To think this is outrageously irresponsible parenting

[CaffeinatedMum]

On holiday in France at a Eurocamp park. Yesterday I was in the outdoor pool and noticed a little boy maybe around 18 months, certainly no older than a young 2, bobbing around by himself in a float vest. For context my six year old was out of his depth in all of this pool apart from the steps to get in, so it wasn’t a toddler type splash pool.

I watched him for a minute as he didn’t seem to have anyone with him and then both me and another lady went up to him to ask him where his mummy or daddy was, obviously he didn’t reply as was very young. Led him to the steps and his older sister came rushing up to him, I can’t imagine she was more than five (considerably smaller than my six year old).

Long story short, the parents were watching the kids from the bar nearby with their friends. This isn’t a pool bar and they weren’t in swimwear. it’s the other side of a gate and foot bath. So yes you can see the kids but you’re a fair distance away, not just on a lounger next to it,

They absolutely fell about with laughter when their son was helped out of the pool.

I genuinely can’t believe how irresponsible this parenting was… I am assuming I will get a unanimous YANBU but obviously there are parents out there who think this is not only ok but funny.

Now kicking myself for not saying anything to them about it but didn’t want to cause a scene, they were quite a big intimidating group standing their laughing their heads off.

They will blame everyone but themselves when one of their kids is badly hurt because of their neglect.

it does make you wonder how so many children survive their parents' idiocy.

just yesterday I was cycle along a main road and there was a father who clearly thought he was Dad of the Year, cycling with what could only have been a 2 year old tot on the handlebars of his bike. Not only that, he had a cordon on his bike attached to a second child's bike pulling the child along.

I mean talk about spot the brain cell. It was a tragedy waiting to happen, he only needed one distraction to lose his balance and that tiny little child will have been thrown off and been crushed.

This is terrible but then how do you think tragedies happen with toddlers wandering off and kids drowning in pools? You hear on the news parents saying "we only looked away for a second" and of course it may be that, but I would imagine more often than not its moronic parenting that is responsible. Like McCann tragedy. I mean, who TF does that?

When you think of the IQ level of some of these people who were probably raised in a very similar way by their parents, to know they don't even think about Actions leading to Consequences.

Utterly bereft of Critical analysis skills

We spent years going to Euro camp and some of the mainland European parents would not cope with the UK parenting style. They definitely seem to have a far more laid back approach and if they get hurt that's a lesson they'll learn type vibe.
I think with some things maybe that's fair but their lack of pool safety is frightening.
The reason lifeguards/other parents etc were not reacting is because this is mostly the norm.
Not saying it's right, I absolutely do not think it is but it's their normal.

Many people in UK don't teach their children to swim until they go on holiday whereas in mainland Europe those children were swimming from the age of dot. Not saying they don't have tragic accidents, but they are more accustomed to the water and its dangers than we are, because of lack of exposure to it in UK and our generally non conducive weather.

I'd agree that young children need watching constantly around a pool. At 9 I'd keep an eye out but not out and out hypervigilance. My 12yo is allowed off on his own. He's a strong swimmer.

Where abouts in France is it? I had a similar experience in one in France and it was a large group of intimidating French families, they stole stuff like shoes and towels too!

This, exactly

And you know what... Those kids only remain safe as other adults keep an eye on them, even though they don't want the responsibility of keeping an eye on another person's kid - but they couldn't live with themselves if something happened.
You wonder how many accidents are prevented by strangers looking out for the left-alone kids.

This is so upsetting 😔

Oh my God. That's horrific.

If course if the poor child drowned it would be someone else's fault.

People laughing at a child in distress? Absolute loons!

That's the stuff of nightmares!

That little girl could literally have been MILES away before anyone noticed! God, that makes my skin crawl.

It’s for management to deal with not waiters. They would pass it upwards.

Some people shouldn't be parents, more interested in drinking at the bar than parenting.

Things do go wrong around water and you hear of children that have drown and parents like that appear to think it's everyone else's job to watch out for their kids.

Maddie McCann a famous missing child case, left in an unlocked room with her younger siblings whilst parents were eating and drinking, not in eyesight, at a Tapas bar. Didn't turn out well and still no idea where she is or if even alive.

Unfortunately 10 children died by drowning in pools in 1 single week this year. 9 of them had no parent nearby when they went under the water - these idiots should be charged with manslaughter.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/39610546/urgent-warning-parents-children-drowning-holiday-hotspot/

More stories of toddlers drowning in pools just this summer!

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15925223/British-toddler-dies-hotel-pool-family-holiday-Canary-Islands.html

I agree mainly with you. But there is a big difference between a soft play and a swimming pool. Leaving a toddler in a swimming pool alone is wildly dangerous. Letting a toddler explore a soft play might irritate you or others but is ultimately not a serious safety matter.

There are some parents who should be mindful of the safety of their young children, at home and abroad, given that over the years there has been several high profile cases of small children being abducted/murdered/ vanished forever......

My god, these stories of poor parenting are depressing. Poor wee babies 😢

Some folk shouldn't have children.

I know of a family that were outside in their garden and had a small paddling pool with a small amount of water (3 inches). The adults were around but for a short amount of time no one was watching the children and the pool. A tiny crawling baby got in somehow and drowned.

Tragedy in a very short time. Awful.

Were you at La Croix ? We just left that park.

Few people saying European people are more laid back / better swimmers from a young age… the family were all British!

regardless of the water, I don't think any toddler should be left alone. I grew up at a time when I had a lot of freedom but certainly not that young.