To think it’s a bit negligent to leave your DC in a water park for hours at a time?

[Rainallnight]

We’re on holiday at a place with an on site water park. DD has made friends with a little boy who’s 5, with an older brother who is 8.

Their parents routinely leave them unattended in the swimming pool for 3-4 hours at a time, just showing up to get them for meals etc.

The 8 year old is a good swimmer. The five year old has an enthusiastic doggy paddle.

DP and I are quite anxious about water safety generally so I am wondering if I’m being uptight or if this is genuinely weird.

YABU - of course it’s ok to leave kids this age unattended in pools/water parks

YANBU - of course it’s dangerous.

Definitely not! Mine are 9 & 11 and good swimmers, I might be reading a book on a nearby sun lounger, but I'd never send them to the pool unattended!

^This^and what parents takes they're kids on holiday and don't spend time with them. The 8 year old will have it on his conscience for the rest of his life if something happens to his younger brother.

Let's be honest... the children haven't been left unattended as you're there and they know it!

They are CFers.

They have been left alone though, they have no idea if you have to take off and go somewhere else, back to the apartment or wherever, or if you just don't realise they've left their kids with you and buggered off!
CF's doesn't even begin to cover it
Negligent fuckers more like

just neglect and laziness youre not their free babsitter report them

I will admit to not always having my 8 and 11 year old in my direct sight but I’m always at the pool if never leave them without asking a friend to watch out for them.

A 5 year old being supervised by an 8yo at a pool with a lifeguard is those things which is fine 99% of the time, until the one occasion when it's not fine... and then it's really, really bad.

No fucking way.

@Goldbar
asked where parents were. Kid said the bar. All traipsed to the bar and not there.
Back to pool- not there.
Asked where staying, wandered the park with my 3 and 6 year old till found parent. He was back at chalet. Very fancy car-assume he thought we would be in lieu of the kids club. 😒

The 5YO is absolutely not ok! If it were just the 8YO then I’d say it probably falls into the camp of differing opinions since most pools do allow unaccompanied 8YOs and he is a confident swimmer. But the 5YO is completely negligent. I’d probably have a word with hotel staff tbh.

Outrageous behaviour on the part of the parent and very irritating for you. I would have been tempted to call the police and report an abandoned child just to teach him a lesson. Poor child.

Wow that’s terrible and what a responsibility to leave the 5 year old with the 8 year old. If anything happened that would be just awful. Definitely report. The fact they are in the bar says it all 🤦🏻‍♀️

It's one of those things where if nothing bad happens, it's not negligent. If someone drowns then it is.

If I knew where they lived I'd report them to social services as this type of dangerous behaviour is just not right.

8 is generally the minimum age they can be unattended at pools isn't it? I was always a bit cautious at leaving mine at that age and wouldn't have wanted an 8 year old to be responsible for a younger DC. And I'm generally quite laid back about letting mine do stuff on their own compared to the general vibe on mumsnet.

I've got 3DC and I might at a push have left my youngest at 8 with the older 2 who would have been 11 and 13 with strict instructions to stay together. Even then only for an hour so with me checking in

I'd definitely mention to a life guard.

Report it definitely, totally negligent parents. Poor kids.

One of the reasons I will only consider villa holidays now, the lack of supervision of children around the pool I have seen over the years is appalling and it stresses me out, as I would be constantly watching the children of lazy parents.

I’ll be sat by the side of the pool with a 13 and 12 year old who are both really good swimmers .. it’s the first year though I intend to bring a book ( no holiday since 2019)

Even if it wasn't a water park this would still be severely not okay.

Also even if it's not dangerous wouldn't you just be really sad? My nearly 5 year old and nearly 7 year old would be stressed and upset, looking for me. What if they needed the toilet or sun cream or a drink? It's made me really really sad for those poor kids.

which country is this water park in? Different countries have different rules.

I suspect if this was mentioned to the parents firstly they'd tell you the 5 year old is not on their own as he's with the 8 year old.
Secondly you'd get "were on holiday, we're entitled to a break"
OP definitely mention it to a life guard I've seen this where kids tag on to other kids on holiday and then the parents think it's acceptable as they're being watched by others.

Most water parks wont allow anyone under 12 unattended by someone over 18

Its not okay to leave a 5 and 8 year old alone anywhere. With an added risk of drowning its even worse, but all of the other dangers are also present. This is the same as sending your 5 and 8 year old into a shopping centre by themselves!

The could get abducted, assaulted, injured etc etc

In the UK around 50 children a year under the age of 16 are abducted by strangers. One in every 100 children face an abduction attempt at some point in their childhood or teenage years. The reason the figures for abductions aren't higher is because 3/4 of abduction attempts fail, mostly because the parents are being vigilant.

In this case these parents are gambling that if the worst happens strangers will be vigilant. But given most people in the pool are unaware of who the children's parents are this is a huge gamble.

Who on earth agrees that the kids are fine on their own? Wow some people shouldn't be parents...

I would have taken them to the lifeguard as soon as I found out their parents had left them alone. Shit parents, hope they aren't trying to have a third.

I wouldn't leave a 5 and an 8 year old anywhere unattended, let alone a swimming pool.

My DB when aged 11 almost drowned after being 'dropped' (it was a game) by an older friend into an Olympic racing pool (his head hit the side of the pool and was cracked open and he went under). Thank god my DM was there who dived in and rescued him (life guard did nothing). DB was a good swimmer and also diver. Put him off both latter for ages afterwards.

If the above can happen to an older child then god knows what can happen to younger ones. I'd mention this to management.

I accidentally hit you are being unreasonable.

you aren’t.

I have seen this a lot - particularly at large campsites in France and Italy.

The lifeguards aren’t overly attentive - big water slides, deep water, tiny kids, no supervision.

shocking