To go swimming in the sea whilst the kids are in bed?

[Maezzle]

We live by the sea. It is fifteen metres through the garden from the door to the edge of the water. It is a safe place to swim and we are good swimmers.

Are we unreasonable to go for a fifteen minute swim once the kids (preschool) are asleep? They never wake. We would have a friend lined up who would come and babysit if they don't hear from us after half an hour (in case of shark attack or other unforeseen event)!

Basically the only risk is a house fire. We would not have any appliances running and the house would never be more than 30 metres away and in full view. Window open so we'd hear smoke alarm.

I feel like this should be acceptable as it's basically like having a swimming pool in your garden. But for some reason I feel it isn't okay, but I don't know why!

What would you do?

YABU you should be locked up for even thinking of it.
YANBU it's just like a swimming pool, it's fine.

I’m sure Maddy McCann’s poor parents would be good evidence to say - 99% of the time probably fine, but that 1% would be catastrophic. Don’t.

My first thought.

Yes, swimming in a garden pool would be lower risk but still a risk (I always worry I’d have a heart attack in ours due to being unheated…🥴🤣 so I only do it if my husband is in the house with the kids. The sea - definitely not. You cannot possibly swim and keep your eyes on the house the whole time.

Have you watched the very end of the last ever episode of Catastrophe? I'd suggest you watch it OP.

This can't be for real?

It’s not 1%. It’s 0.0001%.

The benefits probably outweigh the risks.

And it's not a question of what could happen to the kids.

The sea can be treacherous even on a calm evening, and I assume there would be no lifeguard on duty.

Utterly daft and seriously irresponsible.

Not ok

The worst I've ever seen my husband look was when he walked in the door after the search to find an acquaintance who'd fallen in the river was called off. They'd been out in launches looking for him for three hours before the cold and dark meant they had to assume the worst and return. The poor man's body was pulled out over a month later. Accidents do happen on the water, I wouldn't risk leaving children alone while both of you go out, especially if they don't know you're gone. Just take it in turns.

Christ no

Can you swim with a friend instead? No, I don’t think you should both be leaving the house for half an hour.

If you had a pool the kids would be able to find you in their garden, they can’t be expected to come out looking for you in the sea, nor I’m sure would you want them to!

This is the ending to Catastrophe isn’t it?

Agree that’s really strange, even my older DC sometimes need me in the night (unwell etc)

@Vainabigail A Lido?
@Mildorado , No, it's a "think lagoon".
@pelargoniums , It's a sex pond.

Where's the laugh emoji when you need it! 🤣🤣

Two words,..... Madeleine McCann

No, yabu.

Also don't take turns. You should never go into the sea, especially in the dark without someone there in case you get into trouble. Where I live there are regular occurrences.of people being lost forever, or pulled from the sea dead because they got a cramp, or caught in a rip.

Where do you live? It sounds heavenly.
But no, don't do that.
Take it in turns. The sea is wild and unpredictable, no matter how strong a swimmer you are.

The size and enclosed nature of a swimming pool plus where I am swimming pools MUST be enclosed by a regulation height fence with child safe locks. If they aren’t then I can’t imagine how a parent can do laps or have a door open to outside with a young child in the house ever as they could fall in.
if you’re swimming in the ocean you’re not watching the house. They aren’t compatible activities. Small children could wake up and be distressed or wander out of the house and be drowned before you know they ever came out.

YABU I couldn't do that

YANBU

take it in turns, he swims 15 minutes, then you do, then repeat

Is this real.

You miss it?

then why not have a friend come over to sit with them while you’re in the think lagoon?

maybe the same friend who is anxiously sitting by her phone counting down thirty minutes, ready to spring into action if you don’t send a ‘still alive text’? 🤔

We're just going for tapas. It's like having a restaurant in our back garden 🙄

I wild swim and absolutely get why you’d want to do this however I could never even contemplate leaving children of that age alone in the house while I swam.

I remember pottering in my garage (it’s attached to the house)once while DC slept, I popped back in after 10/15 mins to find DC had woken up and was in the lounge utterly heartbroken because they couldn’t find me. I’ve honestly felt guilt ever since. They were 4.