What age to allow child in pool solo?

[Monket]

Just curious what age the MN mind thinks is appropriate to allow a child (or two children together) to play alone in a pool, at a place like a holiday home / villa? Adults within shouting distance but not observing.

We have a pool, and my youngest are twins who are 5. They've been swimming unaided since 3, but never will be completely unattended. An adult is always within jumping in distance, I can sit and read but always face the pool and can jump up and straight into the pool within 4 steps if needed.

Older siblings are 9 and above and still have an adult in the garden, always have to have someone outside but adults sat around patio table or similar, not directly at pool side.

Teen is almost 15 and goes to pool alone and local pools with friends since 12.

Never. So I guess would be 18 when adults. The thing is even if they are good swimmers, the teen years herald a bit of poor impulse control and risk taking behaviours meaning even a 14/15yr old who is an excellent swimmer can do something stupid and hurt themselves.

A friend of mine lost his 16yo daughter this way. She was getting out the pool at the side instead of using the steps or ladder and her hands slipped, she fell on the pool side cracked under her jaw- snapping her neck back, breaking her neck and then she just slipped under and drowned. You’d think a 16yo excellent swimmer would be safe in the family pool on their garden…a kid raised to swim…but no. Not the case.

All my DC are strong swimmers from a very young age to include swimming in the Atlantic Ocean (we lived by the beach for years). One even swam competitively. They don’t know river swimming yet though as never had the opportunity to teach them but if they take up white water rafting and kayaking like I did, they can still learn.

At 18, they know not to go swimming in the ocean or any other wild swimming alone. Being an adult doesn’t protect you from drowning. So even today if we are on family holiday, we are all watching out for each other at the beach.

Mine is 6 and can swim well so i don't always go in the pool with her where she can stand.
Deep pool one of us always goes in with her for when she starts to lose energy.
Shallow pools we are always pool side so can see her and she's always to stay where we can see her

Mine went swimming alone with friends and a life guarded pool from 8 +, the age they were allowed to go in the council pool.

They're allowed from 8 in our local pool. I wasn't comfortable with that even though mine are very strong swimmers because they piss about and push each other under the water. From 10 I could happily read a book while they were in the pool on holiday but I'd check in on them regularly.

8 is the absolute minimum but there are other variables too- level of swimming being most important but also a plunge pool that doesn’t allow jumping and they’d never be out of their depth is very different to something with a wave machine or diving area.

Don’t know, our last holiday I watched from the side when they were 7 and 10 in a waist deep pool, one a good swimmer one not. I didn’t supervise the good swimmer 10 year old as closely as I did the poor swimming 7 year old.

I think probably 11/12/13 if good swimmers and sensible, but I’d be still keeping a fairly close eye.

Depends on so many things. I let mine at 10 &12 because they could both stand up everywhere, the 12 year old easily. No waves, just a small slide, whole pool quite visible, lifeguard. No way in deep water, 12 year old can't swim for a start! They are allowed in alone at 10; I wouldn't let them yet.

Completely unobserved by adults? Age 12.

A confident experienced swimmer in pool alone with a poolside adult glancing over every minute? Age 4 fine.

I think this, even if children are confident swimmers, an adult should be supervising close by always

DS10, confident swimmer. I’m not necessarily in the pool with him any more but one of us would be on a lounger by the pool.

Completely unsupervised, around 12/13 if good swimmer, sensible and with a friend. That is with an adult home but inside not constantly in view just checking in regularly. If on their own we'd find something to do outside to keep an eye out. No swimming in the pool if there isn't an adult at home.

We used to head off to the local pool unsupervised from around 10/12 though which is crazy to me now.

DD swims competitively and I'd still supervise her in the pool on holiday. I may stop this year as she's 16 though. Definitely not under 12s regardless of how well they swim.

Let mine go alone, ie, with friends but without me, from 10.

Let them chill around and do their own thing at pool while I was present but not watching at 9 .

Hm. I wouldn’t leave my 10 and 12 yr old. Maybe would leave the 12 and 14.

Completely unsupervised? No lifeguard? Never. Even as adults we always head out to the pool together. Accidents happen.

This if there is a lifeguard. Drowning people don’t usual make noises.

As others have said if there’s no lifeguard then never. If there’s a lifeguard age 10 (IMO) AND a confident swimmer.

Dd1 - never, but dd has blackouts so too high risk, dd2 went in a resort pool from about 10, but never without a lifeguard, I simply wouldn't rent anywhere with a private unguarded pool, not worth the risk

I don't really like anyone swimming in a pool unobserved as you never know. IMO someone should keep an eye on kids directly - not shouting distance. I don't think age has anything to do with it - if they are good swimmers then chances are nothing will go wrong, but if it does (bang on the head / over excited jumping) it could be fatal, so it wouldn't happen on my watch. I am someone who is overly cautious though.

We had a pool at a villa holiday recently and dc1 was fine swimming unsupervised (adults close by). She was 10, and had completed all levels at swimming lessons

Dc2 needed supervising (from the side fine). He was 7 and fairly confident but he couldn't touch the bottom. He is only 1 level away from completing all his swimming lesson levels.

I think 14 in pools and 15-16 at beaches is the guidance here (australia) and that’s probably only because you don’t really get to choose with 15-16yos. That’s what I’d go with, drowning is a major cause of child death in Australia.

Into their teens and strong swimmers if there's no lifeguards around.
My experience on holiday though is that lots of parents think much younger is acceptable!

Interesting - I was going to post something like this today to ask also. My dd is 9 and a half and a confident swimmer. She had a friend over today who is same age and equally confident swimmer. I let dd swim with ds (who is 13) alone but have not let her with a friend. Today I had a bad migraine and was laying down and they went for a swim alone. My ds’s were around, my nephew who was 14 is here and dh was home but working in the garage. I was abit concerned at first when they told me they had been swimming as I usually sit right there beside the pool, or at least on the patio outside where I can see the pool. But then, at 9.5 and confident swimmer, and being 2 of them, maybe it’s ok.