My husband and I took our 3 year old daughter swimming today. She wore a konfidence float jacket in the pool and her crocs. There were anti-slip mats going from the changing rooms to the main pool but none from the main pool to the toddler pool. And as she was walking to the toddler pool she went flying, both legs slipped forward and she came crashing down on her back. When I took her to the changing rooms I noticed 2 big blue bruses, one at the bottum of her neck and one on her sholder blade.
When we left my husband went to the desk, I thought to report the accident but he praised the life gard that helped her. Which is fine but I added that maybe there should be another slip mat in place.
The girl said that she'd mention it. I don't know weather we should have put in a formal complaint or somthing as it could have been a lot worse than it was. She had the padding of her jacket to protect her and still she got bruses.
I'd hate there to be a serious accident there. What should we have done ? is it too late to do anything ?

I think swimming pools are naturally very slippery

Mine always come home with massive bruising

I think you did enough

she slipped while wearing her crocs?

My first thought is, these things happen, it's easy to slip beside a swimming pool. I wouldn't necessarily blame the pool.

I have found crocs to be pretty slippery really.
Mine always have bare feet round the pool.

Should have gone in accident book though.

Pool areas do tend to be slippery, my 3 yo always asks to hold my hand now after a couple of falls (though not as bad as your DD)

Hope your DD is ok and recovers soon xx

I don't know about crocs, but it's also my opinion that bare feet have the best grip.

Hope she is ok,
Its not too late to fill in an accident form im surprised you were not asked to at the time, our centre is very health and safety aware and we would look into any accidents such as this,one thing I would question is the matter of her wearing crocs,we do not allow any footwear past the changing rooms but this rule is heavily enforced and several posters are placed around the pool and changing village, I would give them a ring.

I am a huge fan of crocs - whole family wear them. But i have found them to be slippery anywhere wet. In fact, when it rains, there are cerain paving slabs (light in colour so maybe something to do with what they are made of) that are like ice in my crocs! I always say bare feet around the pool as well.

However, that said, it should have been written in the accident book both for risk assessment and also in case of possible future insurance claims.

She started off with bare feet and slipped while holding my hand so I decided to put her crocs on her to stop her slipping.
Obviously it didn't work.
The anti- slip mats are a great idea but they just need another one for the toddler pool. It would be such a simple thing to do that could prevent accidents.
She is O.k now thanks, I just hope it dosn't put her off as this was her first visit to a swimming pool.

yup agree shoes on a 3 yr old round a pool are worse than bare feet; it may well have been the shoes which made her slip. I'd always go for bare feet specially with a child this little.

I didn't realise crocs were slippery when wet. She hasn't had them very long, I bought them for her for swimming and the beach but she hasn't taken them off since she's had them.

Agree that it is a cheap & easy solution for them to put another mat down. And obviously one they agree with as they have one for another area of the pool. Write a letter.

We have only got slip mats between changing rooms and pool,the trouble with any sort of mat is that in itself a triping hazard so could cause as many accidents as it saved.

Yes, I will definatly do that.

Agree that slip mats are a tripping hazerd. Hand holding and bare feet are the best way of protecting against this sort of accident.

I think it depends on the surface of the floor as to how slippery they are. For instance, my kids play in an outdoor fountain that is the size of a football field with shooting water spouts down one end where the water then runs down the slope to the other end. In other words, the whole thing is always under a cm of water. They always wear crocs in this as do 90% of the children who play there. They NEVER slip over. The surface looks like concrte, but has obviously got something non-slippery in it. The darker paving slabs around here do not make me slip when wet - only the light colour ones. And obviously beaches are not slippery!

But poolsides I think are always slippery.

I think I'll put reigns on her next time! the little monkey dosn't always want to hold my hand. Maybe some posters saying no foot ware would be good too.

were you holding her hand when she slipped wearing her crocs, or was she running? just thinking it could have been that which made her slip and not the fact there wasn't a mat.

must have been a horrible moment for you, but I would say that her own feet are prob more reliable at a pool than any type of shoe.
Maybe if you wrote to them they would consider a mat?