Jayden can float!

Way back at the beginning of May we signed Jayden up for survival swim lessons. The goal is to get infants and young children (under 5, I think) to learn to float (as a last resort-not to take the place of proper supervision & safety) as a survival skill, in the event that they accidently fall in a pool, river, lake, etc.

Now Jayden has learned the skills, and we are so proud of him! It really is amazing to see a toddler that can successfully demonstrate the skills, but it is a huge commitment. It's taken 10 full weeks (not counting days we were out of town or he was sick) of 10 minute lessons, Monday-Friday, to get to this point. The lessons aren't for a set amount of weeks, it's different for every child, because they go until your child is successful. It's pretty impressive though, especially considering the fact that he's barely a year old.

He learns the skills in a swim diaper, and then his last few days he practices in his clothes, to make sure he can do it with the extra weight.

Here he is floating at lessons in his spring clothes.

Here he is practicing in his winter clothes.

Then the instructor took his jacket off and put it on top of his head to simulate the possible situation that he fall into the pool with a blanket, towel, or hat. The goal is to make sure he pulls it off his face without freaking out, which he was able to do.

The instructor simulates the different ways he could fall in the pool, like face first, vertically, sideways, falling in from the edge, etc. He holds his breath, kicks his body face up from any of those positions, and will then float until someone comes to get him. Here is a short video of him floating after he had kicked himself face up. (They don't like you to video the instructor pulling him underwater/simulating falling in because people have different comfort levels with this. They are worried some people don't understand the process and gradual progression that it takes to get to this point). I assure you that I was never worried about Jayden's safety.

Now Jayden knows he can float, and just like in this video below, he initiates it by wiggling forward until he falls in the pool himself! I am so proud of him and this accomplishment!