The other reason we don't like floaties, from a coaching perspective, is because of the position they put children in when they are in the water. The swimming position is horizontal, either face down or face up. When we put flotation on the arms, it moves the buoyancy  up so high that the child moves through the water vertically.

It turns out that this is the drowning position, and this is not how we want to teach our children to move through the water. The one time they find themselves in the water without the arm bands on, they find that they cannot efficiently move through the water to get to safety or to float on their back.

A puddle jumper, however, is Coast Guard Approved, so if you are wearing one in open water, you are considered legal.

Life Jackets

Really the best option for your child is a good old-fashioned life jacket. To know what to look for while you are shopping for a life jacket, just open it up and look at the label. Here are some things you need to look for in a good life jacket:

• Coast Guard Approved

You will want to see a Coast Guard Approved stamp. Coast Guard Approved means that your jacket has been tested for impact standards. Choosing a Coast Guard Approved jacket means that it is durable, you can rely on it, and it is legal in open water. 

• Size

The next thing you will want to look for is the size. They are sized by weight. Infant jackets are rated for less than 30 pounds, while child jackets are rated for 30-50 pounds.

• Type

Finally you will want to know what type you have. A Type II jacket means that if the child finds themselves unconscious face down in the water, the jacket will automatically roll them to their back so they can breathe. You can spot a Type II jacket two ways even if the label is faded. They have a pillow on the back, and there's no foam on the back side of the jacket, only on the front. ​

 Everything in Moderation

A good life jacket is the way to go for a flotation device, but it should be used in moderation. If the child spends all of their time in the water using flotation, then the one time they end up in the water without it, they are not going to know how the water and their body interact, which can be really dangerous for them. A majority of your infant, toddler, and preschooler time in the water should be spent with you holding them in the water, and only using the jacket when necessary. 

How to Fit a Jacket

To fit a jacket, you will want to pull all the straps as tight as they can go, and don't forget about the bottom strap. This is called the straddle strap. It goes between their legs and keeps them from slipping out of the jacket.

Your instinct may be to make the jacket loose in order to make the child more comfortable, but they will really be more comfortable the tighter it is.

Once they are all buckled in, slide your fingers above each shoulder and pull up. As long as the jacket is not obstructing the mouth or the nose, it is a good fit. If it comes up over their face, that means you need to tighten the straps more. 

At Safety Before Skill, we are big believers in early intervention swim lessons, but we also promote always wearing life jackets in open water. Because when life jackets are worn, nobody mourns. 

1. Don't Protect Your Child's Face in the Bath

These attitudes and beliefs about the water really start in the bathtub. It's important to send the message to your child that it's okay to have water in your face. 

Often parents will buy those big styrofoam or plastic visors at Target for $20 that are designed to keep the water from getting in their child's face during bath time. We certainly don't want soap in their eyes or face, but once the soap is out of the way, parents need to start playfully drizzling or pouring water over their child's face during bath time.

This can be done with a sprinkle cup like you can find at the dollar store, Walmart, or Target, but if you don't want to buy one, you can make one at home with a plastic cup or small bowl with drilled holes in the bottom.

It's great to teach them a queue as well, like we do in swim lessons. Just to give them a warning and let them know the water is coming. "Ready, go" is all that's necessary.

You can also allow your child to splash in the tub. Yes, you don't want them splashing in the tub because it makes a mess. It gets water all over the floor, and that's annoying. But, if you can come up with a way that allows your child to splash during bath time, even for a couple moments, it will get water in their face, and that will help promote a healthy relationship with the water.

2. Don't Be Afraid of the Water Yourself

If one of the parents is fearful of water, the child is going to pick up on that any time they are near water with them. We don't always notice it, but when we're afraid, we tense up, we have a tighter grip, our words become very pursed and short, and our body language says so much more than our words.

If a parent is overreacting or showing fear near the water with their child, then regardless of the words that come out of their mouth, the child is going to be afraid too by association.

It's really important for fearful parents to get themselves into swim lessons first or join their child in lessons, so they can work on their own attitudes and beliefs about the water. 

3. Don't Only Go to Swim Lessons

For a lot of kids that come to us, the only interaction they have in the water is during lessons, and no matter how playful we make those lessons, it's still work, and it can still be mentally exhausting for them.

They need twice as much time to play in the water as they get in lessons. So, if they are getting 30 minutes of lesson time, they really need one hour extra in the water just to play. Even if that means that giving them extra time in the bathtub or even a wading pool in the backyard to play around and build a relationship with the water.

It's important for the child to build a relationship with the water, and if the only terms of that relationship are to work, then it becomes very one-sided, and they will not want to be in the water anymore.

Plus, when they have time to play, they'll experiment with what they are learning in lessons. They also get to see other kids doing things in the water, and that peer pressure sometimes helps encourage them to do things they otherwise wouldn't.

During play time, your child does not have to do anything they don't want to do. They don't have to work. They still have to follow the safety rules such as certain drown prevention and safety measures, like asking permission, using the wall to climb in and out, or using their life jacket in open water, but other than that, they can call the shots. That will help increase their confidence in the water. 

4. Don't Use Flotation Devices All the Time

Using the right flotation device with your child is not just about raising a child who is not fearful of the water, but also a child who is safe in the water.

However, children who have to wear a life jacket, puddle jumper, or floaties every time they are in the water don't realize that they can't swim.

One day they are going to make it to the water without that flotation device and have zero concept of what their limits are. If you are using a flotation device for your child, for every 30 minutes they are in the flotation, they should have at least one hour with you holding them and supervising them so they can begin to learn how their body interacts with the water and build that relationship without flotation.

This is also an opportunity for bonding with your child. Skin-to-skin contact helps develop their tactile system, and it builds a trust bond between parent and child.

This way they know their limits, and they can practice their skills freely. They should not be spending 100% of the time they are in the water in a puddle jumper, or even in a life jacket. Just like everything else, moderation is key.

However, if you are choosing puddle jumpers, floaties, or anything that includes bands on the arms, you are not doing your children any swimming favors. These devices will teach your children habits and muscle memory in the water that is contrary to swimming and survival. Flotation devices that cover the arms teach the children to move in a vertical position (what we call the drowning position) in the water, rather than horizontal.

A lifejacket is really the best choice for flotation because it will allow them to get horizontal. 

5. Don't Tell Them They Are Going to Drown

Don't ever tell your child they are not allowed to do something in the water because they are going to drown or because they're going to die. You would  be surprised by how many parents say that.

Instead, frame the language in a way that it tells them how to be safe. For example, "You're not ready to jump off the diving board quite yet, let's practice jumping in the shallow end first."

This shows them that the water is not a scary, dangerous place, but a place to learn and grow.

6. Don't Wait for Swim Lessons

At Safety Before Skill, we start swim lessons at age 4 months because we believe the earlier you get a child in lessons the better. We especially like to have them in the lesson program before their first birthday, or as soon as they're mobile or walking.

If you wait until the "Terrible Twos" or the "Trying Threes" to do lessons, then other challenges come into play. What parents often mistake as a fear of the water is really just toddler behavior or separation anxiety.

It's best to start them as early as possible.

7. Don't Teach Sink or Swim

There is no evidence to suggest that this method works. A good majority of the adults in this country that can't swim or are afraid to get water in their face (which is approximately 40% of the adults in the US) say their parents threw them in and told them "figure it out."

This creates a trauma that cannot be undone. It will cause a lifetime of damage for your child even if they never talk about it.

The best way to learn to swim is in a nurturing environment where they are safe and where they can build a healthy relationship with the water on their terms.

Never use the sink or swim approach for learning to swim. It should not be taught from a place of fear, but from a place of dignity and respect regardless of their age. 

If you don't do these 7 things, you will raise children that have a healthy relationship with the water with positive attitudes and beliefs. These will then lead to, with the help of lessons and layers of protection, children who know how to keep themselves out of trouble in the water and know how to swim.

Location

We have three locations to choose from, so make sure you are coming to the right one.

If you are coming to our West Little Rock location, please come to the front desk and sign in on our tablet. You can sign in using either the telephone number or email address you have on file with us. From there you can proceed through the glass pool doors. Your locker rooms, showers, and restrooms are on your right, and on your left is the seating deck. Please keep small children on the wooden seating deck during lesson time. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Your coach will come and find you when it is time for your lesson.

If you have chosen UCA in Conway for your lessons, first you will turn right off Dave Ward at the stoplight to Farris. Then, turn right on Student Lane, drive through the three-way stop, and park in the parking lot on your right. You can park in any spots lined in white, unless it is after 5:00 p.m., then you can also park in the spots lined in yellow. If you park in a metered spot, you will need to pay the meter fee or you risk getting ticketed.

Once you park, follow the sidewalk towards the HPER Center. You will enter through the sliding glass doors decorated with the purple bear emblem. Once you arrive at the front desk, please tell the student workers you are here for swim lessons, and they will grant you entry through the turnstiles. Once through the turnstiles, turn right, and walk towards the aquatics center locker rooms. Women's on the left, and men's on the right. This is how you will enter the pool. Once your lessons are over, please exit the facility the same way you entered, and be sure to keep children off of exercise equipment.

If you have chosen our North Little Rock location, you'll be at Rick's Dive and Travel Center. Come in through the front entrance, and proceed through the left to find the pool. Have a seat on the deck, and the coach will come to get you when it is time for your lesson. 

Lesson Time

Your lesson is a 30 minute one-on-one private lesson with an assigned coach. Included in that 30 minutes is time for the child to make a transition in the water, warm up a bit, and get to know their coach while they're on the noodles.

Also included in your 30 minute lesson is a briefing from your coach. Your coach will dismiss your child just a few minutes before the end of their lesson so that they have time to come talk to you. They can show you the lesson chart, and you can see what stage your child is on. You will get this information every time you come to the pool so that you can keep up with their progression as they move along. 

RainoutLine

While you're watching your child's first swim lesson, I encourage you to sign up for the RainoutLine. RainoutLine is a separate third-party service we use to notify you should the pool close.

The pool could close for many different reasons. It can be because there is lightning in the area, or someone may have had a bowel movement or an episode of vomit in the pool. If that happens, we would need to shut the pool down for a period of time, and we will send you a text message to let you know. So please subscribe to the  RainoutLine so you will get your text message on time. 

Attendance Policy

Please do not drop off your children at swim lesson. We need you to be on the property for the entire 30 minutes. This is especially true if there is a medical emergency, or if your child needs to go to the bathroom. Our coaches are not permitted to accompany your swimmer into the bathroom.

If your child is sick, please do not bring them to class. We will gladly exchange your lesson for another day. We want your child to be at their best when they are at swim lessons, and we want to keep our coaches healthy as well. 

Parent Portal

Have you signed in to your Parent Portal yet? We offer this service online so that you can cancel appointments and reschedule appointments at your convenience. At any given time, you can log on to your Parent Portal on the website, or using the Pike 13 app on your phone. Click on "Your Stuff" to see your dashboard. You can view your schedule, cancel appointments, and schedule exchange lessons all from the convenience of your own home any time, 24/7, day or night. 

Thank you so much for choosing Safety Before Skill for your swim lessons! We are so happy to have you here. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to call us at (501) 940-1287.

"Being able to not drown in the water. I want my child to be comfortable in the water and to be able to swim if she finds herself in the water when an adult is not there." - Thea Noggle

"Swimming is not drowning. My goal for my kids is to learn how to get themselves out of the pool to safety if they happen to fall in and to be able to hold their own when they're in the water and swim and have fun." - Chad Hendrix

"The ability to not drown. For my child, there are two goals, one is to make sure she doesn't get in a predicament where she would drown, and then two, she enjoys swimming." - Ron Purkiss

"Swimming is being able to support yourself in the water and not drown. My kid is only a toddler, so my goal is, in case there was ever a horrible accident, that we have done everything we could to make the best out of that accident." - Sandie Leding

"Swimming is not drowning. The goal for our grandchild would be to be able to stay above the water until an adult gets to them, and be able to climb up on the edge, because if they can hold on until help comes, that's really important." - Shannon & Lawrence Donley

"For how young my daughter is, playing in the water is swimming. When she goes in the water, we want her to be able to float, and we want her to get used to the water and have a safe place to play." - Pei Wang

"I guess swimming is being in the water and moving around. My goals for my child are for her to not drown, know what is safe and unsafe, and what her abilities are, and be comfortable in the water so she doesn't freak out." - Lauren Daugherty

"Swimming is not sinking, but I would really define swimming as strokes, floating, even on the inner tube, being able to tread water and have forward motion in water. The goal for our daughter is not drowning. We are going on vacation in August, and the house has a pool right off the back door, so that really pushed us to taking swim lessons this year. We were going to wait until next year, but we decided this is the year to try it!" - Angela & John Cottrell

What do some of our coaches have to say about what swimming is and what goals parents should have for their children in swim lessons?

"Swimming is safety in the water. Goals for parents should include being safe and knowing how to survive." - Coach Anna

"To me, swimming is moving your body in a way that allows you to stay on top of the water. A good goal for parents for their kids in swim lessons is for them to be safe when they are in the water." - Coach Noah

And finally, what does our founder and head coach Coach Karen have to say about what swimming is and what goals parents should have for their children in swim lessons?

"To be considered a swimmer, one should be able to swim more than one stroke with the face in the water controlling the breath for a distance of at least 25 yards each. A swimmer should also have distinct survival skills which include the ability to move in any direction and on any plane in the water, including the ability to float on the back to breathe and call for help if needed. It’s also important to note that no one is drownproof, not even the best of swimmers. So we must always apply layers of prevention which include never swimming alone, constant and dedicated supervision, use of a life jacket in open water, barriers to water, and knowledge of CPR." - Coach Karen

An action so common as swimming can have so many different definitions! Whatever your definition is, you can be sure that your child will learn safety skills and how to be comfortable in the water before they start to learn to "swim" at Safety Before Skill!