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7/11/12 blog post

the life (strait) jacket - part two

We just got back from vacation and I’m amazed and how much can change in a year!

As you may remember, last year on vacation Mary was introduced to her life jacket. Needless to say, it was a very unpleasant, but necessary, experience.

This year we went on the boat again and Mary was a true life jacket champion – even in the oppressive heat! Part of this reason was that it fit her better (we’ve learned a few things in that year) but she is also at the age that the boat ride was actually fun. My husband thinks that she liked the boat because she could actually face forward (since she is still rear-facing in her car seat). In any case – it’s no longer an unpleasant experience.

One lesson we did learn in that year were to find a life U.S. Coast Guard approved jacket that give a little extra “air” in the back so you aren’t compounding the discomfort with added heat. We also let Mary dip her feet in the water with her life jacket on so she could associate the life jacket with “fun.”

Do you have any other strategies for helping kids to adjust to life jackets?