Pool floaties for kids: Mom on a mission to warn about dangers
HOUSTON - For years, parents have used water wings, floaties or "puddle jumpers" on their children in the water, thinking they keep kids safe in the pool while allowing independence. But more and more swim instructors are warning against them.
(Please note the video above is just a demonstration, and The British Swim School does not use or promote the use of floaties.)
Joining the chorus is Christi Brown from Cypress. Tragically, her three-year-old son drowned in 2016 at an apartment pool while the family was visiting friends. She had taken Judah's puddle jumper off while he was eating. No one noticed him slip back into the water without it.
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Brown says before this she didn't realize drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children ages one to four.
Now she's on a mission to make sure no other family has to experience the type of pain and heartbreak she knows all too well. She wants other parents to know how quickly drowning can happen and that it's often silent. Her nonprofit, the Judah Brown Project, now raises funds and provides swimming lessons free of charge for families who can't afford them.
She says nothing replaces close adult supervision without the distractions of phones, conversations or food and drinks, but Brown also wants parents to know their children can learn survival swimming skills at a young age.
She cites a few concerns with puddle jumpers during pool time. First, they make children unafraid to walk into the water before they know their limits. Some children may forget or not realize they aren't wearing it. Brown also says they don't teach kids proper body position and hinder progress. Instead of floaties, she advises parents to always stay an arm's length away of a child in the pool and let the child learn his or her limits by practicing their skills with an adult.
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"I should have taught him what his own body could and couldn't do in the water. I should have had one-on-one touch supervision with him in and around the water until he could swim. I should have gotten him into lessons that would teach him what to do if he ever fell into the water on his own, instead of the mommy and me lessons I had him in," said Brown.
For more information on swim scholarships and how to partner with the Judah Brown Project, visit https://judahbrownproject.org/