Not to share inflatables by the pool

[Sally20099]

We’re on our summer holiday in Europe. During our Easter holiday two children started playing with DD float (a giant mermaid) and it got a puncture during their rough play. This was on day 3 and DD was rightly upset. This holiday I said she didn’t have to let anyone borrow her new inflatable if she didn’t want to but if she made friends or wanted to make friends she should IF they ask. So far three children have just randomly grabbed and started playing with her stuff (twice it was by the pool but once it was by our sunbeds!). We have always been happy to share if people ask if they can play, borrow or join in, but right in front of their parents they are just grabbing our stuff and playing with it. I understand children will do this but I expect the parents to say something like “this isn’t yours, put it back” or “have you asked if you can play with it because it isn’t yours”. I think this behaviour is unbelievably entitled from children and parents so now I keep it by my sunbed the entire time it’s not in use. People just taking stuff that doesn’t belong to them with out asking is a tigger for me so I’m trying to under if my reaction is fair or am I just an uptight killjoy?

This holiday I said she didn’t have to let anyone borrow her new inflatable if she didn’t want to but if she made friends or wanted to make friends she should IF they ask. That's far too many uncertainties for your child.

No you don't have to share inflatables. Don't feel bad.

I would be annoyed too OP.

Unfortunately respect for other people and their possessions and property seems to have been largely superceded by the attitude individuals are entitled to do exactly what they want with total disregard for others.

Yanbu, especially given the last one was punctured.

YANBU but sometimes hotels have shared inflatables (often left behind by other guests), so you shouldn’t leave them by the pool when you aren’t using them. Just pop them under your sunbed to make clear they are privately owned

You don't have to share, but I don't think it's surprising that children will pay with random toys left by the pool. Afterall, for many families that would be fine.

In the same way that you keep your own belongings close to keep them safe, keep it with you, as you are doing.

I wouldn’t have a problem with it at all. Sharing is caring after all, and these are all things that money can replace

The two times it was by the pool those children probably didn't realise it belonged to anyone specific. There are often inflatables left out by the pool, including by people who've bought them for their holiday and then gone home.

This.

It’s really common in my own experience for inflatables to just be left by the pool when guests leave to go home for others to use, so if it’s by the pool and unattended I don’t think you can blame kids or parents for not just knowing it does belong to someone.

If you don’t want it to be used then keep it by your beds and just say no if someone comes to use it.

Put you surname on it in Sharpie if you have one so it is clear it is ‘owned’

Why should you have to replace your own belongings after they have been damaged by someone else??

I agree often unattended inflatables by a pool have been left by families who didn't want to take them home and are genuinely there for everyone. If you don't want to share you need to keep them close to you.

When it's our last day by the pool, we leave them behind for other children to play with. That's probably what these children and their parents have assumed. When we're there, we keep them by our sunbeds.

I hear the ‘sharing is caring’ line from the kids I teach usually when they want something someone else is playing with and don’t want to wait their turn. 😂

If you leave inflatables by the pool, they are obviously going to be played with. Lots of holuday pools have inflatables for kids, or they just get left behind. Keeping them beside your sunbed when you're not using them is the normal thing to do and what you should have done from the start.

This would drive me mad too. A few years ago my boyfriend and I were literally using our inflatable, playing around with it, and a random child swam over and asked “are you finished yet?” And wanted to take it away and play with it! I was gobsmacked by his cheek, but put him straight.

YANBU

As you know, they're easily burst, but even if it wasn't, it's bloody rude.

if they're by the pool I can understand kids thinking they're there to be played with, BUT that's why children have parents to teach them!!

I'd have no problem getting them back off other kids. But I definitely teach my own to bring them to me if they're taking a break from them.

If they're by you, I'd have no problem using a firm tone with children coming to get them.

He probably thought it was a general one for communal use.

Lots of places don't allow you to bring your own but provide a few noodles and so on.

That's true too.

Not necessarily. Her mermaid inflatable was ruined by other children & yes, they could probably buy other inflatable's, but probably not one the same.

Plus why should the OP spend money in toys for other people's children to play with? How many extra inflatables, buckets & spades, balls, frisbees do you buy to take on holiday fir other kids??

Even if he thought that, it was still cheeky, I was literally ON it, and clearly had not finished!

I wouldn't ever let my kids pick up random things around a pool without checking first that they didn't belong to anyone!

I would just politely say "Excuse me, that inflatable belongs to my daughter can we have it back please?"

Every time.

Unless your dd is actually playing with the child involved.

Also I've never been to a hotel with random old inflatables left around, stuff left behind would get binned quickly. We did an all inclusive last year and there were no toys/inflatables left by the pools at all.

Simple solution is not to leave them by the pool OP