Who pays, preschooler threw phone in pool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A child under 7 should have the caretakers undivided attention and be in arms reach at all time. Constant active supervision is required at all times. Are there not signs posted all around the pool area stating such? That the phone got broken, indicates that Mom failed to follow pool policy. Often on the pool signage it will indicated they may be suspended from or refused entry into the facility for failure to comply with policy.

I have to think that some of these replies are from people who don't have little kids, or haven't for a long time. I supervise my kid 24/7 but it is literally impossible to control every movement she makes. My 3 year old could easily knock a phone in the pool in under 3 seconds if it was close enough, before I could even register what was happening.

I still think the parent of the kid should offer to pay (and discipline their kid), but I think it's preposterous to suggest that a parent could definitely have prevented this if they were just watching more closely.

+1 Especially the person who thinks any child under 7 should be within arm's reach. That person can not possibly have children.

+1

Any kid could have done this (or something like this) regardless of how closely the parent was supervising the child. However, they're not offering to pay as compensation for their supervision or lack thereof. They're offering to pay because someone from their family ruined something of someone else's. And that's the decent thing to do. All of you who are deflecting and arguing that the two year old didn't know what he was doing are missing the point - do you really think that's sufficient reason to avoid liability here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people who say it's all the phone owner's fault - at what point do you take responsibility for your child's actions? Like if your child took a pen and drew on someone's couch - would you offer to have it cleaned? Or was it the couch owner's fault for having pens in the house? What if your child dumped their entire cup of milk into the purse of someone at the table next to you? Was is their fault for leaving the purse near your child? What if the purse was hanging from the back of their chair? Should they have gotten a separate chair for their bag or left it in their car? I agree that the mom was stupid for leaving her phone near the pool's edge, where it could have just as easily been heavily splashed as thrown in, but I also don't understand how the parents of the toddler would not have offered to pay for it. If it turns out it was a limited edition Louis Vuitton iPhone 32X that cost $10,000 I would have to explain that I can't afford to replace that but I would offer something as compensation. I also do think they should graciously decline my offer, but I would nonetheless pay something. I'm just curious for all the people who say a two-year old can't be responsible for their actions, in which case it was an accident, do you not think you should ever have to take responsibility for what your child does even if they didn't do it on purpose?

Those type of parents NEVER take responsibility for their child’s actions. It’s always someone else’s fault.

[Anonymous]

I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

[Anonymous]

Tough situation. I think I'm in the camp the boy's mom offers to pay and the phone owner refuses. I guess I can see a kid up to age 3 doing this without malicious intent, but anything over that age should know better and I might take the mom up on her offer to pay.

And to the poster saying a 2/3 year old should be in arm's length at a baby pool - Ha! Hahahaha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The boy who threw it. If it had been my son I would have offered to pay for a new phone (assuming they didn't have insurance or anything on it). However, if I were the mom with the phone I would have refused an offer for someone to pay for it.

The only correct answer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people who say it's all the phone owner's fault - at what point do you take responsibility for your child's actions? Like if your child took a pen and drew on someone's couch - would you offer to have it cleaned? Or was it the couch owner's fault for having pens in the house? What if your child dumped their entire cup of milk into the purse of someone at the table next to you? Was is their fault for leaving the purse near your child? What if the purse was hanging from the back of their chair? Should they have gotten a separate chair for their bag or left it in their car? I agree that the mom was stupid for leaving her phone near the pool's edge, where it could have just as easily been heavily splashed as thrown in, but I also don't understand how the parents of the toddler would not have offered to pay for it. If it turns out it was a limited edition Louis Vuitton iPhone 32X that cost $10,000 I would have to explain that I can't afford to replace that but I would offer something as compensation. I also do think they should graciously decline my offer, but I would nonetheless pay something. I'm just curious for all the people who say a two-year old can't be responsible for their actions, in which case it was an accident, do you not think you should ever have to take responsibility for what your child does even if they didn't do it on purpose?

This was covered in the grocery example.
Is it reasonable to expect a purse in a restaurant or a pen in a house? Yes. Parent of toddler is clearly at fault. Is it reasonable to expect a phone sitting next to the baby pool? No, it’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A child under 7 should have the caretakers undivided attention and be in arms reach at all time. Constant active supervision is required at all times. Are there not signs posted all around the pool area stating such? That the phone got broken, indicates that Mom failed to follow pool policy. Often on the pool signage it will indicated they may be suspended from or refused entry into the facility for failure to comply with policy.

That age seems arbitrary. By the time my kid was 4 she passed the swim test and was diving for rings and other toys at the bottom of the pool. By 7 she was on swim team. Of course she’s not within my arm’s reach at all times in a pool. And our pool has no such arm’s reach policy for kids under 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people who say it's all the phone owner's fault - at what point do you take responsibility for your child's actions? Like if your child took a pen and drew on someone's couch - would you offer to have it cleaned? Or was it the couch owner's fault for having pens in the house? What if your child dumped their entire cup of milk into the purse of someone at the table next to you? Was is their fault for leaving the purse near your child? What if the purse was hanging from the back of their chair? Should they have gotten a separate chair for their bag or left it in their car? I agree that the mom was stupid for leaving her phone near the pool's edge, where it could have just as easily been heavily splashed as thrown in, but I also don't understand how the parents of the toddler would not have offered to pay for it. If it turns out it was a limited edition Louis Vuitton iPhone 32X that cost $10,000 I would have to explain that I can't afford to replace that but I would offer something as compensation. I also do think they should graciously decline my offer, but I would nonetheless pay something. I'm just curious for all the people who say a two-year old can't be responsible for their actions, in which case it was an accident, do you not think you should ever have to take responsibility for what your child does even if they didn't do it on purpose?

These situations are vastly different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people who say it's all the phone owner's fault - at what point do you take responsibility for your child's actions? Like if your child took a pen and drew on someone's couch - would you offer to have it cleaned? Or was it the couch owner's fault for having pens in the house? What if your child dumped their entire cup of milk into the purse of someone at the table next to you? Was is their fault for leaving the purse near your child? What if the purse was hanging from the back of their chair? Should they have gotten a separate chair for their bag or left it in their car? I agree that the mom was stupid for leaving her phone near the pool's edge, where it could have just as easily been heavily splashed as thrown in, but I also don't understand how the parents of the toddler would not have offered to pay for it. If it turns out it was a limited edition Louis Vuitton iPhone 32X that cost $10,000 I would have to explain that I can't afford to replace that but I would offer something as compensation. I also do think they should graciously decline my offer, but I would nonetheless pay something. I'm just curious for all the people who say a two-year old can't be responsible for their actions, in which case it was an accident, do you not think you should ever have to take responsibility for what your child does even if they didn't do it on purpose?

These situations are vastly different.

Why? Because the harmed party had no culpability in the other situations? What if they left their purse on the ground? What if the phone had been on a chaise lounge near the edge of the pool? I'm trying to figure out where you draw the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

No, that is a deliberate action from someone who doesn't understand the consequences. Not understanding the consequences does not mean there aren't any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

No, that is a deliberate action from someone who doesn't understand the consequences. Not understanding the consequences does not mean there aren't any.

Yup, the consequence is the adult needs to buy a new phone. Hopefully, the adult also learns to better care for their belongings instead of expecting toddlers to do it for them.

It’s the height of entitlement to expect toddlers to be more responsible than adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

No, that is a deliberate action from someone who doesn't understand the consequences. Not understanding the consequences does not mean there aren't any.

Yup, the consequence is the adult needs to buy a new phone. Hopefully, the adult also learns to better care for their belongings instead of expecting toddlers to do it for them.

It’s the height of entitlement to expect toddlers to be more responsible than adults.

It’s the height of entitlement to expect parents to take no responsibility for their toddler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

No, that is a deliberate action from someone who doesn't understand the consequences. Not understanding the consequences does not mean there aren't any.

Yup, the consequence is the adult needs to buy a new phone. Hopefully, the adult also learns to better care for their belongings instead of expecting toddlers to do it for them.

It’s the height of entitlement to expect toddlers to be more responsible than adults.

Nope, the consequence is the adult of the toddler needs to offer to replace the phone that their child destroyed. Hopefully, the parent also learns to watch their child better instead of expecting toddlers to watch themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I once placed my phone in between a folded up pool towel next to the ledge of the pool. I had been taking pics of kids. A pool attendant was tidying up and grabbed the towel and my phone fell out and I watched as it narrowly missed tumbling into the pool. The attendant apologized profusely and I stopped her. I said it was my fault. Why would I think that was a good place?

Accidents happen. A toddler throwing a phone into a pool is an accident. No one to blame, everyone to blame.

No, that is a deliberate action from someone who doesn't understand the consequences. Not understanding the consequences does not mean there aren't any.

Yup, the consequence is the adult needs to buy a new phone. Hopefully, the adult also learns to better care for their belongings instead of expecting toddlers to do it for them.

It’s the height of entitlement to expect toddlers to be more responsible than adults.

If only I had a bookie that would let me bet on whether or not you're a liberal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of the boy who threw it.

No. The stupid mother who put her phone down at kiddie pool.

How about the parent not watching poolside a kid not old enough to know better?