "swim"/play in the waves when they go to the ocean. Not while they're on a boat (well.... actually, he does also wear it on the boat) but also has him wear it when they are just hanging out at the beach with kick boards & such. You can't really swim there unless you're a good enough swimmer to go out past where the waves are breaking, which this kid doesn't do yet. They don't live near the beach, so they are only there for a few short visits (a week or less each time) in the summer.

We're talking about a beach with good-sized waves, side currents (I forget what you call them) and sometimes a strong undertow. I grew up going to that beach (although my parents took us a bit farther down, to the part where they have lifeguards). Never did I see anyone wearing a life vest to play in the waves/ swim. I don't know why, but I feel like it would not make the child safer. Might it even cause a problem?

This dad *will* actually listen to me if I offer advice, but that's b/c he's realized I usually know what I'm talking about when it comes to safety, more than he does at least.... and I make sure my explanation makes sense. In this case I don't really *know* if there's a danger, so I haven't said anything, but does anyone know if this is safe or not?

Just wanted to clarify that unless it *is* really dangerous, I won't waste my time bringing it up.... just something seems weird about it to me.


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## Multimomma

The best thing about it is that it raises the child with the expectation that water play must have a life jacket. With kids, exceptions are difficult to teach. "You have to have one in the river, but not on the banks. You have to wear one DEEP in the water, but not in the waves." There are too many variables...how deep is too deep? How strong of an undertow is too strong? Our area has lost many kids in lakes...parents swear up and down that they weren't out that deep. There's usually a hole, kid loses footing, gets pulled out just enough to not get footing again. Same for the rivers around here...just not a chance I'm willing to take.


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## FaithfulOne

-at lakes I am less concerned, but remain within arms reach up until at least 6-7yo, after that they still need to be in my direct line of sight
-at my Dads, that's on the ocean, they wear life jackets on the dock/boat. There is no shoreline or beach, just straight drop-offs/rocky cliffs (yeah, thats another thread on safety!!







)

I'm curious to see what others think...


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## azdesertrn

I vote to wear the life jacket. I don't think you said how old the child was, but I don't see any problem with the life jacket other than it might give some children a false sense of security and make them a bit more reckless. But, if I am going to have a child get knocked over by a wave I'd rather the life jacket give me a little extra time to get to them.

It might make it a little more awkward for them to stand up/swim smoothly, but a proper coast guard approved jacket should help keep their head above water.

I also vote for a BRIGHT color life jacket so they are easier to spot. (Camouflage or navy blue jackets are not the way to go)


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## Aubergine68

As long as it's not a substitute for parental supervision, I'd be totally for the life jacket. I got into a sticky situation at a beach once when I was about 11 and probably would have drowned if not for the fact that I was still wearing the life jacket I had used while out on a boat earlier that morning.


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## dogretro

I don't see the big deal about wearing the life vest to play. I'm usually pretty go w/ the flow, but when water is involved, that has to be a v quick rescue.


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## lunarlady

I always put a lifejacket on my child when we play at the ocean beach. She is only 3.5 and not a good swimmer. I figure if a rogue wave comes crashing over her head and pulls her out, the lifejacket will draw her to the surface and hopefully give me a window to swim out and save her. Without a life jacket if a rogue wave pulled her in she might not surface agian and just be gone.

Most of my experience with ocean swimming is in northern Californa, where the water is icy cold (shocking), and rogue waves can and have pulled both adults and children into the water. I might be more lax about it on a different beach with lifeguards present (Waikiki beach in Hawaii comes to mind as one where I would let my kid play without a jacket.)


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## astra

We have never put a life jacket on my son while playing in the ocean. He is always in arms reach though! It only takes a second to be knocked down by a wave.


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## mamadelbosque

If I wasn't prepared/didn't want to hang out w/ him and run in the waves myself, I'd do it. Only to help pull him back up if he fell in the wrong spot - cause' it'll still take me a minute to get over there if I'm sitting and talking w/ friends, you know? DS1 knows if he's playing in the lake he needs a life jacket, and he's OK with it. I honestly don't see a darn thing wrong w/ it, or why you'd talk to the dad about it...


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## 2xand2y

I have been told NOT to let my kids wear their life preservers in the ocean. The reason I was given: the buoyancy makes it harder for the child to maintain control and easier for an undertow to pull them out. I STILL put them on my kids because they are not strong enough swimmers to handle the ocean without a "safety net". Like other posters said- I believe the life preservers could save my child's life my buying my extra time to find them and get them out should they loose control.


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## MangoMommy

I live in HI and only see life jackets on tourists. I want my children to learn how to handle themselves in the ocean (under my supervision, of course) and learn what the currents feel like, as they feel different than a swimming pool. They also take swim lessons, and have for about 4-5 yrs, including lessons at the beach. My baby (15 mo) is in the ocean every weekend, usually with us, sometimes I'm sitting at the shoreline while she splashes around me. My older ones started snorkeling with us about age 4 or 5.

If it's rough enough to need a life jacket, my kids aren't going in the water because that usually means the rip currents are too strong. (usually only happens in winter)


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## lifeguard

I am very against the use of lifejackets in this manner. It gives the parents & children a safe sense of security & doesn't teach the child anything, not water safety or how to swim.

I will admit I occasionally put a lifejacket on ds to play in the water for a few minutes but then we take it off again. I do it more to give him a sense of how the buoyancy feels different in the lifejacket & for something fun to do.

I cringe everytime I see parents doing this with their children. I think there are some children who believe they cannot get wet without being in a lifejacket.

Plus, think of how darn uncomfortable they are!


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## Oubliette8

I live near a beach. It has rip currents, strong undertow and waves. Every year people drown when they get carried off by the under tow or the current. Last weekend 2 teenagers drowned after getting caught in a rip tide. On Friday a man drowned just across the state line. Almost always they claim they were not far out, and then someone looked up and they were far out or gone. Sometimes we have double drownings, were a child gets caught in the undertow, and a parent swims out to save them and gets caught themselves. It takes days or weeks to find the bodies.

Young children and non-swimmers should, in my opinion, wear life jackets. And everyone should be supervised like a hawk, and attention paid to beach warnings (here there is a flag system that indicates if its safe to go in). A beach with waves and tide like that is NOT a good place to learn to swim, or for a beginner to practice. I also think an adult should always be in the water with the child. Sure, it looks odd, but the kid is safer with one on than without one.


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## LynnS6

Where we live, there are not only rip currents, but also 'sneaker waves' that come up higher than expected. They can easily knock a child off their feet and into the water. So, if I had a non-swimmer playing in the waves, I'd put the life jacket on. (As it is, the temperature is also rather frigid, so there isn't much playing in the waves.)


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## MusicianDad

The younger kids here wear a life jacket when playing in the water at the beach. If the child trips in the wrong place at the wrong time and goes under, the ocean can and most of will pull them out. With a life jacket they at least stay on the surface where an adult or life guard can spot and catch them. The ocean can be a very dangerous place, even close to shore.

ETA: Where we live, we don't get strong rip tides and the undertows are not nearly as strong, still a non-swimmer is advised to either wear a life jacket or stay close to someone who can swim well. Beaches also tend to have an area cordoned off for swimmers that is fairly neutral though you don't have to stay there.


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## LilacRhodes

Interesting to read all the responses! As I said, I hadn't seen anyone doing it before and it seemed odd. I'm not much of a beach goer as an adult.... especially not when it's hot & sunny. Sometimes I'll take the kids for a walk on the beach when we visit my parents for Thanksgiving.









I was leaning toward thinking it would be an encumbrance and might cause some problem... it definitely doesn't seem like it would help the kid learn to be safe in the ocean.

This has me wondering what effect a life vest would have, in a situation I encountered a number of times when I used to go in the water there.... ~ when the undertow drags you down & the wave flips you around / upside down & you can't tell which way is up until you hit the bottom or come out into the air. Would it make any difference? I have never actually been in the water wearing anything like a life vest...


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## cristeen

Imanother one on the Pacific Coast. With the undertow and riptides common to this area, i wouldnt risk my child out of arms reach without one.


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## MusicianDad

If you're wearing a life jacket in the water, even under the water, you can tell which way is up because the life jacket pulls at you trying to do what it is designed to do which is take you to the surface.


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## mamadelbosque

Yup. Thats the point of a life jacket - it utterly eliminates the confusion as to which way is 'up' - its the way its trying to pull you towards. And even in the ocean it'll pull a young toddler to the surface if a rogue wave knocks them down and pulls them out where they can't stand up (or at least where they aren't able to when surprised). And then you can find them. *THATS* why ds1 would wear a life jacket when playing in the waves in the ocean unless I was *RIGHT THERE* with him - so if a freak wave came he'd still pop up to the surface, and I could go grab him without searching, cause' he can't swim. And we both know it, and thats why he wears a life jacket.


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## StephandOwen

Since this isn't your child I have to say my opinion is "butt out". How would you feel if you told the dad you didn't think it was necessary and he shouldn't put one on the kid and he follows your advice. What if the kid is then at the ocean again, without a life jacket because that was your advice, and he drowns? That's not something I could live with so I would seriously MYOB and let the dad/parents do what they feel is necessary. For some people that's using a life jacket, for others it's not. But it has to be what the PARENT is comfortable with.

My ds goes to the ocean maybe once a year. He can't swim. He has autism and has impulse control issues (he has jumped straight into a lake before without thinking twice). We do not use a life jacket with ds while we're at the ocean. But we feel comfortable with that because there are 2 of us (dp and myself) and only 1 kid. We take turns taking him into the ocean HOLDING HIS HAND the whole time. If he goes in the water, one of us goes with him. When we're sitting down playing in the sand, we're sitting far enough from the water that if he jumped up and ran for the water we would be able to catch him.


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## AquariusHome

When our children are young and not great swimmers we will often intentionally not use floaties on them in the pool (we don't live near an ocean) so that they can learn how to manage themselves and get a sense of reality. They prefer to use floaties because it makes them more independent and can go where they want in any water without fatiguing as quickly, but sometimes we will intentionally "forget" the floaties because we don't want them to rely on it, yk? The life preservers are terrible for learning to swim because they force the child onto his or her back in water any deeper than waist high.

Having said that, this is at a pool where there are no waves (unless you count the crazy teenagers jumping in nearby







) and no undertow. I could see how someone who lives near an ocean and wants their child to learn how to be a very good swimmer in an ocean would make the decision to avoid life preservers in certain circumstances (like the pp who lives in HI) because looking at safety *long term* this might be the safer approach. But in the situation you describe I would definitely be using life preservers.

In any case, I agree with Steph that this is not a situation to offer your opinion. When it comes to safety I think the parent is the only one to make that call. As a parent when I'm taking a calculated risk I always ask myself "if things go wrong will I feel like I made the best decision I could with the information I had?" I would not want that on my shoulders for someone else's child.


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## AllyRae

We have 3 small children--two of which have special needs that impact impulse control and critical thinking skills and one is a toddler. They wear life jackets any time they're in water past their waist--they can't swim and don't have impulse control. They would go into an unsafe situation without thinking twice (and has...my 6 year old was walking on a pool deck and without thinking almost walked right into the deep end of the pool without realizing that it was not the same as walking on the deck. The only reason he didn't is because I caught him as his foot was over the water.)

There are three reasons they wear life jackets--one is because when they are at the lake or otherwise near water, I am usually the only one with all three of them. The second is because it helps them see which way is up if they fall in. Third is because when a child drowns, it is really quiet--they don't thrash or scream--they sink. It can happen in the blink of an eye. With a life jacket, they will float and I will be able to get to them instantly if they happen to get into trouble.

So, for a non-swimmer especially, life jackets are important parts of being near water.


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## beru

I didn’t use one with my son. I agree to an extent that I want them to learn how to handle themselves in the water. My daughter, however, is another story. She has no fear in the water. She jumps away from me and tells me “I can swim” when she clearly can’t. I have lost her at the bottom of the swimming pool. I finally found her and pulled her up by the neck. She wasn’t fazed at all. Really, no fear. So we use a life vest (a cute puddle jumper). Otherwise, I am fighting with her constantly to stop her from trying to jump away from me into the deep water. She is almost 3. The swim lessons around here start at 3. (My son started at 3.5.) I decided I can’t wait so I signed her up for private one-on-one lessons. I want to get her out of the life vest as soon as possible. The rate things are going in lessons, she won’t need one next summer.


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## cschick

When I was growing up, we were all decently strong swimmers (dad was a former lifeguard, all of us used to water and in pools from a young age). But when we were at a "natural" body of water--for us, usually one of the Great Lakes--we wore life jackets to play in the waves until age 6 or 7.


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## 4evermom

I think it's an excellent idea to have a life vest on a child at the ocean. My memories are of the outer banks in North Carolina. The waves were really rough at times, the beach without a lifeguard, and my brother who was about 6 or 7, was almost dragged out. He couldn't get back in on his own. I could barely get myself back in (9 years older). Thankfully my uncle was a strong enough swimmer to help him back.

I don't use floatation devices on ds in lakes, ponds, or pools. But I sure wouldn't feel "safe" just because he was wearing one at the ocean.


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## childsplay

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
I am very against the use of lifejackets in this manner. It gives the parents & children a safe sense of security & doesn't teach the child anything, not water safety or how to swim.

I will admit I occasionally put a lifejacket on ds to play in the water for a few minutes but then we take it off again. I do it more to give him a sense of how the buoyancy feels different in the lifejacket & for something fun to do.

I cringe everytime I see parents doing this with their children. I think there are some children who believe they cannot get wet without being in a lifejacket.

Plus, think of how darn uncomfortable they are!

I totally disagree with this.
My children were raised on the water and wore lifejackets every day. On the boat, on the wharves and yes, at the beach.
While they never gave me a false senses of security they did allow my three toddlers and myself a little more freedom than 'arms reach' would ever allow, especially on a beach with surf rolling in.

They're great swimmers, learned very young, and have a deep knowledge of water safety and a respect for the ocean. And while we, not the lifejackets taught them these things, the lifejackets kept them safe while doing it.

And uncomfortable? I would think brain damage from a near drowning, a spinal injury from being slammed into the sand by a rogue wave, or a body recovery would be far, far more uncomfortable than even the bulkiest lifejacket.

OP - I wouldn't say anything, the family in question is doing what they feel is best for their child. I would be seriously ticked if someone questioned me on it.


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## peainthepod

In a pool with proper supervision, I'm pretty opposed to lifejackets or other flotation devices. They give parents and kids a false sense of security and can be huge hindrances to properly learning to swim. But in the ocean or a choppy lake, a Coast Guard-approved PFD is a very good idea, especially for little ones who may not be strong swimmers or have the best impulse control yet. On some beaches, even an ankle-high wave can knock a grown adult down and sweep them out; you can imagine how much riskier it is for someone who is barely three feet tall.

22-month-old DS doesn't wear floaties or a PFD at the pool or at our summer lake, because both are very calm, controlled environments. But when we take him to the beach--ocean or bay--he wears a lifejacket. And I'm a former lifeguard and swim instructor and never out of arm's reach! But it only takes a second for a kid to slip under the surface and disappear forever. As a PP pointed out, drowning is nothing like what you see in the movies. Usually it's totally silent and unnoticeable. With a brightly colored lifejacket on, I will be able to immediately find him even if he can't call for help. Without one...the odds are slim.


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## leighi123

My ds only wears a life jacket on boats that are powered by something other than me (sail boat, speed boat), or in rapids (where there are rocks that could knock him out).

But generally he does not wear one for things like kyaking in a lake, pedel boats, going to the beach (which we do several times a week)

He is a VERY good swimmer, but cannot swim and panicks when wearing a life jacket, which makes him freak out and drink water/choke on it. So if he is in a situation where I can grab him easily, he doesnt wear one - the times he does wear one he isnt actuall in the water with it on.

They require them at the waterpark for kids under 42", and it sucks for him to go in any water over his head because he doesnt know how to swim with one on. Without one, he is fine and can float on his back/swim/tread water - in our pool at home he can only touch on the stairs, but swims all over it no problem.

My vote is - its not unsafe for him to wear one in the ocean, UNLESS wearing one = less supervision. If he gets tumbled he will still go under even with one on, could swallow water, hit his head on a rock etc.


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## WC_hapamama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *peainthepod* 
On some beaches, even an ankle-high wave can knock a grown adult down and sweep them out; you can imagine how much riskier it is for someone who is barely three feet tall.

A little over a year ago, a family at our school lost it's mother and youngest child (5) because they drowned after being knocked over in ankle deep water by a rogue wave at a beach known for having a vicious rip current. The older daughter escaped because she managed to outrun the wave before it hit her.

If the little one had been wearing a life jacket, she'd probably be alive today.

I think it makes good sense to have a child wear a pfd at a beach. How many children actually know how to get out of a rip current?


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## MangoMommy

I will say in my case, nearly all the beaches we go to barely have any waves, almost totally flat. The water just barely laps against the sand.


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## Andrea Markham

Agree the parents are doing what is in my eyes good safety measures. I have 2 special needs kids out of 5 that we take swimming one is our 5 year old and one is my husbands Autistic 9 years old Arm bands are to small now so we are looking atcool kids Life jackets for them to wear at public pools here in NZ. In Our eyes its SAFETY FIRST. As long as i know the kids are safe who cares if others look sideways.


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## mum2sarah

As a mom who in the past had been a certified lifeguard for a decade, I am very cautious about the ocean and rivers--anywhere that has currents or riptides that can go unseen. As a very strong swimmer at the age of 13 I almost drown in an unseen current in the Youghiogheny River. My 7 and 9 year old are not allowed in the ocean deeper than where the water is up to their knees at the lowest point in the wave cycle. Even then there are sometimes waves that are bigger than they can handle, so I or DH must always be within arms reach. Those are our rules. We only go to the beach for 1 wk/yr and last year my oldest was an ok pool swimmer and youngest couldn't swim without floaties. We kept the floaties on her and her older sister used nothing, since we didn't have a life vest, but if we'd had them, they both would have worn them. I have been thinking of investing in them, as I believe they are the safest thing to use. DD2 subsequently took swim lessons at a local pool and can now she can swim independently for small stints. But by the time summer rolls around again, she may not remember her newfound skills. So our rules will likely be the same this year. IMO, I think there's a bigger risk of being lulled into a false sense of security thinking of the ocean waves as simply fun things for kids to play in than by putting a life vest on our LO. We need to have a healthy respect for mother nature because she has zero respect for us. That said, I still believe the *safest* arrangement is not just having kids wear life vests in the ocean but also by *always* also being within arms reach because drownings can happen in the blink of an eye.


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## ameliabedelia

I grew up near the ocean (Atlantic Ocean) and we currently live near the Gulf so we spend a lot of time in the water. I have never put my kids in life jackets. My gut has always said that it seems less safe, because a child is more likely to go deeper out and because the jacket is pulling them up, they have less grip/strength in their feet to hold them in an upright position and are more likely to get knocked about by the waves.. I'm very strict about how deep I allow my children to go. In calm water (small waves) my 7 and 9 yo aren't allowed past their respective waists, and my 3-yo isn't allowed past his knees unless an adult is holding his hand at all times. If there are moderate waves (and we never get really big waves), the 7 and 9 year old aren't allowed past their knees and the 4-yo not past his ankles. We go to the ocean frequently and I grew up in the ocean, I feel that learning how to stand in waves, learning how to jump up and ride the wave and how to keep one's balance with the wave is important and since a life jacket increase buoyancy, I'm afraid it's going to throw balance off. I'm not a lifeguard or an expert or anything, this is just my gut feeling. I feel that having a safe, strong grip on the ocean floor while standing, staying in shallow water and being familiar with waves and how to ride them, and staying out of water known for riptides or strong currents is the most important factor for safety. Where we live now, there is one beach which is known for having sneaky riptides and at the beach, swimming is prohibited. Where I grew up, there was one beach that everyone *knew* was dangerous, and we never went there. So, I feel like generally it is "known" where the dangerous beaches are, so doing research before going and swimming is also important. This is for the Atlantic and Gulf anyway. I've never been to the Pacific..I think the Pacific generally has higher waves and stronger tides, so that could be different.

In all of my childhood swimming in the ocean, I can only remember being knocked down by waves a few times, and then it wasn't a big issue to find my feet and stand back up again. As soon as the wave passed, I quickly was able to get upright again and stand up, so I never felt in any great danger. But, I also never went out very deep and was always cautious in that regard.

Now, if we my kids were ever on boat or anything, they would definitely wear life jackets.


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## Elcie

I am also a former lifeguard and my kids all wear life vests when visiting the ocean. They are not allowed beyond their mid chests and the youngest (not a very good swimmer) is only allowed to wade.

At the pool or lake, they don't use flotation devices and I watch them like a hawk the entire time. (I am definitely not the mom thumbing through a beach read!) I am pleased that our favorite lakeside beach, where we do most of our swimming, enforces an impartial swim test for their deep area.


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## MacKinnon

My kids always wear life jackets on boats, we live on a lake (well across the street, it's not in our back yard) and all the parents around here have the same rule. We also live near the Great Lakes, and I see probably better than half of the kids playing in the waves in life jackets, mine always do. Even my nearly 8 year old who is a pretty stronger swimmer. They do not have to wear a life jacket when swimming in our shallow lake with an adult in the water with them. If the adults are not planning on swimming, then they can go into their waist without a life jacket, but if they go deeper they have to have one. We're working on how we change this as DD gets older and becomes a stronger swimmer.

This summer I had a girl friend and her kids over to swim and we had this whole big discussion. Her kids are NEVER allowed in the water without life jackets, her son is also nearly 8 and can't swim. He can't swim because he is NEVER allowed in the water without a life jacket and they have not done classes. He is afraid of the water, I do think in part because she is always shouting at him about how dangerous it is. She feels I am teaching them bad habits by allowing them in without life jackets, ESPECIALLY without an adult. The problem I have here, is that she is not making an effort to teach them to swim, and at nearly 4 and nearly 8, I wonder when she will start teaching them or bending somewhat on this? Obviously, it's not my choice to make, but we live in Michigan and are surrounded by water. There are lakes everywhere. I want my kids to be able to swim.


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## philomom

Until they were proficient swimmers. heck yes! Better to look like you have a cautious mom than to have a slip and end up drowned.


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## cristeen

Another really old thread revived...

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ameliabedelia*
> 
> This is for the Atlantic and Gulf anyway. I've never been to the Pacific..I think the Pacific generally has higher waves and stronger tides, so that could be different.


I think this may be a big contributing factor in the differences of attitudes seen here. I remember reading a book once, don't remember what it was, but a surfer from the W Coast moved to the E Coast with his family and was so disappointed at no longer being able to surf because the waves weren't big enough. He actually was surfing during a hurricane because finally the waves were similar in size to the ones on the W Coast that he was familiar with.

Where I grew up, the ocean was a force to be reckoned with. You never turned your back on it, and if you couldn't swim you had no reason to be any further than ankle deep in it. We live on a bay now, and I took DS to the beach last week, and was rather shocked (we never go to the beach). I wouldn't have any problem with him wading here even at his age (2 yo). There were no waves, just a gentle lap-lap-lap. I've seen bigger waves on Lake Michigan.

Another difference between the E and W coast oceans is the temperature. On (most of) the W coast the average ocean temp doesn't hit 60 year round, and can get a lot colder than that. Getting hit with a wave at those temps can knock your wind out and you can quickly lose feeling in your extremities.

Where we are now, I wouldn't have a problem with water loving, autistic 2 yo DS going wading without a jacket. But where I grew up, he would be wearing a jacket.


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## aus5

It is an old thread!

I would not let my children wear life jackets at the beach over the age of 2. My children (6, 8 & 9) are not strong pool swimmers (9 year old is terrified of pools, go figure) but can manage in the ocean quite well.

We are at the beach at least once a week (Pacific Ocean) and I cannot imagine how they would swim across a rip in a floatation device. Most of the children stuck in the rips at the beaches we frequent are on floatation devices and cannot use their muscle strength to wade (or swim) across to safety, once the wind blows they're in the rip and have no control.

If they have no chance of using their own muscle power anyway (like my 2 year old) I may consider it but she would normally be in my (or Dad's) arms


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## leighi123

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *aus5*
> 
> It is an old thread!
> 
> I would not let my children wear life jackets at the beach over the age of 2. My children (6, 8 & 9) are not strong pool swimmers (9 year old is terrified of pools, go figure) but can manage in the ocean quite well.
> 
> We are at the beach at least once a week (Pacific Ocean) and I cannot imagine how they would swim across a rip in a floatation device. Most of the children stuck in the rips at the beaches we frequent are on floatation devices and cannot use their muscle strength to wade (or swim) across to safety, once the wind blows they're in the rip and have no control.
> 
> If they have no chance of using their own muscle power anyway (like my 2 year old) I may consider it but she would normally be in my (or Dad's) arms


But would a 3yr old know how to swim out of a rip? And would those kids that get caught have the control/strength and knowledge of which way to swim had they not been wearing a lifejacket? Many adults don't even know the 'procedure' for that, and just swim to shore until they are exahusted and thats when bad things happen. Its pretty unlikely that a young kid would know exactly what to do if they got caught in one, so it would be important for them to keep afloat until rescued. Hopefully, parents/lifeguards are supervising well enough that they could go get the kid if they got caught and couldn't get back in.

It is hard to swim in a lifejacket if you aren't used to it, and my ds who is an awesome swimmer has a hard time in one (just got a surf board, and I'm fine with him boogy boarding in the ocean on his own, he is 4). BUT he has friends who wear lifejackets any time they are near water and they can move pretty quick swimming in one. So it depends on the kid and what they are used to.

But I wouldnt consider not putting a lifejacket on a 3yr old based on the possiblity that they couldn't swim out of a rip if they had one on. I'd be more worried that they stay floating if they panic.


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## aus5

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *leighi123*
> 
> But would a 3yr old know how to swim out of a rip? And would those kids that get caught have the control/strength and knowledge of which way to swim had they not been wearing a lifejacket? Many adults don't even know the 'procedure' for that, and just swim to shore until they are exahusted and thats when bad things happen. Its pretty unlikely that a young kid would know exactly what to do if they got caught in one, so it would be important for them to keep afloat until rescued. Hopefully, parents/lifeguards are supervising well enough that they could go get the kid if they got caught and couldn't get back in.
> 
> It is hard to swim in a lifejacket if you aren't used to it, and my ds who is an awesome swimmer has a hard time in one (just got a surf board, and I'm fine with him boogy boarding in the ocean on his own, he is 4). BUT he has friends who wear lifejackets any time they are near water and they can move pretty quick swimming in one. So it depends on the kid and what they are used to.
> 
> But I wouldnt consider not putting a lifejacket on a 3yr old based on the possiblity that they couldn't swim out of a rip if they had one on. I'd be more worried that they stay floating if they panic.


I guess the difference is in how we "play" at the beach.

I am always talking to them about what we're doing and why, they know what a rip looks like, what drowning looks (and sounds) like, where to go to get help.

I approach going to the beach in the same way as I do teaching them to cross roads; I carry them and talk to them about what's going on, ask questions to make sure they understand. Then they walk holding my hand, still lots of communication, eventually they brake away from me with all the information I have (and hopefully some of their own too!).

For me, a life-jacket would really hinder the whole prcess.

I wouldn't let a 3 year old be near the water on their own!

My children know how to swim across a rip, they know that if it gets too strong they should float on their backs. I think a 3 year old should understand that.

My 2 year old doesn't really understand yet but by the time she's 3, I'd anticipate that she would.

I guess if I didn't know this information myself I'd probably just be too terrified to take them near the water!


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## mum2sarah

But it's one thing to know in theory how to swim if you get caught in a rip; it's an entirely different thing to remember what to do in the panic of the moment if you actually do get caught in one. Even as a strong swimmer at 13 years old (2 yrs before becoming a certified lifeguard myself), I knew, in principle, what to do if I got caught in a river current, but when I found myself actually caught in one, I almost didn't have the presence of mind to draw upon that knowledge and act on it, and only very narrowly escaped disaster. I think it's a pretty tall order to expect a preschooler to have that capacity. As I said before, mother nature has no regard for us. She can be cruel and couldn't care less that it's just a little kid's life she takes... Nothing to "play" with IMO. There are plenty of "unnatural" things we do all the time and take for granted. Being land creatures who breathe air, we absolutely need to be able to surface to survive, just as whales and dolphins do. That is what a lifejacket does for us if all other things fail. Just like moving at a speed that vehicles take us is "unnatural" and thus we need protection (seatbelts, car seats, airbags, etc.) just in case that momentum meets a stopped object. I don't see what could possibly be bad about having that failsafe in place.


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## leighi123

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *aus5*
> 
> I guess the difference is in how we "play" at the beach.
> 
> I am always talking to them about what we're doing and why, they know what a rip looks like, what drowning looks (and sounds) like, where to go to get help.
> 
> I approach going to the beach in the same way as I do teaching them to cross roads; I carry them and talk to them about what's going on, ask questions to make sure they understand. Then they walk holding my hand, still lots of communication, eventually they brake away from me with all the information I have (and hopefully some of their own too!).
> 
> For me, a life-jacket would really hinder the whole prcess.
> 
> I wouldn't let a 3 year old be near the water on their own!
> 
> My children know how to swim across a rip, they know that if it gets too strong they should float on their backs. I think a 3 year old should understand that.
> 
> My 2 year old doesn't really understand yet but by the time she's 3, I'd anticipate that she would.
> 
> I guess if I didn't know this information myself I'd probably just be too terrified to take them near the water!


We go to the beach several times a week year round, and read the "rip current" sign every time we go down there, look at whatever flag the lifeguard has up to show the conditions, watch the water before going in... but I wouldn't trust a child to know which way to swim, to be able to judge which direction the rip is going AND remember which way they need to go in comparison to that, all while being dragged along in the water, with a disoriented view of shore and by themselves? And even kids that can swim quite well have a hard time floating on their backs in the waves.

Can your 2/3yr olds swim? As in strongly swim long distances with no adult help, know how to hold their breath for a period of time, know how to handle waves if they crash them down, and can swim without holding onto anything? My 4.5yr old can, but he took infant survival swim classes. He was evaluated at a year old by having him float on his back for almost 30min in full winter clothing, and he has been recertified every year sense. He also swims almost every day. Most kids I know who are his age are no where close to being able to do that. And at 2yrs old, I 100% trusted ds to swim in a pool on his own while I just watched from the side, but not the ocean, the ocean is unpredictable, and for a toddler to anticipate what its doing AND concentrate on their swimming skills is a lot to ask.

And its a different situation when you are talking a kid in the water with an adult, adult directly, physically in charge of that kids safety - thats the time you teach safety skills. But if they are a non-swimmer or not a great swimmer and playing in the waves while mom watches from the beach towel? They aren't learning the survival skills then, they are just playing, and an adult needs time to react if something happens, so thats when a lifejacket makes sense.

And like I said, not for all kids, my ds I trust to handle the ocean, but I don't know any other kids under the age of 6 that I would. My ds terrifies people with his ability to hold his breath and swim under waves for a long time, and in pools because of this lifeguards have gone in after him several times (each time he was embrarrased because he had no idea he was freaking them out by doing what he always does, its not normal for a kid to hold their breath that long, I can't even do it and I'm a strong swimmer!)

Ds knows how to cross a street properly, we've talked about it hundreds of times, and he can cross one safely most of the time, yet I always hold his hand going across busy roads with lots of cars.


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## purslaine

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Oubliette8*
> 
> Young children and non-swimmers should, in my opinion, wear life jackets. And everyone should be supervised like a hawk, and attention paid to beach warnings (here there is a flag system that indicates if its safe to go in). A beach with waves and tide like that is NOT a good place to learn to swim, or for a beginner to practice. I also think an adult should always be in the water with the child. Sure, it looks odd, but the kid is safer with one on than without one.


This


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## alpenglow

I'd congratulate this parent on choosing to have a life jacket on his child.

Personally, I think swimming lessons and very very closely supervised water play (arms reach at all times) are the only times when it should be removed. I had a scary experience in a swimming pool with my 4 yr old dd...she was in arms reach and on a flutter board. I turned my head away for one second, and next thing you know she was under water. I plucked her out right away (she was used to putting her head underwater and holding her breath, otherwise, I wouldn't have let her play on the flutter board in water that was just over her head). Had I not been right next to her, I wouldn't have known where she was. Would have been far worse in a lake or ocean setting. I'm super vigilant usually....so this little slip up was a shocker, and reminded me how easily it can happen to even the most safety conscious among us. I also think it's important for kids to learn how the water feels with or without a life jacket - and the supervision MUST be arms reach and constant visual contact.

The only concern I would have is, like any safety device, that it fits properly and is secured properly. a life jacket that is too loose will ride up. It must be snug with a crotch strap in order to ensure the child's head stays above water.


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## brigala

I know this is an old thread, but I came across it while researching lifejackets for my kiddo (we're thinking of buying a boat).

I realize there are a lot of different opinions but I thought I'd share the CDC's take on it:

http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/drowning/

Quote:


> *Make life jackets a "must." *Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too.


I think it's silly to expect a very young child, even one who is a strong swimmer, to be able to keep a level head and swim across a rip tide or figure out which way was up if the child was accidentally swept out by a sneaker wave. Yes, there are some ocean situations where I might not make my child use a life jacket. I have been on calm/sheltered enough beaches in Hawaii that I think it would be OK. I know a family who lost a toddler to drowning when the parents were carrying the child across a river. The parent lost his footing and slipped and lost his grip on the child. There were four adults and one child present, and none of the adults were able to find the child who was sucked under the water. The child was found down river days later. A life jacket would have most likely saved the child. Supervision and even holding on to your child are not adequate substitutes for a PFD in all situations, just as wearing a PFD is no substitute for adequate supervision. BOTH need to be used in order to protect our children. Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 (with car accidents coming in a close second). There is no such thing as too much caution (not to say there's no such thing as paranoia; keeping children away from water entirely is excessive and counter-productive).

Of course I'm not saying every child needs to wear a life jacket for every visit to the beach. Children are different, circumstances are different, beaches are different. But I would never ever second guess a parent who was being cautious and using a life jacket in a situation like that. Using a life jacket near open water does not mean the parent isn't also teaching the child to swim without one. And there is no doubt at all that a life jacket is safer than no life jacket. Yeah, it's harder to swim with a life jacket, but it's easier to find and stay at the surface and be rescued. Suggesting that it's somehow safer to be without the life jacket is like saying it's safer to not wear a seat belt and be thrown from the car. Sure there are a few freak accidents where seat belts cause injury or death, but statistically it's much more common that they save lives. Same thing with life jackets.


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## redvlagrl

Wow. I am going to be the dissenter here, but there is no way I would put a life jacket on my kid for the beach. The ocean is dangerous. I want my kids to grow up knowing this without the false sense of security a life jacket gives. Basically, until my child is an excellent swimmer they go into the water with me within arms reach.

I grew up in Australia and it's totally unheard of to swim in a life jacket.


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## brigala

I am not sure I understand that argument at all. Surely you're not suggesting that parents who put life jackets on their kids for splashing in the water are failing to properly supervise their children and keep them within arm's reach. If you are, that's rather insulting to be honest.

Using a life jacket near the water is no more instilling a false sense of security than using a helmet on a bicycle or a seat belt in a car. These are safety devices that we use because an activity is dangerous, and they help increase the chance that an accident can be survived without injury. As the story I wrote in my last post illustrates, having the child in arm's reach - or even in your arms - does not guarantee that the child won't drown. Neither does a life jacket, but it helps increase the odds of survival. If my child is knocked out of my arms by a wave or in a river, I want the child to bob back up to the top where I can find her right away, rather than calling divers to spend the next week looking for her body.

Swimming in a life jacket is a totally different thing from using a life jacket while a child plays near the water or on a dock or a boat. Of course children should be taught to swim without a life jacket. But if you're playing on the beach with your child and splashing in the waves, and a sneaker wave comes up and sweeps you both out into the water, swimming alone may not save either of you. More likely than not, if the family I know had been using a life jacket for their toddler when they were playing in the river together, their child would be alive today.


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## JudiAU

We do the same because I think that in an emergency, they are safer that way. There is no way to closely watch three children all at once, most of the kids are fairly young and inexperienced swimmers, and they tend to get knocked down in the waves. Most kids do not have swimming pools and frequent access to the water and there is summer learning curve for everyone.

In addition, we have the kids take swimming lessons, provide close supervision, talk about water safety and none of that does much in preventing a tragic accident. We have never told them that a life jacket will keep them safe and I don't think it will. But I do think it enhances the safety of the situation.

I don't understand your implication that they are somehow less safe?

We actually know a family (with terrific water skills and great parenting) who lost one of their children during wave play. Huge wage came, mom grabs the youngest, oldests surfaces okay but takes in a lot of water, dad is on beach and also watching and runs to the waves and by the time he gets there the middle she is under, cannot be immediately be found, and is dead when they find her. Mom had attended CPR class two weeks before.

And yeah, I love safety jackets. My uncle saw a boat capsize a few years and went in to rescue. Three children wearing life vests survivied. Neither parent was wearing a life vest and he was only able to save one of them. He is a big man but he couldn't rescue both people.


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