SHIIIIITTT

[Binky]

So I had a BIG massive very nearly deadly brain burp!

I so mortified by this you can NOT believe! So glad it is all ok though!

Was at the pool with the kids I look after. While one of the kids was doing their lesson the others were in the mini pool having a paddle. I watch them while listening to some other mums chat and so on. Looking away every so often to be polite. Anyways on one of the times I look away I hear one of the mums gasp I look back to the kids only to see the 2 year old holding his brothers head under the water. I FREAKED! Got up and went to them, but an employee got there before me and told him off.

All was ok. But OMG 2 seconds lack of concentration and THAT happens! MAN I glued my eyes to them the rest of the time, and when my heart couldn't take it any longer I took out the 2 year old much to his protests!

AHHHH GOD KIDS!!!!!! I'm still embarrassed because I should have just been watching them and not talking! That could have ended so badly had that employee not stopped him! OH god!

[Mnemjian]

I'm glad he was okay! It's amazing how quickly a child can get into trouble... especially a two year old! Don't feel bad, things like that likely happen to everyone who watches children. Just this weekend I was walking with my friend's two year old at the swap meet, holding his hand. I turned to look at something for a few seconds, and when I looked back he had a huge KNIFE that he had picked up off a table. I screamed "NOOO" and smacked it out of his hand. It was terrifying how quickly he could have hurt himself. It must be really trying to watch small children 24/7... not that it's not worth it surely

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I remember getting freaked out as a kid because my mother had the same "OMGNOOO~" reaction to the hot tongs I had picked up by the (safe) handles. I wouldn't touch those tongs for another two years, she scared me so badly.
._____.
Basically, try not to traumatize the kids too badly. Unless it is completely warranted, like with guns. (and Mom wouldn't let Dad-- nor did he want to-- get guns while my sister and I lived at home. It was only recently that he's even gotten a bb gun-- and I've been not living at their place for a good 3 years, my sister longer than that.)

[Chromatix]

A few months ago I helped a co-worker friend set up an exhibit at a model fair - he had a computer-controlled model railway layout, complete with detection circuits so that the trains could cross routes without running into each other.

So I visited him at the fair, since he'd given me one of the free tickets as a perk, and there was quite a lot of gently fending off small children who got too close and wanted to touch everything. One *did* get close enough to touch, resulting in a derailment, a broken coupling, and one runaway locomotive... it took a few minutes to sort that out.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Let me tell you how fast things can turn to shit. I was in the pool a couple weeks ago with my four year old. She had taken off her water wings (they chafe) and was sitting on the deck. I had sunscreen in my eyes and it was driving me crazy. So I did a quick swim underwater to clear my eyes. Total swim time, about ten seconds (pool is one of those above ground deals...it's not huge, a few strokes and you are on the other side)

I come up, my kid is flailing around just below the surface.

She was okay, but let me tell you, I am still completely traumatized. She's fine. I am not.

Couple hours later she vomited and I ended up spending the wee hours in the emergency room having her lungs checked.

All because she forgot she was not wearing her swimmies at the exact same time I rinsed off my face because I couldn't see.

What is scary is that I know how closely I watch her. Literally a few seconds of inattention on my part, coupled with a brain burp from her, and just like that we got a situation.

[joe hx]

Once when I was a kid my mom was watching me play at the beach - until she put her glasses back on and realized that the kid she was watching wasn't me. I had wondered up to the parking lot, and of course she did find me.

[Whiskey]

In california theres a place up near the mountains called Knotts Berry Farm (or something similar). It has great woods and rivers. My mom looked away for five seconds and BOOM, i'm going down the river in my floaties with the current. My grandma AND my mom jammed up the river, jumping off rocks until my mom finally caught me by the hair and pulled me out of the water.

Apparently I had a blast.

[greek_jester]

All was ok. But OMG 2 seconds lack of concentration and THAT happens! MAN I glued my eyes to them the rest of the time, and when my heart couldn't take it any longer I took out the 2 year old much to his protests!

Firstly, I'm glad the little one is ok.

Secondly, it is not your fault. No-one can glue their eyes to a child for hours at a time without glancing away - it's not possible, & as you mentioned, overdoing it is not polite. In fact, it's creepy, & can end up emotionally affecting the child if it's done too often.

If a child is going to become a fully-functioning adult, they have to be given space to learn & grow on their own. You took all reasonable precautions - you were right there, & although you did glance away every so often, you were in an environment where it was possible to do that as there were trained employees around whose job is to watch for people in trouble in the pools.

No matter how careful you are, life happens. You can be laying quietly in your bed & still end up hurt:

http://uanews.ua.edu/anews2004/nov04...rite112404.htm

In the end, no harm was done, & the older kid knows that holding someone's head under the water is a Very Bad Thing.

[garth1]

Just two words for all of you who watch little kiddies... Rope and Velcro

[Sparky]

When you are responsible for small children, you can never take your eyes off them, ever. Not even for a second. Not even when they're asleep.

Do not fall asleep yourself, ever.

Do not go to the bathroom until they leave for college.

Never ever allow a child out of doors. There are bad people out there!

Never allow a child to stay indoors. Houses are dangerous!

Food is full of chemicals and pollutants. You should eat and drink nothing but filtered water and buckwheat and breastfeed the child until he or she is at least 30 years old.

Every appliance in your home emits deadly radiation. Keep the children wrapped in tinfoil at all times.

Under no circumstances allow anyone else to care for your child. The other person might be a pedophile and/or ax murderer and/or terrorist and/or belong to the wrong political party and/or teach the child the "Barney" song!




Seriously Binky, please do not allow yourself to feel bad for failing to do the impossible.

[Binky]

Tanx guys. Still paranoid now when I go to the pool. Thing is after the incident the 2 year old has since gone to do it again. This time I was watching and I promptly told him off. While I don't want to scare him I don't think I should be letting him get away with pushing kids heads under water. It was his brother yes but one day it might be another kid and I do't think the parent will be so understanding.

[paxillated]

My sister, her 4-year-old daughter, and I were wading in a lake. We were all within 4 feet of each other. Sis and I laughed about something, and when I turned back towards my niece - a nanosecond before Sis did - she was floating face down, and limp. I yanked her up by the straps of her suit, and she started screaming. Thank God!

Ever since - and Niece is in her '30s now - I've been paranoid about kids near water. It only takes a second.

[Flying Grype]

Thing is after the incident the 2 year old has since gone to do it again. This time I was watching and I promptly told him off. While I don't want to scare him I don't think I should be letting him get away with pushing kids heads under water. It was his brother yes but one day it might be another kid and I do't think the parent will be so understanding.

Or, someone could actually drown, whether it's his brother or someone else.

If that happens, take him out of the pool. He won't know not to do it if there are no consequences. Explain to the parents that this is what the kid tries to do, and ask what they'd like you to do about it. I would offer the choices of (a) not letting that kid in the pool until he can behave, or (b) not taking him to the pool at all.

[Magpie]

I'm with Flying Gripe. It sounds like this kid is trying to push his limits with you, because you're not mom and therefore he doesn't have to listen to you. Lay down the law. (Do it fairly, I'm assuming you're responsible like that.) If, somehow, he doesn't realise that it's a very bad thing to do, this will help him figure it out.

[Binky]

yeah, I'm off for a little while on some very much needed holidays...though there has been a major bump in the road with that which I'll post elsewhere.

This 2 year old, GOD I think I'm going to stop letting him swim to be honest unless there is another person with me to help out. He's been punished, pulled out of the pool and so on. Hell he does anything it's into the cot with him till he behaves. Sadly it's probably because the parents (though VERY VERY lovely) mollycoddle him as he's the last child and so gets away with more. So my punishments are not kept up when I'm not there.

He's now used to me laying down the law, but doesn't stop him continuing the same bad behavour. So alas it's going to be me talking to the parents telling them my little ticker can't handle their child swimming till he's old enough to know NOT to try and drown people.