This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Every time we hit the summer seasons I have this instant itch to get to the pool. Before kids, I used to love going to the pool, laying out in the sun with a good book, and jumping in the water to cool off in between. The pool is a perfect place to hang out on those hot summer days.

Now with kiddos in toe, those pool days look a lot different. There isn’t much laying in the sun reading a good book happening. Instead I find myself walking back and forth across the pool watching my littles closely as they explore the water. The first time we took my son to the pool was a breeze. He is my timid child, so he stayed close and wanted to hold our hands most of the time. But when we took my daughter for the first time it was a completely different story. Elyse is brave and loves to explore. She is independent and doesn’t want much help either.

I knew that days at the pool were going to look very different for this mama, but I wanted to make sure my kids developed a comfort in the water and the skills they need to keep them safe. I definitely want to get the kids in swim lessons at some point, but for now there are a few steps I am taking to help them get comfortable in the water.

Water Exposure.

First things first, you have to get them in the water! The more I expose my kids to the water the more comfortable they get being in the water. It took the entire summer last year for my son to feel comfortable and this year he was ready to jump right in! Be patient if your child isn’t ready right away, but don’t give up! They have to be comfortable in the water before you can teach them water safety, so it’s important to keep trying!

Swim Support.

Having something for my children to wear to help protect them in the water is at the top of my list when it comes to pool days. SwimWays is a leader in helping children learn to swim and promoting water safety. Swim Step Two products are perfect for providing support while children learn to balance and paddle which is important for pre-swimming skills. The Swim Vest has a sturdy foam insert providing balanced flotation with a zipper on the front making it easy to take on and off. I was worried about Elyse fighting putting it on, but she seemed perfectly comfortable in it and loved it! It was the perfect support for her as she loved paddling in the shallow water at the walk in part of the pool.

We also tried out the Power Swimr for my son since he is a bit older and more familiar with the water. He isn’t quite comfortable using it to learn to swim so I think he could go back and forth using the Power Swimr and the Swim Vest until he is ready to be a bit more advanced and learn to swim. Once I get him in lessons I know this is going to be very handy! The Power Swim is a graduated flotation that advances swimming ability at the child’s pace. It comes with nine removable floats that you can remove as your child learns and advances in their swimming abilities. It’s the perfect confidence boost for those learning swimmers!

Always stay close.

The swim support is just that, support for aiding in the child learning to swim and growing comfortable exploring the water. You want to make sure to stay close and keep an eye on your child while teaching them. Elyse, even in her Swim Vest, would have her face fall in the water a time or two and panic a little. Being right there to grab her and let her know it was okay helped her continue to be comfortable and not develop a fear. It’s all a part of learning how to swim!

Just because the kids are little doesn’t mean we can’t have fun at the pool! I am so thankful for products like SwimWays to help make our pool days safe and fun! SwimWays is a leader in helping children learn to swim and promoting water safety as evidenced by the 6th annual National Learn to Swim Day that took place on May 20, 2017.

What are your toddler pool day tips? How are you teaching your kids to be comfortable in the water and learn to swim?