To ask 16yo to take his baby brother swimming? How strict are pools?

[Swimmin]

Hi everyone, baby is only 8 weeks so a while yet but just thinking of the future.

If someone were to take him swimming he needs supervised by a person 16+ how strict are they on that? Do they ask to see ID? Some under 16s look older than their age…

i have 16, 14, 10 and 5 year old also. younger 2 need me

would it be U to give money to my 16 to take him to the baby pool? but i’d say my 16 year old looks younger than his age

Oh. Your op is quite different.

flip.

I meant we all go together but eldest takes baby to the baby pool which is a different section, it's only for under 4s I think and whoever is with them

And giving him money as I would pay hin

It would be all us there minus 14 year old as he wouldn't want to come probably

Given that plenty of 16 year olds qualify as lifeguards I am going to buck the trend and say certainly with some 16 year olds this would be fine!

I'm surprised at the responses. 16 yo can be lifeguards (mine is), if they can be in charge of a whole pool and be responsible for saving someone in trouble then I don't see why a responsible 16 yo can't look after a single baby in a pool.

To answer @Swimmin 's question, they may ask for proof of ID if they think your teenager doesn't look 16.

Very unreasonable to expect a 16 year old to be responsible for a small baby and especially in water.
if you’re solo parenting 5 children, one of whom is a small baby, then swimming definitely isn’t a thing you need to do

Are you the OP who has posted before about your sons? I wondered if your eldest had got into college.
(Please ignore if you understandably don't want to answer!)

NO! NO! NO! NO!

Yes, I am yelling.

Does he have infant CPR training? Does he have lifeguard certification?

This is one of the worst ideas I've heard on here and there have been some doozies.

No. Just no

To clarify too he's 16 as in college age not year 11 in case that makes a difference

He is August born but will likely be close to 17 by the time we go and the weather warms up from may time

You’ll know your own child, if they are responsible and sensible, I don’t see a problem in them helping. I was a 16-year old swim instructor back in the day and no casualties to report.

If he is generally hands on with the baby and a responsible teenager then possibly but I think it is a bit risky him taking baby off into a separate baby pool. Can you all just go in the main pool together so you can keep a bit of an eye.

I always keep in mind the worst case scenario- is that something you would want your child to feel responsible for, for the rest of his life if something went wrong?

If he is holding the baby but with you all then it feels safer but only you know your children.

Mine all qualified as lifeguards at 16.

I'd be more than happy.

Get 16 year old to take the 5 year old. You take the baby and the 10 year old. You all go in the big pool together. If it's not warm enough for the baby, get them a neoprene baby body warmer thing.

Why? Because it's an infant and he doesn't have that training?

Parents or a trained swim instructor in pools or body of water with infants. That's it.

Baby slips out of his arms, aspirates, and goes to hospital. Very, very common. He should not have this put on him.

The way you’ve stated your OP it sounds like you’ll send your 16 year old alone with the baby … if you’re in the pool too then ask the pool if they’d accept this set up - it just wait til your partner is able to come too

For all those who are sounding horrified, you can be a qualified lifeguard at 16 so responsible for the safety of everyone in a pool.

This is absolutely fine.

But I also don’t think a responsible 16 year old taking a baby swimming is a disaster as others seem to think. People can be parents at 16 and take their baby swimming. If it’s a separate baby pool then I would definitely leave the baby with the 16 year old and supervise the older two as they will be more of a handful. The comment saying no because they don’t know infant CPR is bonkers, I don’t think most parents know infant CPR and pools have lifeguards for a reason

Ex lifeguard here. It’s fine and you don’t need ID - if someone says they are 16, we normally take their word for it. There might be some pools with a rule that the supervising adult must be 18 but in my experience it is usually 16.

Infants aren't allowed in a pool without a parent or the swim instructor right there. Baby is held and parent is responsible. No parent, no pool.

absolutely not. What if something happened. Thats too much to put on your 16 year old.

This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever come across.

Does your 16 year DS old even want to do this?
Even if he did, it would be VVU of you to think this would be OK.

For safety reasons this is not a family outing kind of situation. You can’t ask your child to be responsible for your baby or even the other two siblings in the water.

baby swimming when others are at school. Baby being looked after by oldest or other help whilst you take the other two. In fact sounds probable you need help for the other two together never mind adding baby to the mix

touch wood it doesn’t happen but god forbid if something did, the pain you would cause uour 16yr old from them feeling guilt or you having bad feeling toward them is just not worth it regardless of how small that chance is

exacrly! DC1 was a lifeguard at 16. Some pools have an 18 rule for working as a lifeguard (eg where DC2 works). However, the RLSS who runs the lifeguard qualifications allows 16s and over to do it.

PS lifeguarding is a really good student job. DC2 is a fully time student but managing to earn really decent amounts of cash.

That’s not what I thought from your op tbh.