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.

EpicMugs There was a similar story at one of the leisure pools near me. The parents has lied about the number of supervising adults going in the pool and there was one person with 4 under 8s. One of the children, a 4yo drowned and the pool was cleared. Fortunately he survived but by all accounts it was quite traumatic for the staff and others there to witness it.

A child can down in seconds and before notice even in shallow water. They only need an egg cup full in their lungs to drown. It’s not fine and you are irresponsible r suggesting it is.

it was quite traumatic for the staff and others there to witness it.

I could well believe it. I assume the child I remember also survived - mainly because it was a relatively small town and I think I'd have known and remembered if he died - but the sound of screaming and seeing all those adults panicking around the still body but not being able to DO anything really stuck with me.

If I'd been adult enough to fully comprehend what I was seeing, or to have been involved in trying to help, it could have been very traumatic, I think.

Armbands don’t stop a child from drowning. I hope this post isn’t real.

omg. Totally unsafe. Not least you need to be teaching the child they are too young to be in the water solo in case they decide to go wandering in by themselves

There was a useful thread on here last year about drowning. People don't splash or call out, it's hard to spot drowning.

This is from this article slate.com/technology/2013/06/rescuing-drowning-children-how-to-know-when-someone-is-in-trouble-in-the-water.html

“Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.”

So yes, you need to watch carefully, not just be nearby.

Get in the pool! I can’t believe this post is for real, is it a reverse?

Is this kids pool or main pool? Kids pool not a problem, thats what i did on holiday this year, my DD is confident in wTer and can touch the floor. Main pool, dependa on childa ability and whether they follow instruction. My dd went in main pool with her rubber ring and goggles while i sat on the side sometimes, sometimes i got in, but i was close enough to jump in if needed

Pretty sure every pool requires an adult or gardian in with the child (and you can only have x number of children per adult too... usually 3 I think but it may vary place to place).

I know our local pool its strictly with an adult until 8 years old, also and adult must remain if they are over 8 years old but cant swim.

Always found this funny as my DS was a super strong swimmer in competitions since 5 year old thanks to years in the duckling program but I'm disabled and can't swim myself lol.

As everyone has said, you need to be in the water with them.

I came close to drowning one time when I was about 7. My mother decided to walk back to the caravan and leave me there by myself.

A couple of videos here: www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/69540825/can-you-spot-the-drowning-child

Showing how hard it is to spot a child in trouble and then how long it takes even a vigilant lifeguard to get to them. The swim across take forever once you realise the child is in trouble.

(This is not meant to 'lay it on' for the OP who has already listened to advice and decided to do things differently)

As long as you are eyes on him, not reading or chatting, plus the armbands, then seems fine.

My ds was 4 when he got into trouble in a pool and I was actually in it with him at the time! Another child took off his arm bands (no idea why) and he slipped under - it was a busy pool and whilst I was close, it took me longer than I'd like to get him up to the surface. He was really traumatised and didn't want to go back to the water for a very long time. Children can inhale water and drown very quickly so I wouldn't ever take the risk.

So you think it's the 4 year-old posting?

Well done you. I bet mum was looking at a phone

Even if you are watching like a hawk it still takes a surprising amount of time to get tfrom the sunlounger. Past everyone, into thr pool and to the child.
Another warning been on holiday with dh and I and our 4 kids in the water, Always designate a specific adult for watching soecific children. Otherwise you can each assume the other parent is watching a particular child when neither is

wow what an attack on you OP! I’ve been on two holidays this year and sat on a sun lounger while my 3 year old played in the shallow end of the pool or a the kids pool. I never took my eyes off her, she was in a vest and armbands. The lounger was right next to the pool. Plenty of other parents doing this too. In the rare event she wandered, I got in the pool. But she was quite happy padding in the shallow end and playing with toys.

awaits the abuse 🤣🤪

Parenting class 101...

Don't leave your kid alone in a fucking swimming pool!!

Jeez.

you need to be in the pool with children end of

Surely sitting watching from the side is as good if not better than being in the water a metre away.

For reference my DDs have needed rescuing when younger. Once aged 3 DD walked into the pool to stand under the water next to DP. There were plenty of us watching to point it out to him but he wouldn't have noticed on his own. Another time DD in a ring with about 10 other people in the water and I was watching her as she tipped backwards and then turned over in the water, I was in to pick her up in a second but interestingly no one else noticed even though they were very close by. Although they may have done a second or two later.

So as long as you are on the side with eyes on her the whole time, you may be quicker to notice something than if you are in and swimming.

A young child drowned at a pool party a few yrs ago
the poor child’s armbands had slipped off.
Child slipped unnoticed under the surface because of all the other kids splashing.
Armbands are not safe. Kids in water need 100 supervision.

As part of my job years ago I had to attend an inquest into the accidental drowning I a young boy at a swimming pool. He couldn't swim and no-one saw him drown. It was traumatic, and I still think about his poor parent still. Horrible tragedy. I never let my DC alone in the pool until they were old enough, and were strong swimmers, could get themselves to the side AND swim a whole length unaided.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337483/British-toddler-Isabella-May-Crump-drowned-Spanish-holiday-villa-pool-mother-lay-sun-lounger-nearby.html

Our local pool expects children 8 and under to be supervised in the water. Why does it suddenly become safe to not be in with them when on holiday?

Nou just "unreasonable" or "too relaxed"; totally crazy.

Adults take a while to drown. They thrash about, yell, struggle. Almost all adult swimmers who drown are out of their depth.

It takes them longer than it takes chikldren.

Drowning is the leading cause of injury death in children 1-4. Young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, and it can happen quickly and silently in as little as 25 seconds.

<www.parents.com/kids/safety/outdoor/the-sad-truth-about-drowning/>