To think you stand next to your toddler in water?

[NapQueen]

Went to a park yesterday that has a river flowing through it. There is a shallow part in a bend where the water goes from walk in to knee high within about 3 feet. There's a flat muddy sand bit leading in which is about 20 feet long and a short wall runs up the side opposite the water.

Little boy no older than my own (20mo) stood in the water up to his thighs with everyone else he was with sat up on the wall 20 feet away.

Aibu to think there should have been someone at least at the waters edge watching him and within grabbing distance?

Dh and I took turns paddling in the shallows with DS and dd (4) was always within arms reach.

I felt tense and like we had to just keep him in our sight. One slip up and he would have been under.

Yanbu

I suppose it depends on how water confident the child is? My DS and DD were practically raised in the water and at 20 months were capable of going under and pushing themselves back up. So I wouldn't have been in arms length of them. However I would have been very close by and watching them.

YANBU summer turns people into idiots. At the beach yesterday and DD aged 6 wanted to play in the sea so I watched at the waters edge and just called her if she got too deep, otherwise let her play with friends she made.

Had to have been there an hour when another mother came up looking for her children, Child A was there Child B was not cue mass panic and combing the beach.

I saw they eventually found her totally the other end and distraught she'd been lost for ages looking for them, she was probably 5/6. They would have had no idea if she'd have been dragged off by a current or persuaded off the beach by others.

TheFit water confidence makes no difference if a current drags them off and away around the bend. You wouldn't have time to get to them.

makes no difference if a current drags them off

I did wonder if there was a current, but presumably if it had been a strong one the OP would have mentioned it?

Fit. It makes no difference how confident the child was. We're talking about a little baby here who's not even 2 years old, and no child is stronger than water.

YANBU!

Yanbu, I really despair at some people. He could have slipped and fell or be dragged off by a current. Very irresponsible to have left him just like that.

YANBU

I can't even go near the lake at my local park, because so many parents allow their toddlers to lean forward and throw bread for the ducks, without even standing near them, let alone holding their hands.

A couple of weeks ago my DS was at a different park and said a little toddler fell into the lake. The Mum stood there screaming and a very nice teenage boy jumped in and got her out.

Poor fucker couldn't get home after that, because the bus drivers wouldn't let him on, due to being soaking wet and stinking to high heavens. So my DS ended up phoning his older brother to come and get him in his car. They'd never even met before the incident happened

It makes no difference how confident the child was.

By water confidence, I mean how used to an competent they are in the water. By 20 months, both of mine could fall and go under and get right back up again. If there was a current it would be different, but a still pool only up to their thighs, no I didn't feel the need to be right next to them. I could be a bit away and watch them.

Yanbu. I saw a post on fb (friend of a friend) a woman talking about her 3 year old nearly drowning. She had been distracted "for a minute" by her older child so left the 3 year old paddling alone in the sea. It was only because a randomer dragged her out the little girl didn't drown.

This post was thanking said ramdomer and loads of posts saying how it could happen to anyone. Anyone daring to say she shouldn't have left a 3 year old alone in the sea is pounced on immediately.

Whether the parents feel the child is confident or not

It's just so unnecessary imo.

That's the silly part about it, should something happen.

I definitely wouldn't. I just can't imagine being so cavalier with DS (21 months). I am very risk averse though, so sometimes I don't know if I'm over-reacting.