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?

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.

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.

What the heck?
We have seven year olds competing on swim team. You want them within arms reach?

My five-year olds are on a swim team - so should I be swimming next to them during their races?

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing OP is a troll. Hypothetical social experiment for her ethics class I bet.
Did these past 12 pages of responses give you enough fodder to write your paper?

Right, she just wasted everyone's time without even sharing info about how close the phone was to the pool.

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.

Any signs or policies about no cameras or phones in the pool area?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watch your phone! People, you cannot lay your phone down in public and not watch it and expect accidents not to happen. If you do lay it next to you on the side of a pool (why?!) you better be vigilant. People don’t know how to take care of their things. This reminds me of my 26yo sister who has broken dozens of iPhones!

A baby pool for 2-3yos is safe enough for parents to watch their kids from the side of the pool. You all are crazy if you think you have to follow your 2yo around in 12 inches of water. They just need to be watched. I’m also not going to start because people’s expensive electronics are within their reach.

I would be so annoyed if my 2yo grabbed your phone and dropped it in the pool. I would of course apologize but if you asked for me to pay I’d side eye you and leave.

Watch your child! People, you can not leave your child to wander in a pool area with water. Your child, your responsibility. You should be in the pool with your child but that’s a whole other argument.

You should be annoyed if your 2 yo grabs another persons phone bc you weren’t watching your child.

Your phone, your responsibility.

Your child, your responsibility.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watch your phone! People, you cannot lay your phone down in public and not watch it and expect accidents not to happen. If you do lay it next to you on the side of a pool (why?!) you better be vigilant. People don’t know how to take care of their things. This reminds me of my 26yo sister who has broken dozens of iPhones!

A baby pool for 2-3yos is safe enough for parents to watch their kids from the side of the pool. You all are crazy if you think you have to follow your 2yo around in 12 inches of water. They just need to be watched. I’m also not going to start because people’s expensive electronics are within their reach.

I would be so annoyed if my 2yo grabbed your phone and dropped it in the pool. I would of course apologize but if you asked for me to pay I’d side eye you and leave.

Watch your child! People, you can not leave your child to wander in a pool area with water. Your child, your responsibility. You should be in the pool with your child but that’s a whole other argument.

You should be annoyed if your 2 yo grabs another persons phone bc you weren’t watching your child.

Your phone, your responsibility.

I'm guessing OP is a troll. Hypothetical social experiment for her ethics class I bet.
Did these past 12 pages of responses give you enough fodder to write your paper?

Tough one. I think the fault is evenly split. And the mom of the toddler is a jerk for not offering any compensation.

Anonymous wrote:Watch your phone! People, you cannot lay your phone down in public and not watch it and expect accidents not to happen. If you do lay it next to you on the side of a pool (why?!) you better be vigilant. People don’t know how to take care of their things. This reminds me of my 26yo sister who has broken dozens of iPhones!

A baby pool for 2-3yos is safe enough for parents to watch their kids from the side of the pool. You all are crazy if you think you have to follow your 2yo around in 12 inches of water. They just need to be watched. I’m also not going to start because people’s expensive electronics are within their reach.

I would be so annoyed if my 2yo grabbed your phone and dropped it in the pool. I would of course apologize but if you asked for me to pay I’d side eye you and leave.

Watch your child! People, you can not leave your child to wander in a pool area with water. Your child, your responsibility. You should be in the pool with your child but that’s a whole other argument.

You should be annoyed if your 2 yo grabs another persons phone bc you weren’t watching your child.

Anonymous wrote:It is fascinating to see how harshly people are coming down on the toddler in a baby play area, behaving within the realm of normal toddler behavior (picking up objects on the side of the pool and tossing them in. It’s how toddlers learn and explore the world in what is a “safe” space). Meanwhile they are excusing the adult who lays down the phone in an inappropriate place. Then claiming that parents aren’t responsible/are letting their kids drown/shifting blame. We really aren’t a child friendly society! Not even in the baby pool!
My kids have understood from a young age if you don’t take care of your stuff, it may get stolen or lost. Leave your toys outside overnight and they may not be there in the morning. Phone mama needs to put her toys away! She is the one who needs to accept some personal responsibility.

Loved how you spun this so that you and your children can come across as angels. Here is reality, if you are actually teaching your child respect for others and that everything doesn’t belong to them then you wouldn’t be in this situation. If you are actively watching your child like you should in a pool area then this wouldn’t be an issue. Your child doesn’t have free reign anywhere but in your own home.

It is fascinating to see how harshly people are coming down on the toddler in a baby play area, behaving within the realm of normal toddler behavior (picking up objects on the side of the pool and tossing them in. It’s how toddlers learn and explore the world in what is a “safe” space). Meanwhile they are excusing the adult who lays down the phone in an inappropriate place. Then claiming that parents aren’t responsible/are letting their kids drown/shifting blame. We really aren’t a child friendly society! Not even in the baby pool!
My kids have understood from a young age if you don’t take care of your stuff, it may get stolen or lost. Leave your toys outside overnight and they may not be there in the morning. Phone mama needs to put her toys away! She is the one who needs to accept some personal responsibility.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This, to me, is very similar to the concept of attractive nuisance in law. The adult is in the baby area and should be aware to put the phone away. Those of you saying the parents need to supervise are unreasonable. It could happen so fast if it was just on the edge of the pool. Do you really expect the parents to be hovering over their child in the baby/shallow area? You go in that area so your toddler can have some freedom to run in a safe and shallow and usually fenced area. The adult who left the phone out is responsible.

It would be kind of the parent to offer to pay, but that’s a lot of money to cough up for an adult’s carelessness.

OP, I’m curious which party you are? Update us.

I'm not the OP, but I am a liberal Democrat and I think the parent of the toddler should pay. I think the adult who left her phone by the pool was an idiot, but if my kid breaks someone's property, I offer to repair or replace it.

Which party to the interaction? It’s heated enough without adding politics!
Curious all those that say they would pay if their kids damage it. Do you have a monetary limit? What if it’s a $15,000 handbag? Still in? The cost of an iPhone could be a substantial amount to many parents.

Then I guess it would be a painful lesson for why you need to watch your kids. If your kid damages someone else’s property, you as the parent are responsible. There’s no way around it. Those justifying that parents of the phone thrower don’t need to pay are raising some entitled brats. Good luck in the future. It’s going to be expensive.

This is so lacking in self-awareness it’s funny.

The adult expecting other people to pay for her phone is the entitled brat.

So the adult who is mixing their own business with their items near them is the brat?

Not the toddler running freely by a pool with no adult actively watching them? Not the child that walks up to someone else’s belongings, picks up the phone and throws it in the pool?

Yes, if you put your phone in the middle of a bunch of water toys in the baby pool, there is a good chance a kid will throw it in the water.

And yes, your attitude makes you an entitled brat.

Stay away from the baby pool if you can’t handle being around babies. How is this hard to understand?

Watch your child so they don’t touch other pills belongings. How is that hard to understand?

Watch your phone! People, you cannot lay your phone down in public and not watch it and expect accidents not to happen. If you do lay it next to you on the side of a pool (why?!) you better be vigilant. People don’t know how to take care of their things. This reminds me of my 26yo sister who has broken dozens of iPhones!

A baby pool for 2-3yos is safe enough for parents to watch their kids from the side of the pool. You all are crazy if you think you have to follow your 2yo around in 12 inches of water. They just need to be watched. I’m also not going to start because people’s expensive electronics are within their reach.

I would be so annoyed if my 2yo grabbed your phone and dropped it in the pool. I would of course apologize but if you asked for me to pay I’d side eye you and leave.