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How To Guarantee Safety and Survival When Swimming With Twins

swimming with twins

HOW TO GUARANTEE SAFETY WHEN SWIMMING WITH TWINSSummer is upon us, which only means one thing.  We crave the joy that spending the dog days of summer at the pool or the lake brings us.

Picture this…

The hot summer sun shining down on the clear blue water of your neighborhood pool while you are swimming with twins, laughing, blowing bubbles and splashing about.

And then you remember, you are a twin mama, which means you have two (or maybe more) kiddos to keep safe around the water all by yourself!

The thought of taking two babies to the pool can seem like an overwhelming unsafe task!  It’s hard enough to bathe two babies, let alone safely taking them near huge bodies of water!

Let’s be real for a moment, safely swimming with twins is a huge undertaking, but not completely impossible.  So in order to make this favorite summer adventure a reality, you will want to be adequately prepared to make it an enjoyable (and positive) experience for everyone.

5 Helpful Tips To Guarantee Safety When Swimming with Twins:

1. Safety Takes No Holidays

It is well known that water can pose great danger to children.  It only takes a split second for something to happen.  That is precisely why we cannot emphasize enough that you are acutely aware of safety with your babies around the water.

Therefore, for safety reasons, remember these fundamental pointers:

  • DON’T GO AT IT ALONE.  When the dads and grandparents aren’t available, we often venture to the pool together, at times in large mommy groups where there are plenty of extra hands.  Those of us with kiddos who can swim always lend a hand, hold a baby or two and ensure everyone is safe at all times.  Trust us, you can never have too many eyes on kids around water.  Be careful not to be too social so that you can always have be watching your babies.
  • Find pools that are less crowded and have baby pool options.  Fewer people allows you to have more control of what is going on around you and your babies.  And, well the shallower water of the baby pool gives your babies a little more freedom to splash and pay in the water (when they are able to walk and stand on their own of course).  WORD TO THE WISE HERE: Always be within an arm’s length of your babes!
  • Bring a wagon or stroller (with safety harnesses) with you.  Inevitably, you will need to be able to safely contain one or both of your children to free up your hands a bit for changing babies or packing up your pool bag.
  • Set rules and limitations around the pool while swimming with twins to keep them safe.  Teach your kids where they can get in and out of the water, where they are allowed to jump, and to be sure an adult is in the pool, paying attention to them before they get in.  Rules help keep everyone safe and stress free.

2. Floaties, floaties, floaties

You never know what is going to make your babies happy in the water. Having a couple of supportive floaties for your babies are a nice way for you and the kiddos to enjoy the water together.  

There are millions of floatie options on the market today; many conveniently adding sun shade accessories to protect your babies from direct sunlight in the pool.

As a suggestion, here are the floaties that our kiddos loved (click on the links to purchase):

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The Puddle Jumper Life Jackets are great for toddler age swimmers, are coast guard approved and allow your kiddos a little more independence in the pool.images (1)We do want to warn that kids can become dependent and over confident when using flotation devices.  The end game is teaching your kids swimming survival skills all the while ensuring that they are safe around water before they can actually swim.  Use your judgement with floaties as your babies get older!

3. Sun Protection Starts With You

If you look inside our diaper bags, you are guaranteed to find sun protection essentials; sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, etc.  

Water safety doesn’t end with the water, protecting your baby’s skin from the harmful rays of the sun is always important.  Yes, soaking up some good ‘ol vitamin D is healthy for everyone, but let’s not get carried away, especially with your babies’ delicate skin.

So, with that being said:

  • Know that babies 0-3 months old should be kept out of direct sunlight.
  • Invest in a good sunscreen, one that is free of chemicals and safe for children.  We love Sun Bum or Babyganics sunscreen (click on the links to purchase)!  Apply sunscreen at home before you get to the pool to be sure that it soaks in and to simplify your life once you get to the pool.  With one less thing to do for two babies when you arrive at the pool, you can change into swim diapers and be enjoying the water in a jiffy!
  • Lastly, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for reapplication.
  • You won’t find our 4 kids without hats, sunglasses and  SPF rated sun shirts/rash guards at the pool.  The less skin exposed, well quite frankly, means less sunscreen you have to apply.  Keep your kids covered up because who wants to deal with a cranky baby that is teething AND SUNBURNED?!

4. Timing Should Be Just Right

It is wise to go to the pool with well rested babies so that they are alert and pumped up to get in the water!  Swim, splash and then hop out for lunch!  Use this time to reapply sunscreen so it is all soaked in before you jump back in the pool.

Eating lunch or a snack is a nice break for you and your babies.  It also breaks up the time you spend in the water, keeping everyone happy.  

Your babies will most likely fall asleep in the car on the way home, at least ours do.  If you are lucky, they will stay awake until you make it home and take a nice long nap.

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5. Invest In Swimming Lessons

Hands down the best thing that you can do for your twins when it comes to water safety is to invest in swimming lessons.  We aren’t talking about the cute mom and tot classes where you sing songs and dunk your baby.  

There are programs all over the country that teach infants as young as 6 months old the fundamentals they need for survival swimming.  These programs are absolutely worth the time commitment and the monetary investment, not only for your peace of mind but for the safety of your little swimmers.  

Jenn’s twins have been in swim lessons since they were a year old.  Now at 3, they have begun their second summer without needing to use floaties in the pool.  We promise, if you spend money on one thing for your twins, it should be survival swimming lessons!

Spending hot summer days splashing around in the water is a great way to keep your kiddos entertained and active.  It is an invigorating activity that is sure to wear your little ones out!

Did we miss any crucial water safety tips?  We’d love to hear how you manage the water with multiple children or babies.

Chat with us in the comments below!

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This post includes affiliate links for your convenience.  If you love any of the products we are sharing here to help keep everyone safe when swimming with twins, simply click on the highlighted link to purchase!  We ONLY tell you about products we have used with our TWINS and love them because they WORK.  Two Came True may receive a commission from your purchase (we do have 4 hungry mouths to feed) and for that we are forever grateful to you.