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If you have a question about swimming chances are other parents have the same question. Please email me with your questions. I will respond and post it here for other parents who may have the same question.

Question:Thank you for your wonderful e-book. I am very eager to start putting some of your exercises in use but I have one question for you. I have a three yrs old girl who loves to be in the water since an early age. Since I have been living near the ocean and she had no chances to go to the pool, I was always using water wings. She is very comfortable using them but I fear that they will prevent her from actually learning how to swim. What is your advice on that? How can I move to teaching her how to swim without using the wings?

Sincerely,
Malgorzata, Puerto Rico

Response: This is a very good question. Water wings are a debatable topic among swim teachers. They do certainly give children confidence and a sense of security. I do not normally encourage them in swimming pools, but the ocean is a whole different story. I do think floatation swimming aids are appropriate in a surf situation, especially for young children since they can be easily thrust under the water and may have a hard time resurfacing. My question for you is, are you planning on teaching her to swim in the ocean exclusively, or do you have access to a swimming pool now? Here is my solution for both: You certainly have done the right thing encouraging your daughter to love the water at a young age. To actually get her to start swimming would be best in a shallow swimming pool where she wouldn’t have to compete with the salt in her eyes and the movement of the water. Here is my idea in regards to water wings in your situation if you have access to a swimming pool and the ocean. You could tell her that they are for the ocean only. When you take her to a swimming pool, leave the water wings at home and tell her that she doesn’t need them at the swimming pool. If you don’t ever start using them at a pool, I really believe she will progress faster. Not wearing water wings will help her to be able to submerge and begin using more breath control. If the ocean is your only option, then let her stick with what is working for her but encourage her to put her face in the water (hum)and work with her on floating (with her arms out) and kicking (with straight legs). While at the beach, I would encourage her to take them off for a short time and then repeat the same things you were working on while using the water wings. Gradually increase the time she is without them. I would probably reassure her that you will be her “water wings” when they are not on. You can also try to make her “non-water wing” time extra-fun by using only favorite toys during this time, playing games etc. The main thing is to make it fun, no tears. Water wings are a lot like training wheels on a bike, they usually outgrow them. Speaking of training wheels, there is research that suggests that children learn to swim about the same time they learn to ride a bike. So, like riding a bike, it takes practice, with and without training wheels. It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right if she loves the water so much.

The real concern with water wings is from a safety stand point. There have been cases when they have deflated without the knowledge of the parent and children have drowned. Again, I don’t have a problem with using them under close supervision and if they can still learn breath control, floating, and kicking while wearing them. Again, just encourage her to learn what it feels like to not have them on all the time. When learning to streamline they should be removed just because they will cause resistance and children cannot squeeze their ears with their arms and feel what a true streamline feels like. By the time they are streamlining independently they should no longer need them.