To leave 4 year old alone in pool

[CatTurd]

With armbands on and me sitting at the side on a sun lounger.

Just curious because I noticed all the other parents getting in or
following their 4/5/6 yr olds around. Maybe I’m being too relaxed.

No.

Sitting on a sunlounger obviously implies you might not be poolside and actively watching the kid.

Unless it was a toddler pool and water was only up to their waist and I was no more than 3m away watching at all times then no. There were 2 reported drownings of young children (from my area but happened in Spain) within the last two weeks.

Im usually the super relaxed one that other parents judge

I wouldn’t consider this

When you said 'No need to be rude', no one had been rude as far as I can see?
Which would indicate that you're feeling defensive. Which in turn would indicate that you know really that you're wrong.
It's often tedious to closely supervise small children. However, it's in the job description; parent.

Totally irresponsible I think. It's possible to get trapped under something whilst in arm bands (dC1 tried to go under the hand rail, got his head under, the arm bands stayed the other side and he was stuck) or for them to come off.

There are big signs up in our pool saying you should never be more than 1m away from a non-swimming child. And still last year a child drowned.

“Supervising from the side” is not enough for a non swimming 4yo.

You need to be in the water with your child directly supervising them.

This must be a reverse?! Surely no one thinks this is adequate parenting?!

Are you talking paddling pool or out of their depth pool?

If you're sitting on the side of the pool, no more than a few metres away, watching like a hawk and ready to jump in if they get into the slightest difficulty, maybe.

On a sun lounger, absolutely not.

Supervising from the side is OK, as long as your eyes are on them. It's the wandering off, getting on phone or reading a book that is dangerous. "A swimming child should never leave your sight" is the message I've always been given.

The rude comment was to the person who replied sarcastically with a rolling eyes emoji, nobody else.

Im not being defensive. I’m taking on board what people have said and I realise I wasn’t watching like a hawk. I’ll be getting in with her tomorrow or sitting right on the side with my feet in.

This makes no sense. Even if it is a reverse, somebody is doing it!

Of course it is unreasonable to sit on a sun lounger whilst your 4 year old is in a pool without you.

Sorry the reason you saw all the other parents in the pool was because that was the safe and responsible place to be. At out local pool, 0-4 need 1:1 in pool supervision and 4-8 need 1:2. Your only allowed to watch from the side if they're over 8, and even then only if they're competent swimmers.

Yabu.
You must be in the pool.
Sun loungers not even right next to the pool they are back by a few feet to allow walking around the pool.

Definitely no! Child that age died in a pool here in Ireland a few days back. I would be in with them

I think it's ok as long as you are watching them all the time. I wouldn't drink or read or scroll through my phone though, thats letting your guard down.

Far too easy sitting on the side to pick up your phone/ book/ start chatting etc and lose concentration.

So you've already done this and are asking mn if its ok?

It's not.

The consensus is no and I agree with that. I sympathise. Holidays are slightly crap with young children. This summer I'm looking forward to my first holiday in many years that she and I will be able to relax by the pool as the children are 10 and 13 and both strong swimmers. Even so, I won't relax all the time!

I generally find many parents very over-anxious nowadays but your post actually horrified me. Pool and small children are a lethal combination, you'd be literally betting your very young child's life on a pair of armbands.
They need to be with you or watched at every moment at that age while in the water.

Yeah you need to be in the water.

just recently come back from an AI holiday with a massive pool with slides and lots of parents sitting by the pool drinking not giving any shits.

DH and I and a few other parents in the pool ended up playing with / looking after really young kids who were in the pool alone.

one nearly drowned (with bands on) and he was out of the pool being comforted by someone else before the mum even noticed.

It’s madness.

I get in the pool and stay close to my 6 year old that can swim like a fish as she's still young enough to do stupid things. My 4 year old uses a vest or woggle and is ALWAYS within arm's reach.