Yes, your kids go in the water when they're swimming

[Ferreter]

Hey guys, new to the forums here. I don't get that many SC's, but I've got a few to share

Background: I work as a lifeguard/swim instructor at a local health club. Most of the money that comes in from the pool is from one specific school/daycare- and so the kids and teachers from there can do no wrong in the eyes of the owner.

How dare you put my child in the water?!

When we teach the beginners classes, we take about five kids per instructor. That means that while we're working with one, four other little kids (like 4-6) are splashing around the steps. The whole point of beginners classes is to get them not afraid of the water- so we tell them to put their faces in and go under and such. And of course a few parents are around in case the kids decide they're good enough to swim out without us. This usually goes fine, the parents laugh and take pictures. And then there was this lady (CM). Every time she talked, she kept stopping to scream.

CM: Ah! Hey- nonononono! Eek! *horrid retching coughing noise*
Me: Are you okay, ma'am? (I thought she was choking or something)
CM: Yes, but-ack!- my son keeps going under the water! (he had a hold of the rail and he was just playing around.) Why don't you do your job correctly, he could drown!
Me: ...

And then every time I took him out to swim, she walked right along side yelling. And I mean full-out screaming.

CM: HEY! STOP THAT! Why are you rolling him over? NO! Don't let him go, he'll sink!

And I get this lovely woman twice a week. Heaven forbid she ever sign up for private lessons.

Who needs enemies with a mother like this?

And then there is the exact opposite of CM. These are the parents who make it impossible for the kids to get in the water, and the reason we get kids in the intermediate classes who cry and dig gouges in our shoulders because they're so terrified of the water.

Yesterday morning I was taking a kid back to the stairs when I saw a mother standing over them. No big deal, except she was holding her child under the water Before I could get there, she let him up. Note again these are like 4 year old children.

HC: AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SPIT!!!!!11!@ IT'S BAD!
Me: Ma'am, could you step back? I'm going to take him-
HC: YOU SHUSH! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY KID!

I just took her child out. He was crying. It's going to take forever before he'll put his face back in the water

Door shut = good. Door open = the ice ages returned.

Though there are two doors that go directly from outside to the pool area, we're not supposed to use them except to bring in daycare classes. Then they shut and stay that way. Or at least, that's the theory.

Because it's Idaho and that's how it works, it was freezing today. It was also storming for the vast majority of the day. We had just gotten in a daycare class, and the difference between the air and the water was so much that there was mist hanging around on the surface. The kids were turning blue even when they were in the water, and we couldn't figure out why it was so cold.

Then we saw a father standing at the far edge of the pool, with one of the doors wide open. He was talking on his phone, so one of my co-workers went to shut the door. The man kept it open with his foot.

SC: Hey, keep this open, I get better reception!
CW: Sir, we really aren't even supposed to have this door open, and it's getting cold in here.
SC: Well this is a really important- no no, not you, I'm talking to some chick in here- phone call and it gets better reception that way.

So CW went to go get my manager, who's a huge body-builder. He's really just a big old teddy bear, but people who don't know him just see an epicly muscled guy with a mohawk. I don't know what he said to the man, but the door got shut rather quickly

[Rapscallion]

SC: Well this is a really important- no no, not you, I'm talking to some chick in here- phone call and it gets better reception that way.

If it's that important, you'd think he'd go to where he had guaranteed reception

Rapscallion

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Yesterday morning I was taking a kid back to the stairs when I saw a mother standing over them. No big deal, except she was holding her child under the water

Child endangerment much? Frick, I'd call that attempted murder! Who HOLDS someone under the water? Deranged freak of a female....

[Rubystars]

Holding a child underwater is just so cruel! For goodness sake! I hope that child will turn out ok If you see it again I would call CPS on that woman.

[CruiseShipGirl]

I take my 10 month old to swimming lessons once a week and I see these mothers all the time. I've even been told by one that I am a horrible person for putting my baby in the water. He's been 'swimming' since he was 4 months old and laughs after every dunk. One mother tried to convince me he was crying and I just thought it was laughter. Crazy people.

[Pagan]

I take my 10 month old to swimming lessons once a week and I see these mothers all the time.

I think that's fantastic! Haven't there been numerous studies and whatnot that show that babies love the water? Think about it, where do they spend @9 months and what are they "breathing" (I know it's not water, but it is liquid)?

I know my parents took me in the water when I was a baby. Come to think of it, I don't remember not being able to swim....

[CiggyStoreClerk]

My mom actually used to dunk me in the water when I was about 10 months old. She would blow in my face first so I would hold my breath (which babies always do) and dunk me really quick. When she brought me up she said I'd be laughing my head off every time.

[CruiseShipGirl]

My mom actually used to dunk me in the water when I was about 10 months old. She would blow in my face first so I would hold my breath (which babies always do) and dunk me really quick. When she brought me up she said I'd be laughing my head off every time.

That's exactly what I do. It's getting to the point now where I don't have to blow on him anymore. If he's in the pool and I count to 3, he knows what happens next. The only problem is sometimes he gets too excited and starts to laugh just as I'm about to dunk him.

I don't get why people sign their kids up for swimming lessons, then freak out that they might actually swim.

[Andara Bledin]

No big deal, except she was holding her child under the water Before I could get there, she let him up. Note again these are like 4 year old children.

HC: AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SPIT!!!!!11!@ IT'S BAD!

Child endangerment much? Frick, I'd call that attempted murder! Who HOLDS someone under the water? Deranged freak of a female....

I'd have been on the phone with CPS in a heartbeat! If she thinks it's ok to torture her kid for spitting, I'd hate to think what else she thinks is appropriate.

Come to think of it, I don't remember not being able to swim....

Same here. My brother and I were swimming long before we could ever walk.

^-.-^

[Akasa]

I didn't get swimming lessons till I was 13, and yes I was scared and still am to a point of the water.

[CruiseShipGirl]

I didn't get swimming lessons till I was 13, and yes I was scared and still am to a point of the water.

I'm the same way. I didn't get swimming lessons until I was 12, and I still can't go under without holding my nose. Neither my husband or I are good swimmers, which is why I wanted our son in swimming lessons ASAP.

[WhiteRose]

It's a fact that babies, as soon as they're born, are able to swim...if you put them in water they actually start trying to paddle to the surface (and will make it if there aren't obstructions) instinctively...that goes away when they have to start thinking and making premeditated actions, but kids can keep some of those instincts if taken care of properly...

[AccountingDrone]

I take my 10 month old to swimming lessons once a week and I see these mothers all the time. I've even been told by one that I am a horrible person for putting my baby in the water. He's been 'swimming' since he was 4 months old and laughs after every dunk. One mother tried to convince me he was crying and I just thought it was laughter. Crazy people.

?! I learned to swim at about 6 months old, babies can be natural swimmers as they have not yet been taught to be afraid of water.

And on top of that, I took the Red Cross swimming lessons every summer, and am also certified as a lifesaver. [Actually, I think my parents sent my brother and I off for swimming lessons every saturday during the summers was for some afternoon love, we had a very small cottage ]

[Aethian]

Mom used to take me to classes like that. She said that the beginners class with the three to five year olds the parents were told to leave the area because they were distracting the instructors too much. Of course this place had a 3:1 ratio but still, Mom said there was one lady who yelled at her for bringing a baby to the class that was for babies... O.o

[Sarlon]

ahhh swimming!

My experience with swimming is this...

• swam in the atlantic ocean MONTHS before I ever learned to swim in a pool.
• been swimming as long as I can remember. (living 5 minutes from the beach and a friend with a private pool NEAR said beach was handy >.>)
• I have no fear of water because of the early swimming experience.
• Have nearly drowned 5 times, but STILL no fear.

As for the woman that held her child under water, I'd of returned the favor no matter WHAT she was wearing, and said "thats karma for doing the same to your child!"