Proper pool supervision

[jodifla]

Jodifla, I didn't take DVCisME's statement that way at all.

If 9 out of 10 drownings occur while kids are being supervised, then why on earth would anyone risk NOT supervising their child at all when in the pool?

See the difference?

ETA: I'm sorry to hear about your friends child. How horrible that must be for that family. Accidents do happen and they are just that. Accidents. It doesn't make it any less painful though.

I see your point. I just wanted to offer another viewpoint...too often I read in drowning threads that anybody who would let their child drown is a bad parent or doesn't care. Reality is a lot more complicated than that.

 

[stacy6552]

The OP's situation seems pretty extreme.

Actually one of my main reasons for posting, is because I think it is probably pretty common for parents to leave one child in the care of a sibling when there is a big age difference and the younger one isnt very young. So let me reitterate that an older sibling, who may be very responsible at home and expereinced at babysitting the younger ones, is probably far less responsible while on vacation and at a waterpark/pool.

 

[TinkNH]

Ugh some ppl make me so angry They were EATING?!?

My DD4 is still not even allowed in the tub in a few inches of water unattended!

I have a question too..can you rent life vests at the resorts for the little ones? I want to let her go in the pool with us..but she has to have a vest on, and I didnt know If I should pack one, or if I can just rent one..we will be at the Poly.

 

[stacy6552]

The resorts have lifevests for you and they are free for use during your stay. If you do not return it, though, you will be charged $50.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Thank God for you. You saved that child. Too bad you didn't get to talk to the parents. They will probably blame the sibling for not watching him. I also agree that alot happens when there are tons of people around. My own dd , age 2(our resident daredevil ) was in the pool at my Mom's with me and my sister - as well as her 2 brothers (4, 10months) and her cousin (9months) so we were on top of them like hawks. Now they all wear swimmies and we don't let them just swim around unattended. They are not allowed in the pool without an adult and we have strict rules. Anyway- my dd was sitting on the ladder and I turned my head to attend to my oldest ds. I turned back around and she had pulled her swinnies off- threw them on the deck and all I see is the top of her little head spinning around. I can't even speak and just point. My sister and I rush over the maybe 2 feet away from her and yank her out of the water. My sister's heart is pounding and I want to puke. What does my dd do? Cry because we pulled her out of the water!!! She was "spinning on the bottom of the pool! Weeeeeeeee!!!" She then tries to jump out of our arms again to go back in!!! This child is trying to kill me!!! I don't mean to hijack your post but wanted to point out that kids are unpredictable and even in the best circumstances things can happen. Why would these parents put that much pressure on a sibling to be in charge? I too get so annoyed when I see parent's sunning themselves instead of tending to their kids. If you are too lazy to get off your beach chair then maybe you should leave the kids at home. JMHO.

JodiFla-I am so sorry for your friend's loss. That is just awful.

 

[WantToGoNow]

We had a close call with my cousin's 18 m/o baby at a family reunion back in July. The house the reunion was at had an inground pool -- the reunion actually took place in the area around the pool. There were probably 50-75 people out there and my cousin's baby slipped and fell into the pool. My daughter and a couple others saw her floating face down and jumped into the pool fully clothed and pulled her out. She was fine but it could have been otherwise. So being in the vacinity isn't good enough -- you have to keep your eyes on your child at all times.

 

[mom*to*2*princesses]

How sad and maddening. Thank goodness you were there, Stacy. I, too, think this is a very common thing. I have always been very anxious when my girls are around a pool or lake. We are extremely vigilant, but it just takes a second. Even in a few years I can't fathom sending them to a pool alone, with the older one looking after her little sis.

I'm so sorry to hear of all of these tragedies, but it is a good reminder that we can never be too cautious.

 

[jodifla]

Ugh some ppl make me so angry They were EATING?!?

My DD4 is still not even allowed in the tub in a few inches of water unattended!

I have a question too..can you rent life vests at the resorts for the little ones? I want to let her go in the pool with us..but she has to have a vest on, and I didnt know If I should pack one, or if I can just rent one..we will be at the Poly.

To me, the swimmies and the water vests are part of the problem. My friend's child used swimmies, so she THOUGHT she could swim. It's what drew her back to the water.

For me, I started my son in swimming lessons at about 15 months. And I stayed with it, even though he HATED it at first. He never really liked the group lessons, but when he started individual lessons at 2, it all clicked after about 4 lessons. In fact, when we were on our DCL cruise, he fell in the pool at an excursion in Mexico, trying to run after me. All the parents jumped, but DS, almost 3 then, just calmy turned back to the wall, grabbed the side, and climbed out....just like he'd been trained to do.

Now, at 4, he can swim the width of the pool, and tread water. I purposely stay a bit away from him, so HE KNOWS he has to negotiate the water on his own. (This is in a apartment complex pool, so normally, we're the only ones in there. This wouldn't work in the madness of a water park.)

 

[Robmom]

That is really terrible. I'm glad you were there. I don't even leave my 13 yo DD to swim alone. Accidents happen. Even once I slipped in our pool and fell back and went under. I'm not a strong swimmer. I was able to get back up again. After that time, I said I would never get in the pool alone again.

 

[TinkNH]

To me, the swimmies and the water vests are part of the problem. My friend's child used swimmies, so she THOUGHT she could swim. It's what drew her back to the water.

Oh I agree with you! The vest is no substitute for proper supervision either.
We dont have a pool..or acces to one aside from the little wading pool..which she is not allowed in without an adult present either. My friends have lake front property..but it is a lake you cant swim in (drinking water) and since she was little DD has been told over and over again that she is not to go near the water without an adult.
I do plan to have her take swimming lessons...probably next summer.
I want her in a life vest at the resort pool tho, cause this will be her first time in water more than a few inches deep, and her dad and I will be in the pool *with* her.

I was just horrified that parents would let their kids around water while they went to eat...even if the older sibling can swim seemslike a terrible chance to take to me, you can never be too careful around water with kids, cause kids are unpredictable. The tragedy that happened to your friend and some of the above posts prove that point.

 

[NotUrsula]

... and I turned my head to attend to my oldest ds. I turned back around and she had pulled her swimmies off- threw them on the deck and all I see is the top of her little head

I mean this as kindly as possible, but after an incident like this don't you think it's time to ditch the swimmies and use a proper vest?

IMO, swimmies (aka water wings) are one of the most insidiously evil devices ever invented. They are useless as "training" aids because they impede the proper movement of the child's arms. They can deflate and slip off easily by accident, and most importantly of all, they are easy for a child to remove unaided. If I had my way they would be universally banned, not just in public pools and at guarded beaches, but taken completely off the market as unsafe.

For adequate protection *while attended* in a group situation that is not a formal swim class, a child who cannot swim needs to be wearing a closed-cell foam vest, or a swimsuit that has closed-cell foam blocks sewn into the suit. The vest should have a crotch strap to prevent it from slipping off overhead. If the child is younger than about age 7, it should fasten with safety buckles or d-rings, so that the child cannot remove it by himself. A child younger than age 4 should wear a vest with a neck collar, which is weighted to force the child to roll backward in the water and not float face-down.

 

[BeccaG]

To me, the swimmies and the water vests are part of the problem. My friend's child used swimmies, so she THOUGHT she could swim. It's what drew her back to the water.

For me, I started my son in swimming lessons at about 15 months. And I stayed with it, even though he HATED it at first. He never really liked the group lessons, but when he started individual lessons at 2, it all clicked after about 4 lessons. In fact, when we were on our DCL cruise, he fell in the pool at an excursion in Mexico, trying to run after me. All the parents jumped, but DS, almost 3 then, just calmy turned back to the wall, grabbed the side, and climbed out....just like he'd been trained to do.

Now, at 4, he can swim the width of the pool, and tread water. I purposely stay a bit away from him, so HE KNOWS he has to negotiate the water on his own. (This is in a apartment complex pool, so normally, we're the only ones in there. This wouldn't work in the madness of a water park.)

I am not a mom (yet) but I am "aunt" or "godmom" to several children. A few of them know how to swim, and a few don't. The ones who do know how to swim seem to have more "respect" for the power of water and understand its potential danger. A lot of swim classes include water safety as a part of it. I agree with you on the life vests and swimmies, they are a temporary fix that create a false sense of security for some people. The prefered option is to teach your children how to swim so they can handle themselves like your DS. Not to mention, I now have full grown adult friends who won't go into the deep end of a pool because they were never taught to swim!! Life vests and swimmies are OK temporary fixes but learning to swim and never swimming alone (even as an adult) are better safety precautions.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I mean this as kindly as possible, but after an incident like this don't you think it's time to ditch the swimmies and use a proper vest?

IMO, swimmies (aka water wings) are one of the most insidiously evil devices ever invented. They are useless as "training" aids because they impede the proper movement of the child's arms. They can deflate and slip off easily by accident, and most importantly of all, they are easy for a child to remove unaided. If I had my way they would be universally banned, not just in public pools and at guarded beaches, but taken completely off the market as unsafe.

For adequate protection *while attended* in a group situation that is not a formal swim class, a child who cannot swim needs to be wearing a closed-cell foam vest, or a swimsuit that has closed-cell foam blocks sewn into the suit. The vest should have a crotch strap to prevent it from slipping off overhead. If the child is younger than about age 7, it should fasten with safety buckles or d-rings, so that the child cannot remove it by himself. A child younger than age 4 should wear a vest with a neck collar, which is weighted to force the child to roll backward in the water and not float face-down.

I completely agree that swimmies are not a training aid. But- they do work if properly supervised. Now of course by my story you might think I wasn't supervising my daughter but I was within arms reach. I would never let any of my kids swim unattended. It is simply not an option. We did buy a swim vest for dd after that incident. I must also let you know that Houdini has nothing on her. If she wants to get out of something she will find a way. She is very fast and very smart. I am like a hawk with my kids. So much so that my friends make fun of me. I think there is a time and place for swimmies and they are very effective for some kids. Me and my sister both learned to swim with swimmies. My oldest ds loves them and does great with them. They are not a life saving device by any means but like I said- they are never swimming alone. Thank you though for the suggesting the vest. I thik they are a great idea for alot of people!

 

[NotUrsula]

For a houdini go with d-rings; even if the child has the manual dexterity to open them, it takes more time, which means that the odds are better that you will discover what they are doing before they escape.

You can even add d-rings to a conventional-buckle vest: stitch them in behind the male side of the buckle where the slack end comes out, then buckle the d-rings, too. (I *was* a houdini when I was little, so I have broad experience with what works to slow kids down. I also grew up in a family that fished commercially, so I spent a lot of time wearing life vests whether I wanted to or not.)

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Mouse House Mama, your little girl sounds so much like my DS2! The only time he is allowed in the wading pool is if one of us is right next to him, and in the big pool only if one of us is holding him. He is taking swimming lessons (DH participates, too), and they've just begun putting a belt with foam pieces in the back on the kids and encouraging them to actually float and swim! (Up to now they've been held the entire time, learning to get their faces wet, move their arms and legs, and then quickly dunking their heads.)

I'm glad to hear the resort pools have vests for the kids to wear. We'll put DS6 in one, but probably will still hold DS2.

 

[minniebeth]

We were at an Orlando resort in April and I was swimming with my children.
My DS11 had an incident where a little boy grabbed him from behind on his neck and pulled him under. Even though my DS was obviously older, bigger, it took him by surprise and scared him tremendously. He is a good swimmer but was pulled under without warning. Out of instinct, my DS pushed him away into a wall... this being the only part that the lifeguard saw. My DS and I explained to the lifeguard what had happened.
It turned out that the little boy has autism and was trying to "play" with my son. I am a special education teacher and understand that autistic children may not understand appropriate actions/reactions. But still, once again...not only would I watch my children vigilantly, but certainly my special needs children! The boy was not hurt and we explained to my DS that his actions weren't appropriate either, but no one said anything to the boy's parents about not watching him.
It's nice to be away, but it really isn't a vacation from protecting your children. They are all priceless!