Why shouldn’t you use with puddle jumpers? Why I stopped using puddle jumpers with my own 5 kids and why I don’t recommend them to my clients.

I totally get it. You’re at the pool with multiple little kids who aren’t strong swimmers. Here come the puddle jumpers because let’s face it, you don’t have enough hands to save all of them at the same time AND keep your sanity. But what are the downsides to puddle jumpers? Here’s why I stopped using puddle jumpers with my own kids, and why I recommend my clients use them sparingly.

Puddle Jumpers make your little swimmer think they can swim.

This is honestly my biggest problem with them. When I was pregnant with my 5th child we moved into our new house with a backyard pool. At the time I had two swimmers and two kids who couldn’t swim yet. Since the kids wanted to enjoy the new backyard pool while my husband was busy moving stuff, I was alone watching them from the side. I put my then three-year-old daughter in her puddle jumper because she wasn’t able to swim by herself. Everything was great.

Then she got out and told me she was done swimming and asked me to take her puddle jumper off. She was busy playing on the other side of the yard when one of my boys asked for some water. I went into the kitchen (that is steps away from the pool with full visibility) to grab him some water. I could hear my oldest son saying “You need to move your arms like this. Lift your head up to breath.” Who is he talking to?! I thought, looking out the window to see my daughter drowning in the pool. I raced out there and jumped in to save her. She was fine, although both of us were obviously very scared and shaken.

Wow, I thought to myself. She was literally a minute ago playing on the other side of our large yard, and seconds later almost drowned. If it hadn’t been for my son (oblivious to the fact that she was drowning) literally trying to give her swim lessons loud enough for me to hear, she could have very well drowned or had to go to the hospital.

After that I said good-bye to the puddle jumper. I realized that my daughter thought she could swim with or without it. She had no concept that the puddle jumper was what kept her safe.

Puddle Jumpers keep your kids too vertical in the water.

This second point is not as a mom trying to keep her kids safe in the water, but as a swim instructor who has now seen so many kids trying to learn how to swim after being in puddle jumpers for years. I can always tell when a child has been using puddle jumpers. They jump in and immediately sink to the bottom in a vertical position. They have no concept that in order to swim you have to be in a horizontal position in the water. The puddle jumper has been allowing them to swim vertically for years without any effort on their part.

It is harder to correct a bad swim position than it is to start from fresh.

Kids who have been using puddle jumpers have created a bad swim habit. This can make it harder for them to swim without puddle jumpers in the long run.

Parents tend to keep their kids in puddle jumpers for too long.

I have worked with kids who could swim independently for six plus feet and need extra practice to become a strong swimmer. But when I talk to the parents they confess that outside their 30 minute weekly swim lesson with me, they automatically put them in puddle jumpers anytime they’re in the pool.

How is your child going to learn to swim if you’re always automatically putting them in puddle jumpers? If your child can swim a couple feet on their own, it is definitely time to get rid of the puddle jumpers and instead help them develop their swim skills.

Instead of using puddle jumpers, I love using flotation devices that keep kids horizontal in the water. This little scooter is my favorite. As they get more advanced, you can also use a kickboard or a swim bar.

The key is to stay within arms reach of your children anytime they’re in the pool.

I know, this seems like a tall order as you also want to enjoy your time at the pool. Trust me, with five little kids I too dream of the day I can sit poolside with a cold drink and a great book while my kids play. But just think, the sooner you get your kids to be strong swimmers, the sooner you will get to relax by the pool.

While I’m all for getting kids in the water at a young age, be weary that puddle jumpers do come with their downfalls. For more information on how to teach your child to swim, check out my other tips. Also, leave a comment below sharing how you keep your kids safe in the water.