to leave ten year old twins in a cafe while I swim?

Do not waste your time debating with the nutjobs @justkeepswimminginalake

Go swimming, the kids will be fine. Be thankful you have raised two children capable of independence.

Wouldn’t leaving them at home be safer? If they’re this sensible.

It's an England thing I think. I'm in Scotland and children walk to and from school themselves from age 7/8 here. For some reason they are much more cautious in England. Must be a new thing though because I grew up in England and was definitely walking home by myself before age 10.

Near open water?! With presumably half naked swimming men wandering about(?)

No way. I'm fairly relaxed, but absolutely no way. If you got into trouble in the water, who would sort them out? You will have to sort actual childcare or wait a few years.

I'm in outer London and here is almost universally from Y5 that schools will allow it - so 9/10. So older than near you but not the "not until Y6" either.

If it was just a seating area they wouldn't be able to get any food which is sort of the point them going to a cafe...

If they are fine to be left, can't they just stay at home? Surely that would be nicer for them.

Would you allow 10 years old to go to a swimming pool? Because there are "half naked swimming men" wandering about there too.

Also, the open water is fenced off which you would know if you bothered to read OP's posts. In any case, 10 is old enough to understand water safety. And these two will be in a cafe. The water stays in the lake and therefore poses no threat to them.

Just when you think this thread can't get any more insane...

It's a small, life guarded lake with a gate where staff will prevent anyone from entering who haven't paid, not bloody Windermere.

And the children are ten, not five.

I'm outer London and same. At my son's school the year 6 kids were almost universally allowed hang out unsupervised after school. This involved parks, shops and even (GASP) cafes. I guess areas where everyone drives in it isn't as common.

Are there any Saturday clubs they could do while you do swimming?
Football..dance etc? So they are supervised properly and you get an hour or so to yourself to swim?

This is a very strange view. So it's ok for children to be at home on their own where they are capable of looking after themselves. It's ok for them to go to the shops independently where they are also capable of looking after themselves. But the second they sit down in the proximity of other adults they are suddenly no longer capable of looking after themselves and all the adults become their unpaid carers? Please can you explain your thinking here because I don't understand.

Also, if you bothered to read OP's posts you would see that these two boys are sometimes left home alone and they do go to the shops by themselves. To me, this suggest that they can also sit in a cafe by themselves but apparently this is where you draw the line. 🤷🏼‍♀️

They don't need to be supervised. And OP has already answered this question.

Yes I think there is a real driving culture aspect to some of the attitudes here - if your kids aren't developing what might be called "street smarts" naturally from a fairly young age and building up the skills by walking lots of places regularly, it's understandable you'd be more reticent about suddenly giving them more freedom/be more worried about what's age appropriate and what they're capable of.

Apologies didn't read every single reply 🙄

You don't need to read every reply but you could at least read all of OP's posts.

I don’t see a problem as long as the boys are ok with it and sensible enough to stay put for half an hour, not bicker or mess around. (I think mine would have been fine at 10.)
I’d do a test run and just swim for 15 minutes to see how it goes.

At first I though you were being unreasonable as it felt like you were wanting them to be looked after by the staff but then when I thought about it I do know of a few 10/11/12 year olds who would walk to a cafe on their own for a drink and to feel grown up, or dropped off at a cafe with a friend for a few hours so it’s not really different to what you want to do.

Why can't they just hang around beside the lake where people sit or get dressed or whatever. Give them some treats. Just leave the cafe out of it.

OP, I wouldn't even bother coming back to 'explain yourself', you don't have to justify how and why you want to do this to appease random strangers on the internet.

Your plan is perfectly fine, the twins will enjoy their lunch and you'll enjoy your swim. Well, I hope you do after reading some of the responses on here!

I think two young boys would find it quite awkward just hanging around where people are getting dressed.

What is the problem with them sitting in the cafe eating their breakfast?

I mean, why not the cafe?

One of the motivations for OP is that the kids like the cafe and want to go there.

(Ignoring that the lakeside is fenced and paid access only, that the weather will turn before too long and sitting inside will be nicer than sitting outside, etc...)

Why not the cafe?

Because the cafe is more comfortable, warm, has toilets and provides food and drink.
why would hanging around by the lakeside be safer than a cafe