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

I was perfectly ok to look after a baby in the pool at 16, in fact I had a summer job teaching swimming when I was 15. If he’s responsible and a good swimmer himself he’ll be ok.

Even if it was their own baby? Such general station

And for all you know the OPs eldest could be a lifeguard or something

First question is does he want to?.if he wants to he'd likely be far more engaged.

OP are you with a partner? Or is there another adult that could go with you?

How do you manage to have 5 kids, one being only 8 weeks old and no mention of any dad(s) who presumably helped create all these kids at all!

And probably besides the point but I'm kind of amazed 16 year olds are still lifeguards these days and given such life or death responsibility. I would think drownings are the most common accidental deaths in children.

Some 16 year olds have babies themselves so I don't see the issue. I used to take my younger sister swimming as a teen without my parents

I had my children young but I think there is a difference responsibility wise between a 16 year old taking their own baby swimming and a 16 year old being expected to take a baby sibling.

No.

FFS your baby doesn’t need to go swimming.

Im sure our local council pools rules were 18+ unless they were the parent of the child.
My DS qualified as a lifequard at 16 and work at the pool so wouuld be in charge of the whole pool

Can we stop with the lifeguard posts, the kids who have the chance to qualify as lifeguards at 16 have parents who have the time and money to get their swimming up to a decent and safe level. Swimming lessons are very expensive in most areas and there is a huge divide in swim ability between socio-economic groups. OP doesn't drive, so her DS is unlikely to have been a club swimmer either. If OPs DCs were good swimmers, I'm sure she'd have mentioned it.

OP, it sounds very hard to entertain all the kids and it's great you want to go swimming with them. Unfortunately I don't think it's very safe and I think you'll find it really stressful. Can you instead go swimming whenever one of the older ones is doing something else, so if the 10yo is on a playdate - take the others swimming, or sign a couple up for Sat morning football and go swimming then with the others. Do you have a partner or mum who could watch the baby, maybe in the cafe, if you were swimming with the others? The more you go with one or two kids, the better they will be at swimming and water safety and the more likely it'll be safe in the future. Good luck with it.

@Suekeeper,
No i just prioritised that skill because i recognised it was a way they could earn money in their teens and at uni. Neither of my teens were never into expensive fashions etc so our money went on swimming lessons. You
dont have to be a club swimmer to get your NPLQ

You are completely missing the point of mentioning 16 year old lifeguards. The NPLQ obviously feel that a 16 year old is mature enough to have the responsibility to look after a pool of swimmers as well as our local council who employs 16 year olds as lifeguards.
Only OP knows how sensible her 16 year old is or how competent he is

I genuinely don’t get the reactions. All that you have to do with an 8 week old baby in a pool is hold it. Are we actually suggesting that the average 16 year old is not capable of holding a baby safely for the 20 mins before they get very bored and cold and everyone gets out again?

Absolutely not. My 17 year old goes swimming with DD but she’s nearly 4! I wouldn’t let him go alone with my 1 year old, let alone an 8 week old!

Yes exactly - my son at 13 is a junior surf life saver, and plans to be fully qualified as both a surf and pool life saver at 16.

OP didnt say that they were taking an 8 week old
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Hi everyone, baby is only 8 weeks so a while yet but just thinking of the future

Why on earth did you ask this question on Mumsnet? You know this is the place where children must be helped to walk down the stairs until they are 12 and not left alone until they are 43.

Do not let your 16yo be in charge of a young child.

My teen brother would often torpedo me in the pool when I was small.

@nomas
Were you an actual baby when your brother torpedoed you? I am guessing that you weren't.

It depends how sensible the 16 year old is, if they are sensible then it should be fine. Don't take too much notice of the pearl clutching on here, mumsnet is full of people who's little darlings must never be asked to so much as lift a finger to help around the house or with younger siblings, and who can't be left alone without supervision until at least age 18.

No, but I couldn't breathe under water and my dad fished me out. HTH.

This. Why can't the dad take the baby whilst you watch the others?

I think you’re missing the point actually. Lifeguards are fully trained so how is that the same as an average 16 year old, even if they are a good swimmer and v responsible??

Putting the baby in an inflatable seat thing is a good idea.

Only if 16yr old has had Lifesaving classes.

No i am not. A lifeguard is trained and has the responsibility of a whole pool. We are talking a bout a 16/17 withought training having one to one responsibility of their sibling, not taking a crowd of toddlers to the pool.
The point is that the average 16 years old obiously have a certain level of maturity in the first place to be able to train for the extra responisibility of the whole pool