If you have non swimming children, an adult needs to be within arms length of them AT ALL TIMES when they are near water. No, mine didn't wear life vests when we were on the sand playing in ankle deep ocean water because one of us was within arms length, if not holding hands or carrying, them.

Overkill, IMO. Life jackets are hot and restrictive and really not meant for swimming or all day use.

You stay with them while they are in the water and watch them/stay with them when they are not. Life jackets are for boats.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally over thinking it. We live at the beach over the summer. Go everyday from 10-4 usually. I have a 1.5 yr old and 4.5 yr old. Neither wear a lift vest at all times. With that said if your younger one is a runner with zero common sense, maybe you need it. Most of the kids that have to wear at all times are wild beasts that can't be controlled

You're doing it WRONG woman.

You're supposed to go BEFORE 10am and AFTER 4pm.

+1. I took it to mean that the spend all day at the beach.

Anonymous wrote:Totally over thinking it. We live at the beach over the summer. Go everyday from 10-4 usually. I have a 1.5 yr old and 4.5 yr old. Neither wear a lift vest at all times. With that said if your younger one is a runner with zero common sense, maybe you need it. Most of the kids that have to wear at all times are wild beasts that can't be controlled

You're doing it WRONG woman.

You're supposed to go BEFORE 10am and AFTER 4pm.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 2 and 3. They wear Puddle Jumpers (coast-guard approved life vests) whenever we are at the pool or beach. It's the first thing they put on and the last thing they take off.

Until they can jump in the pool and swim to the side without trouble, I intend to keep this rule.

Just get them into ISR... my 20mo old can jump into the pool and swim to the side and even call for help when floating on her back.

My kids are 2 and 3. They wear Puddle Jumpers (coast-guard approved life vests) whenever we are at the pool or beach. It's the first thing they put on and the last thing they take off.

Until they can jump in the pool and swim to the side without trouble, I intend to keep this rule.

No, I've never seen kids wearing them at the beach. I worry more at a pool. When my son was 3, he jumped in the pool after he saw some older kids jump in. He jumped in where it was over his head. I was sitting 6 feet from him and grabbed him quickly (so did 2 other moms who were in the pool). After that, I made him wear floaties around the pool until he was 5 or so. It scared me to death. At the beach, he isn't going in the water without me and then it is only up to his waist.

No my kids don't wear life jackets on the beach! They are hot, restrict movement and are generally not designed for casual all day wear. They don't even wear them in the ocean if we are playing right by the shore.

They wear them if we are going in a boat or if I am a little farther away and they are playing in the water, or if we all swim out deeper together.

Isn't the ocean zero entry too?

Another vote for overthinking. Just don't let them get far away so that you can't catch up if they head for ocean. (And, needless to say, I'm sure, but you have to keep your eyes on them all the time -- no reading a book while they play in the sand).

Totally overthinking it. You aren't going to let a five or three year old go in the ocean without an adult right? I only put our kids in lifejackets when doing water sports (boating, water skiing, tubing, etc.).

Anonymous wrote:Totally over thinking it. We live at the beach over the summer. Go everyday from 10-4 usually. I have a 1.5 yr old and 4.5 yr old. Neither wear a lift vest at all times. With that said if your younger one is a runner with zero common sense, maybe you need it. Most of the kids that have to wear at all times are wild beasts that can't be controlled

you just cant fix stupid... That has to be one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard.

because only "wild beasts" of children drown

Totally over thinking it. We live at the beach over the summer. Go everyday from 10-4 usually. I have a 1.5 yr old and 4.5 yr old. Neither wear a lift vest at all times. With that said if your younger one is a runner with zero common sense, maybe you need it. Most of the kids that have to wear at all times are wild beasts that can't be controlled

Yes.

We predominantly go to pools at home and since there is a zero entry pool, I don't bother having the kids wear one. They take swim lessons but they are only 3/5.

We are traveling to Florida , I say yes to wearing one but they don't while playing on the sand. I remember growing up not wearing one and even now don't see kids wearing them at beaches. Overthinking it?