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Should I let my 7 and 9 year old GKs be at the pool without me?

Should I let my 7 and 9 year old GKs be at the pool without me?

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by: Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 1:25pm  
The other day I took the 2 granddaughters to the SWH pool, they are 8 and 10 and excellent swimmers. After about 2 hours I wanted to leave but they were having fun and had made friends with other kids and were swimming and playing happily. So I told them I would return in an hour during the adult swim and they were to listen to the life guards and stay out of trouble. We live about 4 blocks away and I went home and got changed. I went back an hour later and they were all still playing and having fun so I gave them one more hour. When I went back they didn't ask to stay longer and thanked me for letting them stay. They seem to have made a few new summer friends.I remember when I was a kid in Atlanta and spent most days at the local pool, in fact I think I mostly lived in my bathing suit during the summer break. Yes, I was a boy and times are different but I figured that with 3 life guards and kids to swim with they would be fine. Our pool says 8 and over are ok on their own. I trust them to behave and I felt if I trust them then they should get to do some things that show I trust them. Riding home on bikes might have been ok but we had used the car. Walking home, I think not. I do feel like KW is generally safer than many other places. 4951
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Chrisinkingwood Active Indicator LED Icon 8 OP 
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 1:25pm  
Sorry that should have been 8 and 10 year old not 7 and 9! 4951
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myevilgrin Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 1:37pm  
I would say no. You can't and shouldn't count on anyone else to watch them. Would they know what to do if someone harassed them or attempt to lure them away? For me, it wouldn't be worth the risk of all the "what ifs". 4951
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donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 1:43pm  
Just for me personally, leaving them alone would not be something I would/could do, however, if their friends were there, and a parent I knew and trusted would be there, then yes. 4951
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Maisey1 Active Indicator LED Icon 9
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 1:49pm  
My daughter is a lifeguard at that pool and no one has drowned on her watch! I think that age is hard, they are ready for a little more freedom and responsibility, but not quite ready to be completely on their own. I would first check with the parents to make sure they are ok with the situation. Also, do they have a cell phone so they can call you in case of emergency? As long as they know your pool rules (no horsing around in the water, no fighting with each other, for example) then leaving them for a brief period is probably ok. And if they know that you could be  watching them or show up at anytime they will probably be less likely to act a fool!   4951
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CC1974 Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:10pm  
I wouldn't leave them. Too many things can happen that an 8 and 10 year old are not mature enough to handle. Besides the life guards aren't babysitters. 4951
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CC1974 Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:10pm  
I wouldn't leave them. Too many things can happen that an 8 and 10 year old are not mature enough to handle. Besides the life guards aren't babysitters. 4951
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CC1974 Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:10pm  
I wouldn't leave them. Too many things can happen that an 8 and 10 year old are not mature enough to handle. Besides the life guards aren't babysitters. 4951
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J2911 Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:30pm  
I wouldn't leave them. Too many things can happen that an 8 and 10 year old are not mature enough to handle. Besides the life guards aren't babysitters.
 
@CC1974:
 
This. 4951
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brightlights Active Indicator LED Icon 3
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:48pm  
That's a big fat NOPE from me. Not only is it irresponsible on the supervising adult's part, but unfair to dump the responsibility of essentially babysitting someone else's kids on complete strangers.
 
I also think it's a little outrageous that it's "okay" rule-wise for unsupervised 8 year olds to hang out at a public(ish) pool! I think it's 13 or 14 at our pool and you have to pass a swim test first. Emoticon 4951
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TEXASGIRLMAMMA Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 2:50pm  
I think 8 and 10 is too young to be at the pool alone.  If you had a teenager you trusted to go with them, that might be okay.  My kids are lifeguards.  I asked them if they would leave their 8 and 10-year-old at the pool alone and they said no.  They feel that even though the lifeguards are very good and trained very well they are not parents.  If a child is at the pool alone it is not up to the lifeguard to watch over them like a parent/grandparent would.  If the kids leave the pool area with someone, the guards can not be expected to know who they left with.  They have no control over who they interact with.  SWH has a nice pool but not everyone there is a resident of SWH.  All they have to have is a pool tag to get in.  Did you know that non-Kingwood residents can buy a pool tag?  I think it is only $125.00 for the season.  Anyway, That's how it was when they started having pool tags in Kingwood. 4951
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TheTruthHurts Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 3:03pm  
Nope 4951
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elguapo Active Indicator LED Icon 15
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 3:16pm  
The other day I took the 2 granddaughters to the SWH pool, they are 8 and 10 and excellent swimmers. After about 2 hours I wanted to leave but they were having fun and had made friends with other kids and were swimming and playing happily. So I told them I would return in an hour during the adult swim and they were to listen to the life guards and stay out of trouble. We live about 4 blocks away and I went home and got changed. I went back an hour later and they were all still playing and having fun so I gave them one more hour. When I went back they didn't ask to stay longer and thanked me for letting them stay. They seem to have made a few new summer friends.I remember when I was a kid in Atlanta and spent most days at the local pool, in fact I think I mostly lived in my bathing suit during the summer break. Yes, I was a boy and times are different but I figured that with 3 life guards and kids to swim with they would be fine. Our pool says 8 and over are ok on their own. I trust them to behave and I felt if I trust them then they should get to do some things that show I trust them. Riding home on bikes might have been ok but we had used the car. Walking home, I think not. I do feel like KW is generally safer than many other places.
 
@Chrisinkingwood:
 
No! 4951
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Jeff1928 Active Indicator LED Icon 2
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 3:19pm  
If they know how to swim I don't think you did anything wrong. The rest of the people on here need to lighten up.
 
4951
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Abracadabra Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 3:33pm  
I think it's completely fine. My now 17 year old and his friends lived at the pool at that age. (Without me) If they are proven strong swimmers, know the pool rules as well as stranger danger rules then carry on and enjoy your summer. 4951
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Jpgurl Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 7 years ago   Jul 16, '16 3:34pm  
For me it's an issue of how mature they are- and you would know best ( outside of their parents). If you feel comfortable with it and they know how to handle things if they come up( emergencies, perv situations, bullies ect) then I say fine. My DD was that kind of kid and I let her do things like that all the time. My son??? NOWhen I was a kid both my parents worked- when I was 10 my Mom paid me to watch my sister and my sister got paid to be good. In the summer- we had to do chores and once they were done we would hop on our bikes- ride 5 miles to the pool- stay all day- sometimes one or both of my parents would stop by for a swim- if not we'd head home about 5 and start dinner.And I know everyone says but times were different- not as different as you'd think- we had a child molester living 2 doors down. The adults had no idea but we kids knew. And every new kid that moved in got told quick. We kids back then knew how to deal- our parents taught us to deal. All the adults wondered why the kids were rude to Ol Man Lewis and why he was constantly getting TP'ed. Yeah we knew how to stay away and make life uncomfortable to him.Things aren't so different- I don't think these days kids are prepared because they ne'er get away from the computer screen and parents don't teach them beyond- "Don't talk to strangers " 4951
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