www.iFourWinns.com

So I'm new to boating. We have 2 small kids one is 4 and our second is 1. My oldest is no problem at all. But my youngest, that's another story. The second her life jacket goes on she is instantly screaming and in tears. Just wandering if anyone else has had a similar issue and if so, what in the hell do I do to fix it.

She's telling you she's not ready.
Can you get her used to wearing it at the beach or a pool? Try to pair wearing it with a fun activity for her.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

When it comes to a toddler's life jacket that is USCG approved while underway, you don't have much of a choice other than those bulky things that all little kids hate. You just need to keep at it and hopefully she will get used to it. However, for running around the dock or shore or even swimming with an adult, we switched our kids to something like this because they are much more comfortable and they won't fight us when it comes to putting them on.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Wow...had almost the exact same problem with mine...she's 2 now and loves going on the boat. Here's what we did....bought another life jacket...she just didn't like the one we started with. They both had the head support but the first one was just too much for her. Don't get me wrong, she still has her fits...but it's much better.

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

Take your child shopping & let them pick out a new life jacket. My daughter picked Dora & loves it.

Get stickers of her favorite toy characters and let her plaster them on the jacket...anything you can get to personalize it.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

A babysitter?

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

Most would not wait, but honestly getting a boat, or a pool, can be a nightmare till your youngest child is about 5 or so. By that time they have reached the age of reason and are less like a small barbarian. You really can't reason with toddlers, just like you can't negotiate with extremists LoL.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I suppose we will just keep trying. We had a little success yesterday. We put her in the jacket and let her splash in a kiddie pool. I think we will look at other jackets. I think maybe the neoprene jackets may just be a little uncomfortable to her at this point. I'm thinking I should have bought a bigger boat that away when anchored she would have some more room to move around.

Lots of shade & snacks help with little ones.

I just started making my son wear the life jacket around the house a little each day. It became 2nd nature after awhile.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

+1 Allow them to pick out life jacket they want, then get them used to wearing it, especially having your oldest into it. Have your oldest put it on and wear it around and the younger one will follow. We have been boating with our kids since they were very young (less than a year) and they love it. They know the first rule is that we have to wear our life jackets in order to be on the boat. Now that they know how much fun it is, there is no issues, and last summer my son was 2 and my daughter 4.5. When I pulled them up from the basement and loaded up the boat, they were so excited to see the life jackets. It's just the initial shock of it and discomfort. The older the child gets, the more comfortable the life jacket because they really aren't designed to be comfortable for under 2...just for safety.

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC