I’m a swimming instructor – this is the deadly mistake parents make with their children’s towels

A professional swimming instructor has claimed there is a “correct” way to wrap a child in a towel after seeing many parents make a similar “mistake” after classes.

Certified swimming coach Nikki Scarnati recently issued a stern warning to parents not to wrap a towel around their children’s shoulders because it can restrict their freedom of movement if they fall into the water.

Nikki demonstrated another way to use a towel in a video with her young daughter, which is to tuck the towel firmly under the child’s arms after they dry off.

“I see it happen so often, and I did it for so long without realizing it,” she said.

“Obviously when you get your child out of the pool you want to cover him completely – but if he were to fall into the pool like this, all his limbs would be confined under a wet towel.”

Nikki demonstrated another way to use a towel in a video with her young daughter, which is to safely tuck the towel under the child’s arms after they are dried off

The mother advised, “After getting them out of the pool, dry their arms first and put the towel under their arms.”

“This way, if they end up in the water, they can still access their limbs to save themselves, and they’re so much safer,” she added.

The mother also asked parents to ensure that the towel is not long enough to cause a tripping hazard.

Nikki’s simple trick can also prevent children from falling over because they can use their arms to stabilize themselves.

Many shared horror stories of children having accidents while wrapped in a towel.

“I stopped packing my kids by the shoulder after my son tripped up the stairs and split his chin because his arms were trapped instead of catching himself as he fell,” said one father. “It’s better to be cold than to rush to the ER for stitches.”

“I can confirm this is true,” another woman repeated. “When I was two I fell into the deep end of a pool with my towel wrapped around my arms and I had to be rescued.”

But others were skeptical and didn’t see how it would help to put a towel around a small child.

“I think the instructor’s way is actually more restrictive: you put the towel around the child,” said one mother.

“But if the child is just holding a towel around them and they fall into the pool, they won’t be able to hold onto the towel and they will probably just slide off,” she added.

“I think if it is strapped around them it could potentially wrap around their legs and/or pull them underwater with the weight of the wet still wrapped around the child’s lower body,” wrote another.

A third said: ‘Wrapping them under the arms would limit leg movement, making them more likely to trip.’