How to Teach a Child to Float With a Life Jacket

Swimming and boating safety for children requires that parents teach their children to be safe around the water. Type II life jackets work well for children by helping them stay face up in the water, providing a pillow rest in the back to help keep the head up. Spending time with your child in the water with the life jacket will help ease the child's anxiety over wearing the jacket for the first time while in the boat or lake.

Instructions

• 1

  Ensure the Type II life jacket fits your child. Test this by putting the life jacket on your child and then picking him up by the shoulders of the jacket. A properly sized life jacket will stay in place even when the child is lifted.

• 2

  Teach your child how to put the life jacket on herself. Show her how to snap the jacket in place and tighten the straps. Always check her jacket for proper fit and check that all snaps are secure.

• 3

  Put a life jacket on yourself. With your child in his life jacket, enter a shallow pool or lake together. Hold him close to you if he's nervous, and speak in a calm voice.

• 4

  Show her how to rest her head on the pillow of the Type II life jacket. Pull her slowly backward around the water with her head resting on the pillow. Give her time to get used to floating calmly with her head on the pillow.

• 5

  Tell him you are going to splash him gently. Lift him from behind and drop him into the water. Tell him to hold his breath before you splash him. This simulates his falling into the water from a pool deck or boat. Compliment him for doing a good job and discuss how the life jacket keeps him safely floating even when splashed.

• 6

  Turn your child over on her stomach. If she does not kick, she will quickly flip back to the face-up floating position if wearing the Type II life jacket. Point out how easily she flipped back over to the face-up position. Repeat this exercise until she is comfortable.