When we booked this year's summer holiday last August it felt like an age away. As the new year came round we realised that it was only five months, and now nearing the middle of February it's even closer - 80 days according to my My First Choice app!
We decided this holiday we were going to treat ourselves. For the past few years we have either stayed in the UK or at my parents place in Spain which, whilst lovely, isn't the same as staying in a hotel where there is entertainment, pools, food and your rooms are cleaned daily. After discussing several resorts we ended up plumping for the Holiday Village in Rhodes.
With the thought of treating ourselves in the forefront of our minds we opted for a swim-up room in the private deluxe area. A little bit more expensive but how lovely to step out of your room on a morning and have the pool right there. Of course, with two small children it is a bit risky, but the resort provide gates across your patio doors to stop them throwing themselves in the water when you're not looking.
However, our little man is a bit of a daredevil and I don't trust that a gate would stop him hurtling head-first into the water. So we decided it was time for swimming lessons.
I booked in for a six week course at our local baths. When we arrived I realised Little J was the youngest one there and I was a bit unsure whether it was a bit advanced for him. However the instructor assured me all the children in there had started around J's age, so he plunged in. He absolutely loves the water, but isn't used to just swimming, he tends to prefer jumping in constantly. After a few lengths he started getting a little bored and preferred to play on the steps, but because he was out of the water he was freezing and his lips started going blue.
In stepped Konfidence.
Had heard about their jackets from many bloggers and in fact on last year's Mark Warner trip the hotel used them for their pool outings, so I knew they were a great product. We were offered a jacket each for the children to review, which was perfect timing. As J is a huge Octonatus fan we had to try their new Octonauts jacket, featuring Kwazzi, and for Miss H I chose the navy jacket with pink edging and a Hawaiian style.
That same week we visited Bluestone in Wales and the jackets got their first outing. We usually use armbands and rubber rings when swimming, but on this trip we left the armbands behind and the children just used the rings for deeper water.
It didn't really take them much time at all to get used to the jackets, and the both loved that they could lay down in the shallow water and feel the buoyancy of the jackets reassuringly holding them up. We sat in the edge of the waves and they happily enjoyed the splashes, without going under them. Even when J decided to let go of his rubber ring in the lazy river and sank through the hole, the jacket pulled him back upright, coughing and sputtering.
Back home we returned to our swimming lessons, aided by J's Konfidence jacket, and he seemed so much happier. It definitely kept him warm, and with his arms free from bands he could practice his swimming much more freely. I am confident that come May, we will feel a lot more reassured that armed with his swimming knowledge and Konfidence jacket he will be a lot safer, should he decide to have a splash without mummy and daddy!
To see the jackets in action, have a look at our video below!
*I have been sent two Konfidence jackets for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own.
