Build Your Child’s Konfidence in the Water

It’s summer time and that means swimming whether it be in a pool, a lake, or an ocean. And though swimming is great family fun, it can also be dangerous - especially if your child’s fearlessness exceeds their current swimming level.

The challenge for the parent is that traditional flotation devices are impractical for recreation swimming (life jackets), or hinder/discourage the development of swimming skills (water wings/arm bands). Plus, there is the ridiculous factor at play with water wings - they just look silly.

Fortunately, we’re not the only ones who’ve thought about the swimming challenge. Two Clever Parents from England tackled the issue back in 1996 and came up with an alternative “swim jacket made of soft wetsuit neoprene with 8 foam floats ‘hidden’ on the inside.” The genius of their design is the Adjustable Buoyancy Method that allows the wearer to become familiar with the water and develop their swimming technique. In time the buoyancy would be reduced leaving a “confident and happy swimmer!”

The jacket is dubbed the Konfidence Jacket because it gives parents confidence their children are safe and its design allows kids to build their confidence in the water. This is really a great product because it empowers kids rather than acting as a crutch that hampers skill and confidence development. Plus, the Konfidence Jackets don’t come plastered in logos advertising cartoon characters. The Konfidence Jackets run about $40 for the one that fits ages 3-7 and $70 for the 7-14 year old version. (Obviously, the jackets are adjustable.)

Not content with one very Clever product, the Konfidence crew also developed the Baby Warma and Baby Wetsuit. Basically wetsuits for kids, they’re great for little ones who have a tendency to get cold in water quickly. Our littlest guy is a huge fan of the pool and ocean, but in late spring and early summer after about an hour or so his body is shivering and his teeth are chattering. The Warma and Baby Wetsuit take care of that problem and also provide UV 50 sun protection. For about $27 bucks a piece, they are also a steal in this age of ridicuously priced children’s gear.

Check out www.konfidence-usa.com to buy in the U.S. or www.konfidence.co.uk for the UK, the EU and the rest of the world.