I just need to share this - partly because I can't stop thinking about it, partly as a reminder / warning to all other parents - esp as the weather gets better.
I took my dd (who will be 3 in Aug) to the lido this afternoon, was hot and sunny, they have a paddling pool which is absolutely great for the little ones - at the shallow end the water is as deep as my ankle, at the deepest it comes up to my knee.
I got chatting to another mum, her little girl and mine were splashing around together. I stupidly took my eye off her for what must have been around 40 seconds, looked back and she was sitting in the deeper end - head completely immersed under the water and just moving her head from side to side under water clearly unable to stand up.
I think time stood still at that point. She was maybe 3 meters away from me but it felt like hundreds of meters - I yanked her out of the water, her eyes closed and spluttering and coughing - took her to the side - thoughts flashing through my head about CPR and whether I would be able to remember my first aid training (by that point the 'life guard' had rushed over to see if she was okay - I was too shocked to question why she hadn't seen it happen sooner, not that I'm blaming at all - my daughter is my responsibility). Anyway, within a minute she was laughing and wanting to go in again. I don't think my heart stopped racing for the next 10 minutes.
It all hit me after I'd put her to bed tonight. I have not been able to stop crying and doing the 'what if' thing. I just feel so bloody irresponsible and guilty and like I've been slapped hard in the face. I can't get the image of her under water out of my head - and every time it makes me draw breath. I have no idea how I'm going to sleep tonight, I know as soon as I switch the light out, there she'll be in my head again, head under the water.
So this is part self-therapy and part reminder / warning. It takes seconds for tragedy's to occur. I'm just bloody lucky it was just a warning to not be so complacent. From now on it's arm-bands in any sort of water. Maybe even the bath.
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Parenting
Horrible paddling pool experience
12 replies
MamaSisterDaughterFriend · 30/05/2012 23:14
OP posts:
mypoolguru ·
22/08/2012 17:44
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