Floaties are a popular choice for parents trying to keep their children safe in the water. They’re colorful, easy to use, and widely available. But they can also create a false sense of security, leading many parents to believe their child can safely stay afloat without close supervision.
The reality is that floaties are not life-saving devices and won’t prevent drowning. To better understand why, I spoke with Tammy Van Embden, a USA-level swim coach and certified instructor with over 16 years of experience. She shared the risks of relying on floaties and the most important steps parents can take to help keep children safe around water.
Drowning can happen quickly and quietly, even when adults are nearby, which is why understanding water safety matters so much.
Why Floaties Won’t Prevent Drowning
First, it is essential to understand why floaties will not prevent drowning.
- Young children may not understand the difference between swimming with floaties and being in the water without them. That means it only takes one jump into the water without floaties for a dangerous situation to happen.
- Floaties keep children in a vertical position, which is very different from how the body moves when actually swimming. If a child were to jump in the water without the floaty and try to mimic the movement they make with the floaty in the vertical position, it would drop them right down to the bottom of the pool.
- While floaties may keep a child in a vertical position, they may not necessarily keep the child’s face out of the water.
- Water wings can easily slide off a child’s arm or be punctured and deflate quickly.
10 Ways to Help Prevent Drowning
Now that we understand the risks of floaties, here are practical ways to help reduce the risk of drowning and keep children safer in and around water.
1. Swimming Lessons
Swim lessons are the number one most important gift that you can give to your children. They start as early as 4 months old with a certified and experienced swimming instructor.
2. Don’t Fear the Water
Rather than begin swimming lessons at an early age, some children develop a fear of water when they are not given opportunities to explore it safely. Not only will that not help a child who accidentally falls in, but it also makes it a lot harder for a child to take swimming lessons and become a strong swimmer once parents do decide to introduce lessons. Teach children to love, but respect the water.
3. Familiarity
Begin to get your baby comfortable in the water by introducing it as early as 12 weeks, and make interaction with water a daily occurrence. You can do a mommy and me swimming class, take your baby to an outdoor or indoor pool as often as possible, pour water over their face while bathing them, or take them into the shower with you. Do not block water from getting in your child’s eyes in any of the above situations, so they don’t develop a sensory issue around water, which could keep them from swimming lessons. It is vital for children to feel comfortable and safe in the water and with water in their faces. All of this will make transitioning to swimming lessons easy.
4. Tall Fences
Ensure a tall fence (4-6 feet) around your pool or a fence around the pool of any home you visit with your child. It is also recommended that the fence self-closes and self-latches. That way, no one can forget to close and lock it.
Surprisingly, pool fences are not mandatory in homes. And it’s a lot easier than you would think for a baby to crawl or walk out of a home when someone accidentally leaves a door open, or a toddler or young child learns how to unlock a door and get dangerously close to a pool unsupervised.
5. Learn CPR
Find a local class online here. See also:
6. Don’t Get Distracted
When your children are in the pool, don’t have anything around you that could distract you. Avoid distractions like phones, conversations, or other activities when your child is in the water. If you are with a group, you can take turns designating one responsible adult to have their full attention on the pool for 15-20 minute shifts, so no one gets tired, and everyone has a chance.
7. Remove Temptation
Remove pool toys when the pool is not in use to reduce any temptation for a child to get the toy from the pool or get into the pool to play with it.
8. Child-Proof Locks on Doors
If you have a pool at home, make sure to have second locks on your doors to prevent young children from unlocking the door that leads toward the pool. And remove any doggy doors that a child could climb through.
9. House & Pool Alarms
If you have a pool at home, install alarms on all windows and doors that lead to the pool and a surface disturbance alarm for your pool.
10. Understand the Risk
Don’t think drowning won’t happen to you just because you’re careful. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly, even when you’re being careful.
Water safety is about layers of protection, not relying on a single tool. While floaties may seem helpful, they should never replace supervision, proper swim instruction, and safety measures around your home.
By taking a proactive approach and understanding the real risks, you can create a safer environment for your child to learn, grow, and enjoy the water with confidence
