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?

Are you mad?

oh my god!

Nope. I almost drowned at that age when I was paddling and went under.

No. A 2 year old (and any child for that matter) should be supervised in water constantly.

The sea and waves can change quickly, even a calm one! A boat going past even miles out, will cause an extra level of waves coming in that you can be unprepared for. Be holding hands or at least close distance so you can grab them quickly.

I’d say the parent should be within arms reach really.

When DC3 was a similar age to that, we were on the beach paddling. Very calm sea, beach with a gradual slope / no shelves. The sea was about knee deep on DC3 when he tripped and fell face first into the sea.

He made no attempt at all to right himself and get his head out of the water. He just lay there motionless floating face down. Because I was right next to him, I was able to grab him and pull him up and out of the sea, and he was fine.
I don’t like to think about what might have happened if I’d been sitting 15m away watching intermittently, I don’t know whether DC3 would have started trying to get up himself once the surprise at falling had worn off, or whether he’d have stayed still and drowned, but it’s really not something I’d have liked to test.

In my experience 2 year olds are unpredictable as hell and honestly capable of anything so no, I'd want them in easy reach.

No way. I wouldn’t insist on hand holding in calm ankle deep water but I would be fully alert and close enough (standing right next to them) to reach down and scoop them up if there was a sudden large wave or they tripped.

Nope - the bare minimum here is arm's reach and full attention at all times.

Not okay at all. For us a parent would always be in arms reach at that age, and of course, at any age, BEHIND the children in the sea, so that if a wave sweeps out, the wave pulls back both the child and the parent.

So my child has been in school for a year but I'm not allowed to leave them in a bath for 2 mins here and there while I'm upstairs as well? Honestly some of this 'guidance' is ridiculous

Yes, it's more dangerous!

Children don't tend to drown at school.

No. I wouldn't leave a 2 year old unattended in the bath either, drowning is rapid and silent.

Parent needs to manage to get off their arse and actually be next to their child.

I'd bet my life this is a man. And I'd also bet he's also holding a cellphone

Touching or touching distance only in the sea at age 2. If I had their hand I could look away. If I wasn’t touching them my eyes would be glued to them and I would be max 2m away.

Intermittent? Bonkers.

What's different about not watching your child from 15 metres away on a beach a not watching your child in bath?

Neither are a good idea and is why children drown.

Jesus , surely nobody is that STUPID?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

If you think your child won't drown and die if submerged in water for the "2 minutes" you leave them unattended.... Then you're a fucking idiot.

Whatever is SO important that you would intentionally risk your child's life.and leave a 3 year old unattended?

And what has school got to do with drowning?.

is sea water not real water? Do you think children can't drown in the sea?

You feel free to allow your 2 year old to be in the sea alone anf you be 15 metres away and occasionally look up... If you don't mind the consequence of watching your child's dead body float to shore or are happy to experience the absolute and complete panic when you look up from whatever is so interesting and can't see your toddler because he's under the water and dead.... Come back and tell us how its just fine to do that....

.... But I won't risk my child's life like that.

NO.
They could easily get knocked over by a wave.
Why wouldn't the adult responsible for them be standing right next to them? What could they be doing that's so important that they'd put a baby in danger?

At that age - holding hands only

No no way. 2yo I would say holding hands with parent. When a bit older, parent deeper into sea. I am a strong swimmer (DH is not) and when the DC were paddling and bodyboarding aged say 5+ I was always further out than they were (in my depth of course). Agree a life vest not needed tho and tbh not going to help. You need a parent.

People are misreading what I've said, I wouldn't leave a 2 year old unattended in the sea! I was replying to the poster who said it's the same as leaving them unattended in a bath, which to me isn't the same, the sea is a lot more dangerous

In the sea yes I agree, people aren't reading the post I was commenting on!