To think you should control your kids in the swimming pool.

[HickDead]

Myself and one of my DC go to a family swimming session every Sunday morning. It can get a bit boisterous and it is very busy but is generally good fun. I find the lifeguards pretty good, they are very diligent but not whistle happy either if you what I mean.

This morning a family came in, I've not seen them there before. The father was with the 2 kids and the mother sat in the spectator bit at the side of the pool. They had a bit of an attitude from the beginning, the mum tried to insist that she stood at the entrance to the pool from the shower areas. She had words with the lifeguard when the lifeguard firmly directed her to the seating area (she was fully clothed and obviously not going to be swimming).

Then the boy who must have been about 8, kept jumping out of the pool and running round the side and then just jumping in and not looking where he jumping. The lifeguard blew her whistle and and raised her voice to tell him to stop. At that the mum jumped up and told the lifeguard "don't you fucking dare shout at my son like that, he's only having fun. The lifeguard walked away. Five minutes later he did it again but jumped in right on top of a baby girl, her toddler sister and their dad. The baby started to really cry so I think he hurt her. The dad was angry and shouted at the boy to watch where he was going.

At that the boys dad went crazy and started f'ing and blinding at the other dad, telling him to leave his son alone and mind his own business. I have never seen the like in over 10 years of taking my kids to this swimming session. The whole pool just went silent. None of the staff challenged them at all and the boy carried on ruining everyone's swim. The father seemed to be delighting in it and was definitely encouraging the boy after that. We left not long after, as did a lot of people.

I complained on the way out at the lack of control the staff had of the situation, which was downright dangerous. I've also followed it up with a strongly worded email. Is this a thing now, just letting your child do what they want and get angry when someone tries to put boundaries in place for safety? I'm truly gobsmacked at what I saw this morning!

[PeaFaceMcgee]

Good on ya for complaining. Shame nobody removed them. The lifeguard should have asked the duty manager to ask them to leave.

[Groupie123]

The staff should have had better control. Did you get a reply?

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Oh god I wonder if you were at the same pool as me today? Dad with two boys just ott splashing and jumping- really too much for a pool full of toddlers and babies

[KeepServingTheDrinks]

it sounds awful, but from your OP, they seem quite feral. What did you expect pool staff (not generally particularly highly paid) to do?

[eatingonlyapples]

Beyond inappropriate but I can understand the lifeguards' (minimum wage, normally young people) reluctance to push the issue. Adults swearing and being aggressive are frightening especially to young people who might never have been in that situation before. Definitely keep complaining especially if they return next week, but don't blame the lifeguards who were clearly intimidated. Better training and support from management might help them in future. If they don't feel they can go to their manager to remove a problem patron, nothing will get done.

[Ellypoo]

Presumably they should have asked someone (the duty manager perhaps) to take control and eject the people who were behaving so obviously and willingly dangerously.

[Pumpkintopf]

Sounds absolutely appalling. Completely agree the pool staff should have called management who should have called police if necessary if this family were being threatening and abusive. They also should be barred from future visits.

[Birdsgottaf1y]

It makes no difference if you are on a low wage, you take pride in your job. I say that as someone who has worked for min wage and still live in an area where that is the norm.

I don't know why that is even brought up, tbh.

A lifeguard is there to ensure the safety of those using the pool. If they can't do the job, then they need reporting,retraining or sacking.

It is a job that you are trained for and then you use the policies of the setting to enforce the rules.

I would have went to the Manager to complain, they should have been removed when the swearing started. I live in a rough bit of Liverpool, but none of the pools in my City would allow that.

OP keep on until you get an answer and outline of their policies.

[HickDead]

I understand that the lifeguards might have been a bit intimidated and appreciate that. There is always a duty manager and back up lifeguards on duty, they change over every 20 - 30 mins I think. They are sat in an office just off the pool area. No reply yet but not really expecting one until tomorrow.

If anything the family seemed very affluent. They were well spoken, the mum had expensive looking clothing on, designer handbag, designer sunglasses perched on top of her head and the dad made a big show of giving her his flashy looking watch to look after. Their behaviour was just so, so strange towards their children, like they could not be told off.

[TequilaSunshine]

Then the boy who must have been about 8, kept jumping out of the pool and running round the side and then just jumping in and not looking where he jumping. The lifeguard blew her whistle and and raised her voice to tell him to stop. At that the mum jumped up and told the lifeguard "don't you fucking dare shout at my son like that, he's only having fun

If so, the mum's a twat. I have a son approx the same age and no way would I be condoning running around the side and not looking where he was jumping. Respect the water, and I'd expect lifeguards to adhere to that too and get him told if I was sat spectating and couldn't properly physically tell him myself. although doesn't sound like she'd have told him herself

[19lottie82]

birds there's a difference between taking pride in your job and putting yourself in a threatening and potentially dangerous situation.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I was volunteering in a homeless shelter with ex-offenders at 18 and did my job. Ask them to leave. If they refuse to leave, call security or the Police.

[Joey7t8]

the mum had expensive looking clothing on, designer handbag, designer sunglasses perched on top of her head and the dad made a big show of giving her his flashy looking watch to look after. Their behaviour was just so, so strange towards their children, like they could not be told off.

Lots of expensive bling, complete disregard for rules and other people, and the fact that you'd not seen them before sounds to me like travellers.

[Atenco]

They sound like bankers to me.

[Joey7t8]

Is that rhyming slang?

[Elephant17]

This made me so angry to read! I hate that these vile sorts get away with it. Very frustrating the lifeguards didn't do more.

And for them to carry on with that sort of attitude in front of other children, threatening people in front of their children etc. Disgusting.

Another case of entitled wankers producing entitled wankers.

[faithinthesound]

Lots of expensive bling, complete disregard for rules and other people, and the fact that you'd not seen them before sounds to me like travellers.

Nice. Let's all ignorantly malign an entire group of people by hearing a tale of how some people behaved appallingly and deciding, based off nothing, that means they must belong to that group.

Even if they ARE travellers, that has nothing to do with the issue at hand, which is their bad behavior in THIS situation.

[HickDead]

I really don't think they were travellers just to clarify! I've had a reply of sorts from the overall manager.

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch. I am looking into an incident that occurred yesterday at family swim. When I have investigated fully, advice and possible further training will be offered to our staff.

I apologise that yourself and your daughter felt unsafe at any point during your visit. I can confirm that all of our wellbeing centres have a zero tolerance policy towards any form of aggression shown towards clients and staff. We can assure you that we consider the safety and wellbeing for our clients to be paramount.

If I can assist you further, then please do not hesitate to get back in touch.

I'm really not convinced at all, seems very perfunctory and doesn't really address what failed. We won't obviously be party to his investigation or what corrective action stems from that. I just hope we never have to witness such poor behaviour again.

[PeteAndManu]

I'm not sure that you would be a party to the investigation but I would probably reply on the point that " you felt unsafe at any point" or that it was poor or aggressive behaviour. The behaviour WAS dangerous and unsafe, not just that you felt unsafe. The email is a bit wriggly. If an employee feels threatened to the point of not being able to do their job, and I wouldn't like to challenge that family, there should be support and a process to follow. I'm sorry it sounded awful and I hate that people can behave that way and get away with it, making everyone else scared.

[HundredMilesAnHour]

I'd go back to him asking why their zero tolerance policy wasn't adhered to. It sounds like the lifeguards were too young/inexperienced to deal with a non-lifeguarding incident but their management should have stepped in and removed the father, possibly the entire family.

[DramaQueenofHighCs]

We had a similar thing ages ago when DS (now 8) was 3. This kid was running around the pool and nobody, including lifeguards were doing anything. Then he started playing in the water play area where there are various fountains and things and ended up squashing my DS right up against one of them. DH told him to please move.... nothing....so after a couple of mins of him still squashing my DS gently but physically moved the boy away. Cue 'mum' suddenly getting involved and threatening DH for 'hurting her son' - she got lifeguard over and showed him her precious DS's bruised arm that my DH had apparently caused....the opposite arm from the one DH touched!!! Of course 'mum' was believed even though there were no other witnesses and we got chucked out of the pool!
Made me so angry so I complained to the pool - needless today we later got an apology because "further evidence" proved DH was indeed innocent of casing the bruising!
Now I know DH shouldn't have touched the child at all but.... I dread to think really.

[steppemum]

I think that sounds like a holding email, and would expect them to come back again once he has asked his staff about the incident.

At our local pool the lifeguard would get te duty manager and they would be asked to leave after the incident hwere he landed on another child.

[DramaQueenofHighCs]

As an extra to my post - 'mum' was nowhere to be seen before she came to complain to us.... we looked for her before even speaking to the kid,