Why do we NOT teach Drowning Prevention and Learn to Swim with Floaties?
A. We do not recommend the wearing of floatation aids, for a number of reasons. They give infants and young children a ‘false’ sense of security and confidence in the water. Often, children forget when they are not wearing a floatation aid, and due to false water confidence from the floatation aid, leads to dire circumstances in the aquatic environment. Children who learn to swim with floatation aids also become dependent on them, instead of learning to swim with their own buoyancy. Floatation aids can also make parents more complacent while supervising. Often floaties, back-bubble floats and pool rings can come loose or slip sideways, or, even slip off. It is much safer for an infant and young child, to have a healthy caution of aquatic environments and create their own buoyancy and preventative drowning techniques.
