To think this is outrageously irresponsible parenting

That’s a decision only the individual can make. I personally wouldn’t bother as I know nothing will happen or change.

Which is unlikely as there were clearly other people around, and possibly a lifeguard (although the OP doesn't mention one). Not excusing the parents' behaviour as they are clearly negclectful, stupid and more interested in having a few beers, but this will be their mentality - there are other people who will step in when we cannot/will not.

But if you tell someone, staff and parents, at least you've done something and the responsibility is then firmly passed onto them. Rather than rely on others to act, and no-one does anything.

Holidays in southern France. Saw so many toddlers alone in the water with no parent around. Many were siblings of other children- mostly Asian (northern Africa as they spoke french as well) while parents sat in groups far away talking and eating. I couldn't help thinking that the reason they have so many kids is because they count on losing some due to neglect... I intervened twice but the 2 families said no it's fine- they play.

This.

It is pure neglect. No child that age should be out of arms reach in a swimming pool. There really is a breed of lazy fucker parents who think they can just get pissed on holiday and ignore their own children.

You have to be more vigilant on holiday, not less. Arm bands are not a substitute for parenting.

The hotel and parents share legal responsibility for pool safety - that is why hotels always have safety signs around pools.

Well lifeguards should be telling parents off. They are there for safety reasons and it's actually a very responsible job. Mt GSs did while in sixth form and university and parents have shouted at them for saving a child, lied about a child being able to swim so they could go in without an adult.

what??

My kids went to a primary school with a brilliant swimming programme. It was brilliant because a little girl died during a swimming lesson, the teacher and lifeguard didn't spot her on the bottom of the pool till it was too late. It was devastating for the teachers, the one supervising the lesson left.

@AnotherOneIsntFussed my ‘telling teacher’ comment wasn’t meant in a derogatory way although I can see it may have come across like that. It’s just that generally staff aren’t trained in child protection or preventative measures and working somewhere doesn’t make you responsible for everyone else’s poor decisions. I mean yes, if someone spills a drink and it isn’t mopped up and they slip and fall that’s on you. If some parents are sitting in a cafe and not watching their child and the child wanders off that is not on you, that is different IYSWIM.

I get the pool is maybe more of a grey space because there is a lifeguard but generally they are teens and aren’t going to be telling parents off or making them make better choices.

I am just counterbalancing the advice on these threads which is always ‘tell the staff!’ with a more ‘well you can but they won’t do jack!’ Even the police and social services who actually DO have some power are unlikely to do anything unless there’s clear signs of a pattern of neglect, although it’s always worth passing concerns onto them as it helps build a picture, difficult when you don’t know who they are though of course.

This is terrible but I'm afraid nothing surprises me anymore. I've seen so much poor parenting. I have learned to avoid certain people socially because I end up having to look after their children as well as my own.

In the UK at least you'd be amazed by the (slightly unreasonable in my opinion) breadth and depth of occupier liability.

You might get away with it if a child is injured or worse on site if the parents were being neglectful but you'd have a much stronger case if you could say, "our staff actually approached the parents and directly warned them of the danger and need to supervise their children" and any manager/ business owner worth their salt would absolutely want their staff to do that and lessen their liability.

Equally, if a member of the public informed the business of the danger of a child but they do nothing about it, they've just increased their liability as they've been made aware of the danger and done nothing to mitigate it; at that point they're much more likely to be partially on the hook if anything happens.

So it is very much worth 'telling teacher' (ideally someone as senior as possible who has some grasp of that, or asking junior to fetch them) as it puts the onus on someone who has the power to require the parents to act, or be asked to leave.

Tbh even in the UK the police are unlikely to be able to do much.

I did once actually have someone call the police on me for neglecting my children and they just came to our home for a wellbeing check. It was several days later and they just glanced at the children and we exchanged niceties and that was it!

@CaffeinatedMum why were the group including the parents laughing? Where were they from?

You wouldn’t tell anyone else. You’d just tell the parents. If you thought a child was genuinely being put in serious danger I suppose you could call the local police but unsure how much help they’d be

You’d have to tell their parents, but I get why you might not want to. On the thread with the annoying four year old the OP did tell the staff and nothing happened.

Some parents feel it's their god given right to relax on holiday and they won't let their wee brats spoil it for them...even if it verges on neglect. Or is neglect.

This is neglect, as are many other stories in the comments. The child was in real danger and so was his sibling. Well done for helping. They need reporting.

But if a child kept following you round on holiday overseas and was being neglected, who would you tell other than the child's parents or members of staff?

Yes, unbelievably awful. But nothing new. unfortunately. Remember those awful TV programmes that featured parents’ videos of their DC having accidents? And that they were canned when it was realised that some parents were setting the incidents up? People filming their children being hurt for TV entertainment?

There are some people who need to be publicly shamed for their cruelty to their own children.

The parents could, not the people working at the campsite.

I once asked staff to step in and help with a child who was being a nightmare at soft play and they were useless! ‘Do you know who his parents are?’ Er no, why would I? ‘Well we’ll keep an eye.’

We were sat by a pool on holiday years ago. I was reading my book when a toddler in one of those seat things floated into my peripheral vision. “Oh look” thinks I casually “that child is drowning”. I went back to my book and a nano second later the cogs started whirring.

Two nano seconds later I was starting to scream “help” (I am a crap swimmer) but had only got as far as “hel” by which time the lady next to me was already off her lounger and diving in. The dad came sauntering over looking more annoyed that anything else. Didn’t even say thank you just grabbed the child and started to saunter back off. Which was his second mistake ‘cos he got it both barrels from the lady with added narrative from the assembled onlookers

Went back a few years later and exactly the same thing happened. It was all very much “I’m on me holidays, nothing bad can happen”.

Very unlikely they would do anything about it. They earn minimum wage and most are probably teenagers. Really can’t see them going and telling off the ‘big intimidating group’ of guests who are all pissing themselves laughing. They’re unlikely to tell their manager either, they won’t want the hassle if the situation was resolved. The only way to maybe get it reported is to ask to speak to a manager yourself then you might have a chance of them taking it seriously, although it’s still not guaranteed

If something happened to him. They would get rightfully arrested and charged with manslaughter and neglect