Jessa Duggar Seewald - Part 4

[Snarkylark]

My son just got his lifeguard training. I'll have to ask him if they had to do that. Haha

[lookinggoodforjesus]

Obligatory selfie reversal:

I'm thinking she's in her (or somebody's) bathroom. What's that hook-type-thing at door knob height?

I think it's to hold toilet paper

[Arrowoftruth]

My guess is that no one in the family knows how to swim. I cannot fathom why a normal, healthy 10 year old does not know how to swim but then I wasn't raised in isolation by a couple of idiots. I think most of us learned at public school, summer camp, friend's houses. outings to the beach or lake, or at the local YMCA/gym/public pool. I do not know anyone who never learned to swim but maybe because I was raised in Southern California where the beach and inground pools were so popular, so everyone made sure their kids knew how to swim for safety reasons.

If you wanted to learn how to swim Arrowoftruth, there is a way but I'm guessing that because of some issue or another you have never wanted to learn. I knowI'm, for example, some YMCAs have special classes to teach waterphobic people how to swim.

Uh I would like to know how to swim thank you very much but my body just sinks whenever I was being taught. I actually have an in ground pool at home and it frustrates my dad that I'm not able to. I've grown up with this pool since I was 8 but the ability to swim has never caught on.

[CorruptionInc.]

can one really *swim* in modest wear? I gotta think it's crazy heavy.

One of the things here is Aus is that teachers teach you to float in normal clothing should you fall off a boat etc.

[Guest]

Her shirt looks super similar to a victorias secret shirt.

I can definitely see Jessa as the type to shop in the "PInk" section of Victoria's Secret, and get Starbuck's several times a week, and watch crappy reality tv. Ya know, if she wasn't fundie and all.

[princessmahina]

The Duggar girls were shown swimming when they were visiting the Bates family and went camping (right? Or am I misremembering?).

I didn't see any other adults in her photograph. Perhaps she was the one babysitting all the littles. If that's the case, then I totally understand why they were all in floaties. I wouldn't want to watch a bunch of kids swimming alone. The possibility for an accident is way too high.

[Rescinded and Mended]

Why are the pictures always in bathrooms? That's a little odd, always taking pictures of herself in other people's potties. I can respect not always wanting to take them at her own home in the interest of privacy, but bathrooms at friends' homes? How bizarre.

[Kak]

Why are the pictures always in bathrooms? That's a little odd, always taking pictures of herself in other people's potties. I can respect not always wanting to take them at her own home in the interest of privacy, but bathrooms at friends' homes? How bizarre.

Maximum mirror proximity.

[MichellesCrunchyHair]

Maximum mirror proximity.

Can you imagine what a novelty it was for them actually having enough time in the bathroom to take a picture? There's no way they could have done that before the TTH!

[paganhomeschooler]

Did anyone else notice Josie is wearing a real swimsuit and not a wholesomewear one?? I'm really kind of shocked!

[Daisy0322]

I think it's to hold toilet paper

Dude it's a door knob for a cabinet I think

[Firiel]

My mom has always said that there are a few life skills everyone should have - being able to swim well enough to get to safety (if needed) is one of them. Being in or around the water without knowing how to swim can be dangerous - not just for the person who can't swim, but for anyone that may need to rescue them if the worst happens.

I do agree with your points though. We don't really have any way of knowing how often these kids have access to a pool or whether anyone has tried to teach them before. And the floaties do seem to be more as a form of backup and allow the kids to play more freely than they would otherwise - while allowing the adults in the vicinity to feel a bit more comfortable allowing them to play that way in the water.

Former lifeguard/swimming instructor cap on:

Unless you are directly watching a child one-on-one or one-on-two, I don't think you should let kids spend time in water that is above their heads without flotation devices unless they are completely comfortable in the water. A lot of kids can swim decently, but one swift kick in the head by a sibling or a mouthful of water they didn't expect could cause them to panic which is really dangerous in the water, especially when there are a lot of kids in the pool and they can get lost in the crowd. It looked to me like the kids about 4-8 were wearing flotation devices. That makes a lot of sense to me considering the circumstances. It allows the kids to jump in the deep end with minimal worry about safety and lets them all just have fun together without "depth" being a limiter. The fact that these kids are wearing life jackets doesn't mean they are behind the typical child in terms of swimming ability.

I know everyone here probably had children that were swimming prodigies, but in my experience, kids up to 8 are often uncomfortable in the water. It's not uncommon to have 7-8 year olds in the earliest level of swim lessons. It's really common for 7-8 year olds to be in (what I think of as) level 3 lessons. That's where real proficiency starts. That's where they learn lateral breating. That's where they start swimming longer than 10m to teacher. It's also a level that many kids have to repeat because there are so many new techniques to learn. That's where most of the older kids would be, which is perfectly acceptable. Post-level 3 is typically what I think of when I think of a kid that is comfortable and capable in a pool with deep water.

I have my own concerns about lifejackets. I think parents rely on them too much and that it can cause toddlers to loooooooove the water but panic as soon as they feel themselves in water without the extra flotation which can be a huge problem when actually learning to swim.

[Four is Enough]

Why the swayback? She seems to be jutting her stomach out.

[Firiel]

Why the swayback? She seems to be jutting her stomach out.

Someone here explained a few times when Jill was pregnant that all the older Duggar girls have swaybacks which can be caused by carting around babies/toddlers on your hip before you are fully developed. They had links and stuff, but I'm lazy.

[VelociRapture]

I know everyone here probably had children that were swimming prodigies, but in my experience, kids up to 8 are often uncomfortable in the water.

I don't have kids yet - but my parents had kids who were swimming prodigies!

It probably helps that they were both life guards, dad had his boating license, mom grew up sailing, and we spent a ton of time out on the water though. Seriously, we were like fish in the water - I think we spent more time in the water than out of it growing up! :lol:

I agree with your post though. I'd rather have them be overly cautious (for once!), especially since we don't know if Jessa was watching them on her own or not.

[SassyPants]

Former lifeguard/swimming instructor cap on:

Unless you are directly watching a child one-on-one or one-on-two, I don't think you should let kids spend time in water that is above their heads without flotation devices unless they are completely comfortable in the water. A lot of kids can swim decently, but one swift kick in the head by a sibling or a mouthful of water they didn't expect could cause them to panic which is really dangerous in the water, especially when there are a lot of kids in the pool and they can get lost in the crowd. It looked to me like the kids about 4-8 were wearing flotation devices. That makes a lot of sense to me considering the circumstances. It allows the kids to jump in the deep end with minimal worry about safety and lets them all just have fun together without "depth" being a limiter. The fact that these kids are wearing life jackets doesn't mean they are behind the typical child in terms of swimming ability.

I know everyone here probably had children that were swimming prodigies, but in my experience, kids up to 8 are often uncomfortable in the water. It's not uncommon to have 7-8 year olds in the earliest level of swim lessons. It's really common for 7-8 year olds to be in (what I think of as) level 3 lessons. That's where real proficiency starts. That's where they learn lateral breating. That's where they start swimming longer than 10m to teacher. It's also a level that many kids have to repeat because there are so many new techniques to learn. That's where most of the older kids would be, which is perfectly acceptable. Post-level 3 is typically what I think of when I think of a kid that is comfortable and capable in a pool with deep water.

I have my own concerns about lifejackets. I think parents rely on them too much and that it can cause toddlers to loooooooove the water but panic as soon as they feel themselves in water without the extra flotation which can be a huge problem when actually learning to swim.

More parents/adults would be a better solution, IMO, especially in a family where there are lots of adults seemingly with lots of free time.

Maybe there were 10 other adults just outside the photo frame.

Plus someone had to be taking the picture. I hope there were more eyes, including a couple without Iphones in their hands.

[Firiel]

I don't have kids yet - but my parents had kids who were swimming prodigies!

It probably helps that they were both life guards, dad had his boating license, mom grew up sailing, and we spent a ton of time out on the water though. Seriously, we were like fish in the water - I think we spent more time in the water than out of it growing up! :lol:

I agree with your post though. I'd rather have them be overly cautious (for once!), especially since we don't know if Jessa was watching them on her own or not.

This helps a TON. I think parents who know the water are more conscious to get their little kids exposed to it early and often. My little niece is a fish too, partly because my sister was also a swimming teacher and lifeguard has been acclimating her to water since she was a baby.

[Firiel]

More parents/adults would be a better solution, IMO, especially in a family where there are lots of adults seemingly with lots of free time.

Maybe there were 10 other adults just outside the photo frame.

Plus someone had to be taking the picture. I hope there were more eyes, including a couple without Iphones in their hands.

Yeah, but sometimes having 5 parents in the pool (and that's what I mean by direct supervision) just isn't feasible. Parents in the pool directly supervising the kids will get in the way of the kids just being able to play with each other. I don't think 100% of time in the water needs to be swim lessons until the kid in Michael Phelps. Sometimes it's okay to have kids that aren't 100% comfortable in the water in life jackets so they can just play. I don't think any of those kids are old enough that it's a travesty that they feel better wearing a life jacket when they can't touch.

And not all the kids are wearing life jackets. It seems like you thought they were. The oldest kids (orange, pink, green, and blue at the end, I think) are not wearing life jackets. It's perfectly acceptable for 5-7 year olds to not be able to swim well. It's actually pretty abnormal for kids those ages to be proficient swimmers.

EDIT: I should clarify that it's pretty abnormal in a lot of places-- probably not everywhere. I lived and taught in a pretty hot climate (but not warm all year round), and that's where these experiences are coming from.

[VelociRapture]

This helps a TON. I think parents who know the water are more conscious to get their little kids exposed to it early and often. My little niece is a fish too, partly because my sister was also a swimming teacher and lifeguard has been acclimating her to water since she was a baby.

My parents started us off by supporting us in the bathtub as infants - we were laid on our backs and they let us float and move back and forth. Once we were more mobile they started getting us into pools or taking us to the beach. One of our parents was always right with us in the water until we were good enough swimmers for them to sit nearby and watch us (probably late Elementary School) - and by that point we were already on swim teams in town, which definitely helped us develop solid skills. We grew up with a healthy respect for the water, but without fear of it.

I plan to do the same when Fiance and I have kids.

Not everyone has that chance though and not everyone is going to be comfortable in the water, so having flotation devices around is always important.

[Hisey]

I used to live in a cold climate where very few people had pools. As a result, I knew many teens who had never learned to swim.

Then I moved to a very warm climate. There were many, many backyard pools, and the city itself had many public pools. In that city, I met one year olds who had been taught to float, so they'd be safe if they ever fell in a pool. My three-year old would go to swim parties where all the preschoolers were swimming happily in the deep end, and jumping off the board.

We'd go back to the cold, east coast city in the summer. People there would cringe when they saw my five year old jump easily into the deep end. They just weren't used to seeing kids that young being competent swimmers.

[mango_fandango]

Latest Insta photo sees Ben with what looks like a t-shirt over his head to protect his head/neck in the warm weather. Jessa says he looks kinda like an Egyptian pharaoh. Good that he's trying to keep himself cool in the heat, but it's an odd look.

[Laurene]

Latest Insta photo sees Ben with what looks like a t-shirt over his head to protect his head/neck in the warm weather. Jessa says he looks kinda like an Egyptian pharaoh. Good that he's trying to keep himself cool in the heat, but it's an odd look.

It is good to know that Jessa knows about the egyptian pharaoh :P

[Georgiana]

It is good to know that Jessa knows about the egyptian pharaoh :P

Of course she does! Who did Moses rescue the Israelites from, after all?

Now, were she to know anything ABOUT the pharaohs (besides the whole Moses deal) or about any other great near Eastern rulers, THEN I'd be impressed.

[Four is Enough]

Is there any other kind of pharaoh? :D

[VelociRapture]

Is there any other kind of pharaoh? :D

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pharoah

Nailed it! :dance: