Swimming pool and a 5 year old......

[cathpip]

Well my dh thinks i am being over cautious and a dick! We are on holiday, villa and shared pool. My ds (5) likes to collect the zoggs from the bottom of the pool, he can swim 10/15 metres but does predominantly like to be underwater and really only surfacing for air :). In total there are 4 children all jumping in and out of the pool, other parents are there watching too. My dh thinks it's perfectly safe to read a book and look up every so often to check on our ds, I think it's not safe to read and keep an eye on him at the same time. So who is right, who is wrong or is there a suitable middle ground. (He's managed to read two books by the pool so far). :(

We also have a pool.

My primary school children are left unattended - not for long periods but I'll pop in and out - they just did a junior tri-event which involved a 250m sea swim and they are learning to scuba dive so I'm confident they can be left to swim with minimal supervision - but like you butterflies no flips when I'm not there. Or inflatables.

My preschooler is not allowed in the pool without an adult present. However I will read, chat etc and don't "watch her like a hawk". She can swim a few lengths.

evans And there I was thinking that your comment "it's all in the punctuation" did in fact mean it was all in the punctuation and not a passive aggressive dig at what you perceived to be my own PA....

Life really is too short

Punctuation yes, not Grammar, as you suggested!
No?

The fact remains, young children should not be left alone in a body of water. There should be no argument in that!

One of you definitely needs to keep an eye on the 5 year old! 5 is very young to be left alone in water.

Could you teach your son to float on his back if he begins to struggle?

If he likes being in the water a lot it would be good to teach him a few survival tricks.

Sorry for your loss cathpip

Hope tomorrow is a more balanced day for your re:child care and DH dows his bit.

We have a pool. Our teenagers (actually, daughter is in her early 20s) and their friends play in it, I still keep a watchful eye on them through the kitchen window, just in case. They are all perfectly competent swimmers, daughter is a lifeguard and about to do a swimming teacher's course, they both were members of the local Swimming Club, so perfectly able, confident and capable swimmers. HOWEVER - when they are at leisure and messing around, things can get a bit silly, and that's when accidents happen. Just because you tell children "Don't do any backflips or anything else remotely silly" - that doesn't mean they won't do silly things when your back is turned.

I reassure myself when I check on them, even at that age. At no point in their young lives would I have ever left them, unsupervised, in water.

And now I hope you can all relax into your holiday, CathPip (as the new rules have been set in place)!!

YANBU
Your husband is being the dick.
You should be watching your 5 year old in the pool all the time.
We would be in the pool with our 5 yo DS

I agree OP I think your 5 year old should be watched all the time, especially if there are other people jumping in while he is underwater. One of them could jump on top of him or he could hit his head.
Good luck with the situation and enjoy the rest of your holiday

I still go in with mine aged 9-13. Wouldn't dare not.

My 8 year old is never watched other than with an occasional glance if I am near the pool. But then she swims 2 km twice a week. My youngest I watch closely as she is 2 and can only swim 5 m or so. My middle is fine at 4 if she is with her eldest sister and I remain poolside too.

I don't always go in with my two now (they are 8 and 10). Our local pool is often crowded and now they don't actually need me in there to help them I find it much easier to keep an eye on them from the poolside than when my head is at water level.