June 22, 2011

My Annual Summer Rant

It's that time of year... time for me to complain about the inattentive parents at the pool. I just don't get it. My daughters have "graduated" to the big pool. I stay near the edge if I'm not in with them. I want to be able to get to them as fast as I can if there's a problem. The biggest problem, though, is the kids whose parents aren't watching them. This is a neighborhood pool, not a city pool. There is no lifeguard on duty.
One day, a little boy kept jumping in the pool... practically on top of my girls. Where was his mom? On the other side of the pool, sitting in a chair texting away. I finally told my girls to move and asked him to please be careful so he didn't land on anyone. The mom kind of glanced my way and then went back to texting.
A few weeks ago some kids were using a raft in the pool. They kept steering the raft near the steps where my girls and lots of little kids were playing. At one point the raft was OVER the head of one of the younger kids. For whatever reason, I'm the only parent who noticed this. I kindly, but firmly, suggested they keep the raft away from the steps so no one got hurt. At this point, their mom went off in a litany of Spanish. I'm not sure if she was yelling at me or them. I don't really care.
Yesterday I was at the pool and watched a mom put water wings on her two-year-old, let the little girl jump in the deep end (5 feet) and then promptly laid down on her back and sun bathed. Water wings can be a great tool to help a young child gain confidence in the water, but water wings are not a life saving device. What happens when the little girl gets tired and is stuck in the deep end with no one watching her?
I'm sure I tend to hover a bit too much at the pool. I have four kids to pay attention to, while most parents are there with one or maybe two kids. But I would rather hover and prevent a tragedy than put my child at risk. 
And so, I have finished my annual rant about the inattentive parents at the pool. I will try not to bring this up again this summer!

6 comments:

Stephanie Barr said...

"I'm sure I tend to hover a bit too much at the pool."

Nothing to be ashamed of. I just read a news report that a child drowns every five days. Better to be a "pest" than have your child a statistic.

Kristyn said...

I totally sympathize with you. I have a set of 2 1/2 year old twins and an almost 1 year old, I feel this way at the park. Why don't parents watch their kids??? I have not been brave enough to venture to a pool with them just yet. I'm glad to know I'm not the only parent that watches their kids closely out and about ;)

Quadmama said...

Don't get me started on the park :)

MaryAnne said...

I can't believe how casual some people are around water.

One of Emma's friends has her birthday party at a pool every year. I was there, very pregnant, and a friend of my friend kindly offered to watch Emma and Johnny in the kiddie pool - which she was in, along with her son. I sat on the side of the pool chatting with my friend and Mike and watching, too. Johnny went under, and I was clear across the pool (probably 25-30 feet) and holding him before Mike, my friend, or the woman who was watching him from less than 2 feet away had noticed anything. In my mind, you can never be too vigilant around water.

Holly G said...

I cannot believe a mom would just leave her two-year-old with only water wings in a pool unattended. I won't even take all three of mine to the pool by myself yet because I want at least two pairs of eyes on them even when they are all wearing little life-jackets. I don't know, maybe I'm the hovering mom at the pool! You tell me. :)

Renae said...

You're so right to be cautious. I just don't understand anyone who would yet a young child swim without supervision. It really seems criminal.

Texting moms/nannies bug me to no end. I really, really want a smart phone, but one of the reasons I've delayed is my fear of turning into a texting mom. So, for now, I'm sticking with my archaic, flip-up cell phone.

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