Summer Camp drowning fears (or paranoia?)
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Anonymous
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I got my child a coveted spot in a local summer camp for the first time this year. Summer camp is a vital component of my child care program since I WOHM and support my family.
The program was very highly recommended by older, more experienced moms I trust and respect. However, I have learned since standing in line at 5 AM to get one of the spots, that the camp takes the kids to various "water parks" each Friday over the summer. The program makes statements about supervision, restricting kids to height-appropriate areas, etc. However, I am nervous. My child will be 6 and is an OK swimmer. She has spent a LOT of time in the water with water wings. But she's not an advanced swimmer on her own. In the past, I went on EVERY field trip my child has been on. Now, due to work circumstances, I find myself unable to attend field trips anymore, at a time when the field trips just became water-based. I am a somewhat overprotective mother. Is it time to take a chill pill and let my child do what all the other kids do, go to summer camp and swim with teachers and life guards and trust that all will be well? I can't find any history of anyone dying through this program which has been around for a long time. Right now I am trying to coordinate with extended family so one of us can attend each Friday. Am I being ridiculous? Thank you! |
Anonymous
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Speaking as an admittedly, very non-overprotective mom, you are being ridiculous. You have to let your kids out on their own at some point and this seems to be a safe programs and a relatively safe, non-dangerous, place to do it.
Most water parks are directed at kids and have safety measures in place. Make sure that your DD knows that if a slide/pool looks too scary or deep for her, she doesnt have to go even if all the other kids are going. At 6 yrs old, I am sure there will be plenty of kids who hang back from the "scarier" equipment. Just relax and let her enjoy! |
Anonymous
| Your not being ridiculous because your concern. My child attended a summer camp that at first didn't offer swimming but when the camp was getting ready to start, they offered swimming. I talked to the director and explained my daughter is not a good swimmer. The director said they would have plenty of people there to make sure the kids are safe. I didn't care if a hundred people were going to be there, I wanted to check it out myself. So I followed the bus. Only one person from the camp was in the water, only one was outside watching the kids. The other five were under umbrella's. On swimming days, I let her stay with her grandparents. The only thing I would recommend is to check the pool out the first day when the kids go swimming. Are their enough life quards? Are the counselors watching the kids. I know exactly how you feel. |
Anonymous
OP here, I laughed out loud at your first sentence, thank you! 
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Anonymous
Thanks, I may do a little "spying" of my own... |
Anonymous
| Dad here. DS went to a camp last summer with weekly trips to water parks and he had a great time, even though he still does not know how to swim. He had a great time, and the camp didn't "lose" any kids. I say "relax." |
Anonymous
| You are not being ridiculous. Kids at these big camps, particularly when they are on "field trips" to water parks, are essentially on their own in terms of supervision. If a kid is a strong, independent swimmer than I wouldn't worry. If a child needs water wings to swim confidently than they should NOT be going on one of these trips under the supervision of a bunch of teens. People can tell you that you are overprotective but when it comes to water safety, this is too important not to be concerned. |
Anonymous
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You are not being ridiculous or overly protective. I went to a summer camp like this in 1st grade (back in the late 80s).
We had high school/early college aged camp counselors and they rarely went into the pools with us. They sat at the concession stand and talked to one another. I had a drowning accident in 4 feet of water - I was not a very strong swimmer and wandered too far away from the wall I was clinging on to. I was rescued during the hourly safety breaks and given CPR by a paramedic. I suggest doing a little "spying" of the counselors and making sure that are in there with those kids and not just socializing. |
Anonymous
Very similar story and time frame; I was probably 5 or 6 just starting swimming lessions. Similar age and acting counslors (who my mother knew, and their families, it was a small town) Basically to make a short story of it, my mother pulled up a few minutes early looked in the pool and I was on the bottom of the deep end. She freaked out, I remember waking up to one of the counslors doing mouth to mouth. I was fine, but it could have been bad. We all have our things we freak out about. I am sure your kid will be fine, but things happen. I would do some spying and make sure it is a good enviroment, which I am sure it is. |
Anonymous
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Swimming is one of the scariest parts of summer camp. I have my kids at the summer camp offered by their school aftercare program, so the staff know my kids very well. Even still, it's stressful. The way I got through it the first year was to remind myself that the camp had never been sued. They had never lost a child. Their staff has so much more experience caring for kids than me and I take my kids swimming. And, they are far more safety conscious as I am - not because I am neglectful, but because they care for so many kids that they are better at identifying risks. (I have a similar stragegy for the monkey bars, which I also find stressful, that that's another story).
On the other hand, one of the best things about summer camp for my kids is the swimming. They are so confident in the water now and they just love the days they go to the pool. FWIW, I'm not what one would call an overprotective mom. I realize that my kids are going to be subjected to risks in order to have great life experiences. My kids should hank my parents for this point of view - they gave me lots and lots of very active brothers to grow up with and so far, my very active boys have not even come close to trying things that my brothers survived. |
Anonymous
| Personally, I wouldn't send her unless you or a family member could attend as well. What's the best and the worst that could happen? You have to at least consider the worst which is your daughter could be dead from a drowning accident. Who cares if people think you are overprotective when the down side is so huge? |
Anonymous
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OP, I'm a stay at home mom. Last summer I took my kids to the local public pool many days of the week. The pool was filled with kids from various summer camps and their counselors. There were lifeguards on duty and the life guards knew their jobs and did them. However there were a LOT of children in the pools, many of whom were non-swimmers. The camp staff needed to also be paying attention and physically present, not chatting, to be sure their charges did not get into trouble, IMO.
There were two very distinct types of camps. I would characterize them as lax and excellent, to be honest. The lax ones let the lifeguards watch, and spent their time chatting or yelling at the kids. The exellent ones all had the same T-shirt on, identifying them as past of the camp. They stationed themselves around the pool. They had a system to separate the non-swimmers from the big part of the pool (with the deep end) and one staff member was in the water herself, making sure young kids didn't get into the big section. They seemed competent and on the ball, and I would not have had a problem letting a 6 year old go swimming with them. The "lax" ones, I would have had a problem with. I will say that I think te snager is greatest for the younger kids -- the 3 and 4 year olds -- with this group. Before letting my children go swimming in a public pool with a camp, I would ask to see a copy of heir supervision policy for non-swimmers, and check out the pool to see what kind of trouble a non-swimmer could get into. For instance, if the entire pool is only 4 feet, a non-swimmer who is comfortable going under water isn't going to get into a lot of trouble, especially if the lifeguards and camp staff are provideing decent supervision as to no rough horseplay, no diving, etc. Let the camp staff know you trust them but you want to know that they have good safety procedures in place, and find some likeminded parents who might have similar standards, take turns visiting the first few days they go to the pool if you can to verify that the procedures are being followed. Oh -- to answer your first question -- NO, you aren't being overprotective. I'd say, just protective enough! |
Anonymous
OP -- I am the PP. I just reread your opening post, and I see that they will be going to a different water park each time. Actually, that sounds a better. If I'm not mistaken, most water parks are basically "splash pools" right -- the max height is pretty low, and there is no deep end? It is mostly wading and going under sprinklers. If so, and if your child is comfortable going under water and getting her face wet, I'd be pretty comfortable with this type of activity, especially if you can get a sense of how the counsellors will conduct safety checks at each pool (restricting access to any deep pools, etc.) |
Anonymous
| I understand you need childcare but would find another option. For the record, there is no way I would agree to any kind of swimming program that I wasn't participating in. Six is young and I wouldn't put the safety of your child on a camp counselor at that age. Everyear there is a drowing of some sort and it just isn't worth the stress. |
Anonymous
| how about hire a babysitter you know well and send them with your child as her personal swim buddy. I did this last year at a very large swim park during my ds camp. I did go too but I had my dd to watch and did not want my ds to go anywhere without supervision 100% of the time. I used someone that I regulary use and she not only got paid for the time she was there, she had a good time too. You are not be over protective. You can not erase the drowning accident. If you are not comfortable sending your child to a waterpark with out you...you know your child better than anyone. |