08/24/2026
Graduating survival swim doesn’t mean the work is over, now we protect those skills!
✨ Ditch the floaties. Puddle jumpers, floaties and swim vests used for recreational swimming can put kids in a body position that’s completely different from the skills they’ve learned. The exception: a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for boating and open water. NEVER in the pool.
✨ Let them practice their skills. With you right there and actively supervising, let them safely fall or step into the pool and give them the opportunity to recover, find the surface, roll back and FLOAT.
✨ Always get them into their float during swim time. Even when they’re having fun swimming, regularly have them independently roll back into their float. We want that skill to become second nature. I make my kids do this every single time they get in the pool.
✨ Give them a chance to problem-solve. Resist the urge to immediately grab them when they’re safely practicing within arm’s reach. Give them a moment to use the skills they worked so hard to learn.
✨ Practice in clothes. Pajamas, shorts, long sleeves, shoes: water feels different when they’re dressed. Supervised practice helps keep those skills familiar.
✨ Keep practicing. Survival swim skills need repetition. The more opportunities they have to use them, the stronger and more automatic they become.
✨ COME BACK FOR REFRESHERS + MAINTENANCE! When next swim season rolls around, don’t assume they’ll pick up exactly where they left off. Growing bodies change how kids move in the water. Get them back into refresher lessons and continue with maintenance lessons throughout the summer to keep those skills strong.
And remember: graduating survival swim does NOT make a child drown-proof. Layers of protection still matter every single day: active adult supervision, secure pool barriers, appropriate life jackets around open water and continued practice.
They worked HARD for these skills. Please don’t throw your time and money away by putting them back in a puddle jumper or life vest in the pool.
SAVE this for your first post-graduation pool day + send it to another swim parent!
