Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Grotesque cheating during distance swim

88 replies

Quattrocento · 15/06/2008 23:57

We were at a distance swim today. I don't know if you've suffered these, but what basically happens is that there is a man at one end of the pool, ticking off the number of lengths they do.

The rules are, you have to touch the sides at both ends of the pool and feet are not allowed to touch the bottom. The children trudge up and down the lengths until they get tired, whereupon they get certificates depending on how far they have got.

However no marker was at the other end of the pool and two girls were flagrantly cheating by stopping three or so metres short, walking four or five steps (thereby getting much needed breather) then setting off again. If you multiply 3x2x30 that's 180 metres saved off a mile swim. Quite a chunk.

Do you think I am utterly bonkers to get worked up about this? The whole distance swim certificate thing was just totally faked by several children, whose parents were clearly condoning it. Shouldn't these things actually mean something? Should children be so obviously allowed to cheat like this?

OP posts:
WendyWeber · 16/06/2008 00:03

Children will always cheat (well, most will) if allowed...I now to remember that I got quite worked up once at the infant sports because some of them were holding the egg in the spoon with their thumbs...

Was money being raised, or anything important like that?

Swedes · 16/06/2008 00:03
Desiderata · 16/06/2008 00:05

Bastards!!!!

I don't think you're bonkers at all, really. Well, not on this issue

Cheating is cheating. No good will come of it.

dittany · 16/06/2008 00:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chefswife · 16/06/2008 00:07

if they are getting away with cheating now, they will continue and when the time is ripe, it will kick them in the ass how lazy they have become.

Swedes · 16/06/2008 00:08

WendyW I have on film my DS2 coming second from last in the egg and spoon race. He is the only one on the field who didn't cheat. It is clear for all to see. Unforunately there is sound on the film and you can clearly hear me saying to DP "Shall I tell Mr Lumley, I can play him back the film?" It's become a family classic.

WendyWeber · 16/06/2008 00:09

swedes!!!

TheTeaspoonLady · 16/06/2008 00:17

They should have caged sharks at the deep end, that are allowed out to nibble the toes of those not following the rules.

jammi · 16/06/2008 00:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Quattrocento · 16/06/2008 00:21

Thanks for the vino Swedes. It's helping a bit. No money was being raised or anything. It's just the principle of the thing

OP posts:
WendyWeber · 16/06/2008 00:28

Awww, jammi DD2 was disqualified in her first ever secondary school gala when she won the breaststroke (fairly!) but only touched the side with 1 hand, not 2 - they had been told, but she wasn't listening, as usual...

She never bothered competing again. I don't imagine that is the intended consequence of sticking strictly to a rule like that, is it?

LuckySalem · 16/06/2008 00:31

Lol Swedes!!

zippitippitoes · 16/06/2008 00:33

you are worrying unnecessarily

they havent achieved it

the certificate is only of any value if you do it

Flashman · 16/06/2008 09:21

If it is not your child - why does it matter to you - I really can't see why give a fuck - just worry about your own child and keeping them from cheating.

Bridie3 · 16/06/2008 09:30

Some children DO get upset if they think that cheats have been allowed to receive certificates/prizes, etc. We have had similar problems with a competitive fun run.

Flashman · 16/06/2008 09:37

Bridie what did you tell the children?

Original poster
Quattrocento · 16/06/2008 10:17

If it's not my child why does it matter?

Well for two reasons:

  1. It devalues the certificate awarded to my child and makes it more or less meaningless
  1. I think it's bad policy generally for cheating to be allowed and condoned.

Also my child was puzzled - "Mummy, am I slow or something? They kept overtaking me." Well yes dear but they were cheating and you weren't isn't actually that much consolation. Not that it was a race or anything.

OP posts:
nkf · 16/06/2008 10:23

Children shouldn't be allowed to cheat. No.
It doesn't devalue your child's certificate because she earned it. So she doesn't need to be consoled because she did just fine. Congratulations by the way. Cheats always lose in the end.

Flashman · 16/06/2008 10:26

I would have thought it would be a great chance to explain - thats life some people take short cuts and the fact that he did not makes his cert worth a lot more

ShowOfHands · 16/06/2008 10:28

I was such a goody two shoes at school that I always lost the egg and spoon race but played by the rules. My Dad taught me the meaning of 'moral victory' and eons later I still remember the meaning several times a day when parenting or interacting with dh.

Flashman · 16/06/2008 10:28

That is rubbish - cheats don't always lose in the end - my lesson from this would be don't get caught!

morningpaper · 16/06/2008 10:35

I would just say "It wasn't a race! I'm not sure they were all doing it quite as properly as you"

I really wouldn't be able to give a toss about this though

My DD has a 10-metre swim certificate which she has had for about a year and there is NO WAY she can swim that far... I think swim certificates are rather more art than science...

Bridie3 · 16/06/2008 10:37

Flashman--I had a word with the PTA organiser and over two years the event supervision has been tightened up considerably.

Before this happened I just had to tell my children that it was just one of life's great unfairnesses. But it's hard when you're only nine or so to see another child receive a medal for 'winning' when you know they didn't.

Flashman · 16/06/2008 10:38

Show of hands I just wish their was a clapping icon!!! I was taught that life is full of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.

Original poster
Quattrocento · 16/06/2008 10:39

Hmm the moral highground isn't especially comforting for a child, not that said child was anything other than puzzled but phlegmatic. But I agree with you that it's the only thing to do.

Flash, you and I are going to differ on the moral of the story. I don't think the moral of the story is not to get caught. Or it shouldn't be, for all sorts of reasons.

The point which really irritated me is that the lady who runs this particular swimming school CLEARLY knew that they were cheating. And saw it happen. And is clearly awarding STA certificates dishonestly.

Should I report her to the police Clearly, I am impossibly uptight and anal about this. All the other parents thought that a dip in the water, swim a few desultory lengths, walk a bit, get your mile certificate, go home. Me? I'm the only parent going "But but but..."

OP posts: