How would you have handled this? - Page 2

[momasana]

I'd have taken a kickboard and if she had given me any grief I would have talked to the lifeguard.

[mrspineau]

I would have taken a kickboard and swam there anyhow and pretty much ignore her and tell my son to ignore her too.

[pauletoy]

I would have taken a kickboard too.

[lilyka]

I would have taken a kick board (and asked everyone else in the pool if they wanted one) and then gently moved her noodles to a smaller area. That way she could still have her fun without being quite so annoying. But if she gave me any grief I would have talked to the lifegaurd. I would have been just as firm with the lifegaurd as I would have been with the little girl. The life gaurd should have stepped in right away. and if this behavior continued or the lifegaurd refused to address it I would have talked to the pool manager and on up the line. You are paying for the use of this pool.

[LROM]

Originally Posted by Hoopin' Mama

I agree with these thoughts. I was so astounded by the behavior I kind of sat there wondering how to handle it. I did tell ds several times he may swim in that area. He may have only wanted a kickboard because she was declaring no one could have it.

If she had been swinging something around besides a soft swim noodle, I would have taken immediate action and found her parent.

I identified the Dad by the time we made our way out. He was practicing on the tennis court. Meanwhile, she was out of the pool and gathering up a bunch of tennis balls other kids were playing with, placing them between her swim noodles, and declaring them all hers

I was feeling very bitter that her parent was practicing tennis while she was terrorizing the place.

This is going to sound so passive-aggressive but I really don't care, it's what I'd do: after just going over and taking a kickboard and probably announcing very loudly that the kickboards are public property, that no one can use more than one at a time anyway, so anyone who needs one should take one... (that's not the passive aggressive part, this is ->) then later when I i.d.d her dad I'd go over to him and ask very sincerely (because it would be sincere) if his daughter was challenged at making friends and were he and her mom working with her on being more sociable and less territorial, which seemed like a way to act when you aren't successful at making friends.

Even though I truly believe that could be part of why she acts that way, more than anything I'd want dad to understand a) what his child was doing and b) that it had the effect of not only making her look like the last kid you'd ever want your kids to socialize with, but it made you wonder if her parents were trying to help her with that behavior.

That's what I'd do!

[SuburbanHippie]

#2 except I probably would have taken all of them but one and put the rest back where they belong. Same goes with the noodles unless they were her personal property.

[Erinz]

#2 for me. I feel sad that little girl didn't have anyone with her willing to teach her social graces. Especially if she is a pain in the rear usually, but even if she was just having a bad moment. I kind of cringe to think the behavior my nearly 4 year old minght have at the pool unattended? Eeeeeek! That's why I'd never do it! For his safety, yes, but for the sake of everyone else too.

I'd totally go up, recognize what she is trying to do "wow! look at this big area you would like to have all to yourself!" and then take the kick board while anouncing "since these belong to everyone and my boy wants to play with one, I'm going to take this from your fortress wall. Remember, this space is for everyone!"

or some crap like that