Any person who brings their phone within throwing distance of a body of water AND puts it down somewhere where she cannot grab it before a 2 year old, is responsible for doing so. When I am at the pool with my children, my phone goes into a bag when it is not in my hand. If I leave it out, even on a lounger where a running 2 year old could get to it, I am responsible for leaving it out.

Sorry, but you do something stupid you bear the risk.

That said, if my child did this, I would offer to pay or split the cost just as a courtesy, but I am not under any obligation to do so.

If my kid threw it, I would offer and expect to pay to replace. I would probably decline the offer if it were my phone, but the cost of replacing a phone isn't significant to me like it might be to many people.

FWIW, my DD threw her nanny's phone into a clean public toilet at that age...so it's not super weird behavior (or maybe my DD is just as weird as this kid). I paid to replace the phone.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of the boy who threw it.

+1. If my child did that, I would be falling all over myself with offers to pay, including an immediate Venmo of $X.

Anonymous wrote:Mom should have known better than to have her phone unsecured.

Agree. Leaving a phone lying around a baby pool is asking for trouble.

Anonymous wrote:The edge of the baby pool is inherently soaking wet, full of puddles. She's an idiot for setting it down, and it would have gotten wet regardless. She's to blame.

I agree.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of phone thrower should offer to pay. Parent who put the phone down near the baby pool should refuse the offer.

I've seen this before on DCUM. I still disagree.

Things happen to phones. That's why you have insurance. The phone owner can dry her phone or fix/replace it. It's not the responsibility of the kid's parent, IMO.

Mom should have known better than to have her phone unsecured.

Parent of phone thrower should offer to pay. Parent who put the phone down near the baby pool should refuse the offer.

Anonymous wrote:The kid who threw it in the phone, no hesitation. If the kid was running and knocked it into the pool by accident, there may be some blame on the mom who left it by the pool, but it sounds like this kid grabbed it and purposely threw it in the pool. Parent of that kid should offer to cover the cost of getting it repaired or replaced

I think that's an important distinction. Parent should definitely offer to pay.

Anonymous wrote:The toddler/barely preschooler who threw it in the phone, no hesitation. If the kid was running and knocked it into the pool by accident, there may be some blame on the mom who left it by the pool, but it sounds like this kid grabbed it and purposely threw it in the pool. Parent of that kid should offer to cover the cost of getting it repaired or replaced

Really?

Phone owner’s fault for allowing a 2yo to grab her phone. Cmon. Don’t put your phone down around toddlers. They’ll smash them or throw them in the pool.

The kid who threw it in the phone, no hesitation. If the kid was running and knocked it into the pool by accident, there may be some blame on the mom who left it by the pool, but it sounds like this kid grabbed it and purposely threw it in the pool. Parent of that kid should offer to cover the cost of getting it repaired or replaced

Was the parent of the boy sitting next to him when he threw it in, before she could stop him? Or did she leave him unattended while distracted by something else?

Anonymous wrote:It depends where she set the phone down, really. At the edge of the pool? That's asking for trouble. A few feet away on a bench? It wouldn't occur to me that someone could walk up and throw it in the water.

And yes, the parents of the thrower should have offered some form of compensation.

Agree on all points.

Anonymous wrote:The edge of the baby pool is inherently soaking wet, full of puddles. She's an idiot for setting it down, and it would have gotten wet regardless. She's to blame.

Was the person sitting next to her phone when the kid unexpectedly threw it in before she could stop him? Or did she leave it there and walk away from it to do something else?