Ditch the puddle jumper!
Look around any neighborhood pool, and you’ll undoubtedly see young children wearing the infamous ‘puddle jumper’. While this is certainly an improvement over the inflatable water wings many of us grew up with, it is NOT a SAFE option.
Puddle jumpers give many young children and their caregivers a false sense of security around the water. Many times, adults think that because the child is in a puddle jumper, they are safe in the water. If the child you are with is in a puddle jumper for any reason, they should be classified as a ‘non-swimmer’, and an adult should be in the water within arms reach of that child. This is also true of children who are novice swimmers, regardless of age.
All too often, a child wearing a puddle jumper is too young to truly understand it’s purpose. Because of their development they are unaware the different ways their body will react in the water wearing the puddle jumper vs not wearing the puddle jumper. There are many times at the pool a caregiver may remove a puddle jumper-adult swim, snack breaks, bathroom breaks, getting ready to leave the pool, and more. Children forget they are not wearing it, and wander into the pool without it on, putting themselves at increased risk for drowning. Many people think that the puddle jumper is a Coast Guard Approved Life Jacket. The infant life jacket this company makes is USCG approved, however the rest of the puddle jumper products for children are NOT, and should not be used as such.
Not only do puddle jumpers give children and their care givers a false sense of security, because of their design, they hold children vertically. Unfortunately, this vertical position is also known as the ‘drowning position’. Young children who have been trained to be vertical in the water typically do not have the strength to maneuver themselves out of this position.
What can you do this season instead of using a puddle jumper?
ALWAYS be within arms reach of non swimmers and beginner swimmers
Make sure your children know how to float on their back
Make sure young toddlers know how to climb out of the pool independently should they fall in (elbow, elbow, knee, knee are great cueing words for this)
Enroll children in swim lessons, particularly lessons that are going to help children find their own buoyancy
If you have multiple children at the pool with you, and feel like it is safest to use a floatation device, please use one that allows the child to be horizontal instead of vertical in the water. Click HERE to see the progressive back float that we suggest.
