Hello, my name's Mike and I'm after a bit of advice on swimming aids for our daughter Chloe. Me and my wife have been ships in the wind for the last year or two. Since I had to take more hours to help provide for the extra mouth, we haven't had much time to exercise or spend quality time together as a family. She looks after our daughter most of the days, except when the in-laws take her one day a week so my wife can get a day shift in for a few extra bucks in the kitty. I've been doing 6 days most weeks so pretty much Sunday has been our only day together and often we end up lazing about as we are both shattered. The good news is, I've now walked into a career change that is going to afford me more time with the family with more money for less hours. My wife no longer has to work Saturdays so we'll have two full days together and a lot more of our evenings. So, health & family time are now two massive priorities. One way of tackling both things is to start going swimming on the weekend, we can both practice our own swimming and start burning some calories. We also want to teach our daughter to swim. I was wondering what the best swimming aids were to really help kids of her age get use to the water and have fun at the same time. I'm looking and there's all sorts. Obviously you have arm bands but there's all kinds of floats and boards available. Is there a good proven combo that works? We aren't looking at swimming classes for the time being as that's another expense and commitment but we are really keen on teaching her ourselves. Plus, its good fun-time together as a family. Thanks for any ideas in advance. By the way, I've found a second-hand for sale site that's got some good deals on various products and they also do swimming aids: http://www.for-sale.com/photos.cdn-outlet.com/.../20748-10804-259x292-AUTO.jpg
I used a device called an "egg" or "bubble" to teach my kids to swim, but I haven't seen one around/for sale in awhile. Its and egg shaped float (about 12"x8"x4" thick) that goes on their back with a strap that can be tightened and goes around their belly. The egg has a flat side for the back. I think this belt device by Sporti might work similarly: www.swimoutlet.com/.../ OR www.swiminn.com/.../p OR www.amazon.com/.../B00191TLUY. I would not get an inflatable bubble.
It provides floatation when they are in a prone position in the water and allows them swim on their belly without restricting the action of the arms or feet. It works well for learning to tread water/dog paddle and then for work on arm stroke and breathing in prone position. I also used a kickboard with hand holes to work on kick - I think small size board would work best.
AN EGG/BUBBLE/BUOY AND KICKBOARD ARE NOT LIFESAVING DEVICES AND A NON-SWIIMING CHILD SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE IN THE WATER WITH ANY OF THEM.
Once my kids learned to swim, I kept the egg on them when they were in the ocean to be sure they would always stay up on the surface where I could see and find them.
Perhaps the best way to get them swimming well, is to join a summer club with a team. They need to know how to swim a bit, but in with other kids they really develop skills and get comfortable. 5-6 year olds is probably about right if the team accommodates that age. It doesn't matter if they decide to quit later - you'll have a kid with good swimming skills and won't have to worry.
I found a good instructional sequence on the web for 2-4 year olds that you could follow before employing devices: iml.jou.ufl.edu/.../toddler.html . You can click on the age 4 and older link once you've gone through the 2-4 stuff.
I used a device called an "egg" or "bubble" to teach my kids to swim, but I haven't seen one around/for sale in awhile. Its and egg shaped float (about 12"x8"x4" thick) that goes on their back with a strap that can be tightened and goes around their belly. The egg has a flat side for the back. I think this belt device by Sporti might work similarly: www.swimoutlet.com/.../ OR www.swiminn.com/.../p OR www.amazon.com/.../B00191TLUY. I would not get an inflatable bubble.
It provides floatation when they are in a prone position in the water and allows them swim on their belly without restricting the action of the arms or feet. It works well for learning to tread water/dog paddle and then for work on arm stroke and breathing in prone position. I also used a kickboard with hand holes to work on kick - I think small size board would work best.
AN EGG/BUBBLE/BUOY AND KICKBOARD ARE NOT LIFESAVING DEVICES AND A NON-SWIIMING CHILD SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE IN THE WATER WITH ANY OF THEM.
Once my kids learned to swim, I kept the egg on them when they were in the ocean to be sure they would always stay up on the surface where I could see and find them.
Perhaps the best way to get them swimming well, is to join a summer club with a team. They need to know how to swim a bit, but in with other kids they really develop skills and get comfortable. 5-6 year olds is probably about right if the team accommodates that age. It doesn't matter if they decide to quit later - you'll have a kid with good swimming skills and won't have to worry.
I found a good instructional sequence on the web for 2-4 year olds that you could follow before employing devices: iml.jou.ufl.edu/.../toddler.html . You can click on the age 4 and older link once you've gone through the 2-4 stuff.
