Goggles Or No Goggles — That Is the Question.

Should we get our child goggles?

The short answer to this is — it depends.

There honestly isn’t a “right” answer here, this is highly subjective and you should consult your swim teacher if you’re concerned. There are arguments for and against goggles in swim lessons and it will all depend on you, your child, and your goals.

Goggles can both be a hindrance and a help, depending on your child.

The argument against goggles

A lot of schools and teachers will recommend not using goggles. And, I’m right there with them — whenever possible. Goggles can be helpful, but let’s start with how they are not.

Dependency on goggles

This one is pretty straight forward. Simply put, they can become a crutch.

I’ve seen countless kids full-on panic when even so much as a drop of water gets into their goggles and they “can’t see”. Let’s be honest, it IS annoying (water in your goggles, I mean). Even now, as a full-fledged adult who swam competitively for more years than I have fingers, I still rely on my goggles — I can swim without them, I just prefer not to.

So, what happens when your kid, — who is dependent on goggles — happens to be playing near water without goggles falls in? Panic. They will panic and forget everything they have ever learned about swimming and water safety. Trust me, I’ve seen it.

I’ve seen kids who can easily swim any of the four strokes (and might even swim competitively) entirely regress into flailing, panicking, and screaming as their entire sense of safety and self-assuredness is completely knocked off that false wave of confidence they’ve been riding. This can both be traumatizing and dangerous.

Again, goggles can be a crutch.

Goggles can be a BIG distraction

Goggles are not reliable. They fill with water, they fall off their heads, they get foggy making it difficult to see. All of these things can be distracting, they can take away from the lesson and actual learning.

I’ve taught lessons where more than half the class we’re fixing their goggles. And sometimes it’s parents who care more than the kids — let it go. If they aren’t complaining, let it go. You’ll end up wasting more money than it’s worth.

And if they are complaining, well there are a few solutions:

If they are filling with water:

They probably aren’t the right fit. Every kid’s face is different and every pair of goggles will fit differently. Does every pair of sunglasses fit your face? Unless you’re graced with a perfectly shaped face — probably not. Goggles are just the same — except instead of shape it's the suction we’re looking at.

Alternatively, they may just be old or have a tear in the rubber. Chlorine is an acid (it’s okay it’s not going to hurt them, other than maybe a little bit of green hair) but it will eat through things like swimsuits and goggles, over time.

(Tip: those fun goggles with the superheroes or Disney princesses— like these. Do not get those they will not work— are the last goggles I would ever recommend, and snorkel goggles are the worst. Check out something like this or this, and if they really want something “playful” keep it simple with these).

If they are falling off their head:

This is related to the straps (and sometimes head shape). I always recommend goggles with two straps, always. This helps them sit on their heads better. Heads are round, and one strap just isn’t going to cut it. Once their hair gets wet it’s like a slip ‘n’ slide, nothing sticks — and if you’re putting leave-in conditioner in their hair, forget it, it’s like adding oil to your body then sliding down that slip ’n’ slide.

If you’re still running into issues, for kids with long hair try a ponytail. Not on top of their head, not down low, and definitely no braids. Put it smack dab in the center of the back of their heads. It will act like a “knob” for the straps to sit on (ie: they won’t slide down). If your child doesn’t have long hair, try a latex or silicone swim cap. You can also combine these two things for extra support. Don’t know how to put a swim cap on your kid? Check out this video

(Tip: silicone caps are more gentle on their hair)

If they are “always foggy”:

This is inevitable, goggles will fog up. Just like your car on a cold night, fogging is caused by warm humid air (ie: sweat). Just ignore it, it won’t actually affect their ability to see under the water. If their teacher needs them to see something they can make this adjustment quicker than the student.

But, if it is a problem you can do one of two things. Spit into the goggles and rub the spit around, basically, this makes it so that the moisture (sweat) has nothing to stick to because the spit fills in the uneven surface that the moisture is attracted to. If this sounds too gross to you, you can use an anti-fogger like this to prevent fogging — although it’s likely they will still fog up (just not as frequently).

The argument for goggles

Goggles are not all bad, they can help a lesson move forward especially if you’re stuck trying to get their face in the water. I’ve seen kids get stuck here for weeks and then we try goggles and it’s like they are an entirely different student.

Goggles can reduce fear

Putting your face in the water can be scary, compound it with the fact that you might have to do it blindly and trust a complete stranger, and you’re looking at the very natural instinct to resist.

It is a normal human response to want to see into the unknown, it makes things less scary. We turn lights on to see into the dark, we try to see into our futures by planning ahead, heck, we even yelp restaurants before we take the plunge.

Goggles can help children who are scared to put their face in, do just that, put their face in. They can speed up the process of learning to be water safe by giving children a safety net they can trust. They can be the first stepping stone in their journey to learning to swim.

We don’t all start in the same place — and that's okay! For most kids, goggles are the way to go. But remember, goggles are just a safety net.

Sensory issues

This applies to kids who are more likely to have sensory issues. Some kids simply don’t like the feeling of the water over their eyes — and it doesn’t mean they are disabled in any way.

These are usually the kids who immediately and vigorously wipe the water from their eyes as soon as they’ve put them in. They probably also will only dip them in for just a moment and pull them right back out faster than you can blink. Adding goggles to their lessons might just help them cross the hump and pave the way to water safety.

But keep in mind, goggles can also be a struggle for these kids too as the tension of the straps on their heads or the pressure on their eyes might be more of a sensory trigger than the water itself. In this case, patience is the key.

Taking goggles away

Alright, so let’s say you introduced your kid to goggles whether out of necessity or simply because “its part of swimming” but now they are reliant on them and won’t swim without — how do you get them to swim without the goggles?

This will probably sound ridiculous to most parents, but, you start at the beginning. Remember, those kids who could swim all four strokes and still resorted to panic mode? Yep, we started all the way at the beginning. We went all the way back to the basics — building trust.

I know what you’re thinking but they can swim, why can’t they just do it?!

Well, they simply don’t trust. They don’t trust themselves and they don’t trust the water. It is entirely mental and not physical, they didn’t forget how to swim — they’ve just always had a crutch. So, they need to go back to learning to put their face in and do it until they are comfortable as they build their way to feeling safe. Putting pressure on them will only compound the anxiety so please let them take their time, it will happen.

I encourage you to ask your teacher to make this a part of their practice. Depending on the student, sometimes I will start the beginning of a lesson without goggles to remind them that they can do it.

Alternatively, some teachers will take goggles away as a way to reprimand (or prove a point), although I personally don’t condone this as punishment unless goggles have become a distraction throughout the lesson and the student simply isn’t listening. The punishment should fit the crime.

So, in short — should you use goggles?

It is entirely up to you and the needs of your child if you are unsure ask your teacher.

My recommendation, avoid them if you can but don’t be afraid to use them if you think they will help. And, be prepared for a temporary regression when it comes time to learn to swim without them — its normal.