2y old paddling in sea - safety - opinions please

[Anoriginalusername2]

Opinions please. 2y old with no life vest paddling in very calm sea. Parent is 15m away, intermittently watching. Is this ok?

Not ok.

My money is on a DH who can’t be arsed to supervise properly.

No, an adult shoudl be within arms reach and watching properly at all times

No. The child should be with an adult close at hand. If a rough wave knocked them down they could be in serious trouble within seconds.

Nooope! Parent should be in grabbing distance.

At 2 parent should be right next to them, supervising constantly and preferably hand holding. If calm sea and a sensible child, 15 metres away and parent watching constantly would be ok at 5+ imho.

Of course it’s not ok. A life vest wouldn’t make it any better either- DC could be swept out to sea in one if they go out of their depth and it doesn’t prevent them wandering off down the beach either. At 2 years old they need to be within arms reach of a supervising adult at all times. The time for relaxing on a lounger 15 metres away and checking intermittently will come when they’re (much) older.

Who is this negligent parent? Mum? Grandma? Childminder? if the latter, then they should be sacked.

Absolutely not- mainly the intermittent watching. You should be right by them. We use life vests on our kids but mainly because it’s something easy to grab and pull them up by if we need to (kids in swimwear are super slippery 😂)

Well if I picture a beach in the uk, no. But lake-like water on a gently sloping beach on the med would feel very different. I definitely let mine in water play areas at the play park, without being in grabbing distance at thy age. That would be knee deep water though and I’d be watching, just not hovering over them.

2 yr old is still at the wobbly on uneven surfaces stage plus the “ooh what’s that let’s pick it up” level of interest so ridges in sand, shells, pebbles, sea weed, dead crabs are all items that can impact their stability and catch their interest, let alone the unpredictability and novelty of moving water so a parent or other adult needs to be very close by, preferable holding a hand so that this new , exciting but potentially a bit unnerving and scarey environment can be explored and enjoyed.

it seems a shame to risk putting a child off the joy of paddling, collecting shells and jumping over waves by not making sure that their first introduction to the sea is safe and enjoyable.

Paddling fine but parent should be next to them at all times.

Nope. Parent should be close at hand and watching the whole time

On a recent seaside trip to camber sands no. Waves can be strong, there can be shifting sands (lethal) and there are things like jellyfish (apparently harmless but might freak a small child out). My nephew is 3 in October and his brother is 8 and even the 8 year old I’d be near him as he’s not a great swimmer. Water play park is very different.

15m is too far. A few metres is okay, but not 15. Ad

Fingertip distance, I'm afraid, same as in the swimming pool.

No way, holding hands at all times

For a 2 year old of course this is fine! In the sea is different to in the bath

That's entirely different so what is the relevance?

I wouldn't be holding hands the whole time as they would never get to play and interact and learn how to walk in the water properly.

100% not ok. At arms length at least being watched like a hauk

Depends on the two year old. Either the parent should be holding their hand if they are likely to run in to a deeper part. Otherwise within arms length. 15m is too far away. Particularly if other beach users could block view while going past, paddling themselves etc. Accidents can happen in a second.

2yo shouldn’t be left in a bath on their own. Guidance normally says youngest age you could leave them is 5

Of course not. I would have been right next to them all the time. I can't bare to think of anyone doing that. Are you the parent.

Toddlers can drown in 10 seconds.

Adult should be next to them at all times.

Just reading this makes me feel stressed.

If it’s the child’s dad then you can never sleep soundly again. Sorry

Nope. My two year old must hold my hand if going anywhere near water.