Around 8 years old. But I still go to swimming pool parties and stay because my son acts differently around his buddies. Putting them together somehow subtracts a few years from his age.

The minimum m age in Montgomery County public pools is 10.

I dropped my kids off at 10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My oldest is 11 and I still keep an eye on him. Never put your trust in lifeguards.

Does he have special needs or some condition needing this level of supervision? I remember biking with my friends to the local pool when I was 10 and my brother starting 8 yo. Certainly hope to have my kids be responsible by the time they are 8 or so.

Most pools won't allow an 8 year old, even a stronger swimmer, to be there without an adult. At our pool the minimum age is 12.

When they're old enough to swim well and pass the pool's test to be there alone.

We were recently at a (Seattle) city pool where kids were required to pass a two-widths test before they were allowed out of the shallow area. My 6yo did it, no problem, and I let her roam the deep end (slide/diving board) without me, but I kept an eye on her. Not crowded, and she wears a bright rash guard, so easy to spot on that day. I played mostly with my 2yo in the shallow end. If it had been more crowded or even if she'd been wearing run-of-the-mill swimwear (so not easy to pick out of a group), I might have had her stay with me in the shallow end.

wow, so bizarre to read the responses here. I get the feeling that many of these parents aren't actually familiar with drowning statistics. http://www.aquaticsintl.com/facilities/management-operators/do-lifeguards-need-more-training_o, for one

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 7 yo has been able to swim since shortly before age 3 and is on swim team-- strong swimmer. I still try to watch him most of the time but definitely look away to deal with my toddler who obviously can't swim at all and requires constant hands-on supervision.

Why is it obvious your toddler can't swim at all if your other kid dawn before 3?

Ok, maybe it's not obvious; I meant the toddler obviously requires more supervision than the 7 yo (partially because she's 2.5 and can't swim but thinks she can and tries to get away from me in the water).

Anonymous wrote:My 7 yo has been able to swim since shortly before age 3 and is on swim team-- strong swimmer. I still try to watch him most of the time but definitely look away to deal with my toddler who obviously can't swim at all and requires constant hands-on supervision.

Why is it obvious your toddler can't swim at all if your other kid dawn before 3?

My nearly 7 year old is a good swimmer - she did swim team this summer and turns out she is good and fast! I allow her to go in the deep end without me and I'll sit in a chair but I put my eyes on her every few minutes. Things can still happen to good swimmers.

Anonymous wrote:I went to a birthday party recently for a 7 year old and I was the only parent who stayed to watch mine at the pool. There was no one else besides lifeguards at the crowded pool area.

That's interesting. Mine just turned 7, and of his friends, there is only one really strong swimmer in the bunch. The rest would definitely need watching.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My oldest is 11 and I still keep an eye on him. Never put your trust in lifeguards.

Does he have special needs or some condition needing this level of supervision? I remember biking with my friends to the local pool when I was 10 and my brother starting 8 yo. Certainly hope to have my kids be responsible by the time they are 8 or so.

Our pool doesn't allow children to be dropped off for recreational swimming until they are 14. (You can drop off for swim practice at any age, tho parents of the 8&unders tend to stay.)

Anonymous wrote:
My oldest is 11 and I still keep an eye on him. Never put your trust in lifeguards.

Does he have special needs or some condition needing this level of supervision? I remember biking with my friends to the local pool when I was 10 and my brother starting 8 yo. Certainly hope to have my kids be responsible by the time they are 8 or so.

FOrmer lifeguard here. I agree with a previous poster that kids are in the most danger at pools around 7. Parents stop watching at that age, and I pulled plenty of kids out who slipped of the side of the pool or diving board, who got hurt horsing around with friends, or simply ran out of energy while swimming in the deep end. I also don't trust teenaged lifeguards to avoid distractions. I didn't stop watching my kids until they were over 10.

mine is 9 and a good swimmer. But, I always still keep one eye on her. On don't trust the lifeguards when the pool is busy (only b/c they're human and people make mistakes.)

I was a lifeguard, both at summer camp and at (Seattle) city pools. I'll always pay attention when I'm with my kid, because not all lifeguards will recognize drowning, particularly in a crowded pool.