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AIBU?

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Original poster

My son was hit on the head by the swimming instructor

313 replies

ali1982 · 03/02/2011 15:50

My son came home from school upset because when he went swimming with the school the swimming instructor whacked him on the head with 2 floaters.My son told me that he was stood by the pool and that the woman was telling the class off and then she whacked him and another child on the head.I have made a complaint to the leisure center about this person and also to the school.But the school seems to be not taking it seriously.I have said that if my son was naughty i dont have a problem with him being told off but the woman should not have hit him on the head.My son is only 8 years old.What should the school do in this situation ?

OP posts:
pagwatch · 04/02/2011 08:29
Morloth · 04/02/2011 08:32

I have no flotation devices alas. I do have a pool and an almost 7 year old boy though. Would it be a fair test to use the oar from his inflatable boat do you think?

DS gets a lot of 'Suck it up sunshine' or if he is being really annoying 'Suck it up princess'.

pagwatch · 04/02/2011 08:37

How heavy is the inflatable boat?

Morloth · 04/02/2011 09:04

Not too heavy but a bit awkward, would be hard to get a direct hit. He has swimming lessons tomorrow, I will get teacher to give them all a smack in the head with a noodle and report back.

I would do the baby as well but he would probably bite me for it.

begonyabampot · 04/02/2011 09:18

What about a surf board - or would that be a step too far?

MrSpoc · 04/02/2011 09:21

even better just slap them in the face with a kipper.

LeQueen · 04/02/2011 09:48

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JamieLeeCurtis · 04/02/2011 09:49

Pag - I am imagining some It's A Knockout -style affair with people in penguin suits with gigantic feet

LeQueen · 04/02/2011 09:50

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StrawberryMess · 04/02/2011 09:55

Morloth I find a rolled-up newspaper does the trick very well too.

LeQueen · 04/02/2011 09:55

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Morloth · 04/02/2011 10:49

We have a boogie board! He is in bed now, should I wake him?

Another favourite here is 'Life's hard, wear a helmet' very appropriate here I feel.

pagwatch · 04/02/2011 10:54
Grin

Ds1 is 17, 6ft and in the rugby team. He still does as he is told.

Seriously, when I think of the stuff he has gone through I am proud he learnt that life is not smooth waters, that we love him and support him but life will be unfair. How you cope with it's unfairness determines how happy and successful you may be.

I am so glad we regularly clunked him with water based activity toys.

MrSpoc · 04/02/2011 10:58

Has any one else's mum ever used a slipper or flip flop on them.

It never hurt and we just used to laugh it off. it used to drive my mum nuts.

Should we use slippers and flip flops in GAGA Boot Camp?

maryz · 04/02/2011 11:03

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Morloth · 04/02/2011 11:07

Strangely enough I am not that keen on actually smacking a kid as punishment. DS1 is a pretty easy going kid so it hasn't really come up.

Lots of smacks in the back of the head to emphasise the point if he is being a doofus though.

But yes, mum used the slipper and DH has a family story of the time his mum broke the wooden spoon on his butt. But he was a toe rag of a kid so it is to be expected.

pagwatch · 04/02/2011 11:12

God no.

My parents never slapped/smacked me (well my dad did once but was horrified) and I never ever smack my children... (well, again, did once but that was acute depression and led to Doctors visit and some help)

begonyabampot · 04/02/2011 11:15

Not a fan of smacking thought do resort to it occasionally then feel bad.

I've had to pull my boys out of sports classes before for a rollicking as they were acting up, not fair on the instructor - especially these days when they have to be so PC. Thing is I like to watch their classes to make sure the behave for the instructor, not to look for signs of abuse to have a go at the instructor if they give little Johnny so much as a raised eyebrow.

maryz · 04/02/2011 11:15

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MrSpoc · 04/02/2011 11:20

good point maryz.

I still like the smelly kipper idea

LeQueen · 04/02/2011 11:30

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LeQueen · 04/02/2011 11:35

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tyzer2001 · 04/02/2011 11:49

Mine get bopped regularly with whatever comes to hand. They have been smacked in the past, which has the effect that these days the threat of a smack is enough. If I had never smacked them, the threat would have no impact at all.

However, some research has indicated that a bop on the skull with a teaspoon really fucking hurts so we don't do that any more Blush

As for the OP - If I were a swimming teacher wanting to hurt a child I'd push the little darling in, not hit him with something that weighs less than Jordan's knickers. I'm with pagwatch.

LeQueen · 04/02/2011 11:50

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tyzer2001 · 04/02/2011 11:53

Yup my brother used to do that too. He also did it with the pre-heated head of a lighter once - I had the scar for years!
He was a demon with the old 'flick her arse with the end of a damp tea-towel' too...

I expect that means I was abused, now I come to think of it. Oh buggrit. Grin

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