i took my just turned two year old to the pool today. as soon as she started walking in the water, which is zero depth entry and quickly she was up to between her waist and her chest, a three+ year old spotted her and started making his way over toward her. the other mom saw this and started telling him to be careful, but he proceded to grab my DD by the leg and pull her leg out from under her.
i always stay within arms reach at the pool and i take it pretty seriously that she doesn't go under and inhale a bunch of water. so the other mom is all calmly explaining to her son that my daughter "doesn't want to play yet because she just got here." and i'm thinking this gives the impression that she will want to play this way later, which she obviously cannot, she cannot hold her own in the water at all. meanwhile i am now holding her up to keep her from going under while this boy still has her by the leg.
so i look right at him and say "don't pull her by the leg." i did not yell, i did not touch him. he let go.
he went on his way and the mom comes back to tell me, "i was handling that, you didn't need to discipline my son, i was there to intervene." i pointed out that i did not discipline her son, i would never touch him, and when someone has my daughter by the leg in the water, i *have* to say something.
eventually, i think she understood where i was coming from but the interaction with the other mom was uncomfortable. i would not have been as quick to speak to her son at all if it had happened on dry land, but we all know how dangerous pools can be, and i don't think i was out of line at all to request her son take his hands off her leg.
i teach my daughter not to touch other kids. for example, she's very interested in babies, and i tell her she can look but not to touch. i'm all for gentle discipline, but i think the parent should also be teaching the child to respect other people's bodies and safety (as well as their possessions).
what do you all think?
i always stay within arms reach at the pool and i take it pretty seriously that she doesn't go under and inhale a bunch of water. so the other mom is all calmly explaining to her son that my daughter "doesn't want to play yet because she just got here." and i'm thinking this gives the impression that she will want to play this way later, which she obviously cannot, she cannot hold her own in the water at all. meanwhile i am now holding her up to keep her from going under while this boy still has her by the leg.
so i look right at him and say "don't pull her by the leg." i did not yell, i did not touch him. he let go.
he went on his way and the mom comes back to tell me, "i was handling that, you didn't need to discipline my son, i was there to intervene." i pointed out that i did not discipline her son, i would never touch him, and when someone has my daughter by the leg in the water, i *have* to say something.
eventually, i think she understood where i was coming from but the interaction with the other mom was uncomfortable. i would not have been as quick to speak to her son at all if it had happened on dry land, but we all know how dangerous pools can be, and i don't think i was out of line at all to request her son take his hands off her leg.
i teach my daughter not to touch other kids. for example, she's very interested in babies, and i tell her she can look but not to touch. i'm all for gentle discipline, but i think the parent should also be teaching the child to respect other people's bodies and safety (as well as their possessions).
what do you all think?
