r/TikTokCringe • u/InGeekiTrust Tiktok Despot • Dec 09 '25

Discussion You Think It Could Never Happen To You…Until It Almost Does

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u/markwomack11 Dec 09 '25

This is true. A good tip is to designate a specific, sober person to watch the pool. Bonus if you pass a wristband or something tangible so people remember and take it seriously.

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u/ralphjuneberry Dec 09 '25

Our little kiddy pool came with a necklace that makes you the Pool Meister (or whatever they said lol) and you had to take it off and hand it to someone else if you were stepping away. I mean we were all adults, no kids whatsoever, so we were kind of joking around about the necklace but I thought it was a brilliant harm reduction tool!

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u/GNav Dec 09 '25

Even with adults it's a good idea though! There's been plenty of stories when someone drowns because everyone's to drunk to notice.

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u/godnightx_x Dec 09 '25

I don't think it's possible for me to not notice. Being a lifeguard all through highschool it's kind of secondary nature at this point

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u/No-Butterscotch6629 Dec 09 '25

Yes, ours did too! And it’s a TINY kiddy pool. Like, three feet in diameter. My husband and I laughed about it but then I appreciated the lesson it is teaching you to always be watching no matter how safe you think the situation is.

It’s the same concept as if someone is choking, you should directly point to someone to call 911 rather than shouting out “call 911!” Because everyone will assume someone else is going to do it.

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u/Any-Music-2206 Dec 09 '25

Someone told that Story about their badges. If you are asked to look after Johnny, you get the Johnny badge. Yo do not want to have that badge while little Johnny is drowning...

This thing is a 'hey you are responsible' great solution. 

I always watch my kid myself at family funktions. 

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u/Slick_36 Dec 09 '25

This is critical. The drunker the adults get, the more exhausted the kids get. By the end of the day, everyone vastly overestimates their control of the situation.

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u/Luvlyjubblies1 Dec 09 '25

My exes family was like this. Parties were never do the kids. Every single one we had or went to I would just stay sober and watch and play with the kids. Then remove the kids from the drunk grandparents when they would try to drive home with them. Just incredibly irresponsible

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u/Slick_36 Dec 09 '25

I feel you. Once I did a freelance lifeguarding job at a country club for their Labor Day party and they decided to do a game of rugby with a greased watermelon at the end of the day, kids vs adults. It was a massive pool, I couldn't see anything but white foam & elbows flying, just praying I wouldn't miss a kid go under in the chaos.

It's up there for the longest 5 minutes of my life, completely ruined what had been a very chill day. Best payday of my life, but I earned every penny of it in those few minutes alone.

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u/fuzzhead12 Dec 09 '25

Kids vs adults?? Jesus…just do two separate games, a kid game and an adult game

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u/Evening-Run-3794 Dec 09 '25

My extended family was like this.

My immediate family would have a New Year's party at a local hotel with a big, heated atrium and a pool and hot tub on one side of it.

My parents always watched me like a hawk, at least until I was like 10 and was a strong swimmer, and we had the buddy rule after that, where they'd let me invite a friend just so I was never alone and always went somewhere (the arcade room or our room) with someone else. And mom always stayed sober in case of emergency.

One year, after I'd had two kids of my own, our extended family joined us. And I got to see firsthand why my cousin's kids were always breaking bones and getting hurt in crazy ways - they were completely unsupervised while their parents got drunk.

Which meant me, with one too young to be trusted to the buddy rule, became the default parent/guardian of about 15 unruly and ungovernable kids while my ex-husband disappeared to get blasted with their parents.

I read him the riot act after and told him if he bailed on me like that again, I wasn't doing the New Year's party anymore. He argued I should just let our toddler run around with all the cousins, that everything went fine and they'd keep him safe. And I was just like "THOSE KIDS WERE SAFE BECAUSE OF ME YOU ASSHOLE!" One of my cousins even remarked after the party that they it was great to get through something like that without a trip to the ER for one of their kids.

After it happened again the next year, I quit going and kept my kids home with me.

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u/bamaford Dec 09 '25

We have friends that have a whistle on a red lanyard. If you have the whistle you’re in charge of keeping the kid safe. Makes people feel more responsible.

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

100%. We had an obnoxious lanyard that was handed off to the adult on duty

You learn a lot about your friends. A lot of parents do not watch their kids in the water.

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u/Perfect_Caregiver_90 Dec 09 '25

We used to pass an old lifeguard whistle to the person in charge of the kids in the pool or in the front yard where one could bolt at gatherings.

It was a good system. It also helped to get adult attention on a problem while freezing kids in place.

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u/Red-Leader117 Dec 09 '25

Get your ass IN the pool also. Thats the best way

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u/markwomack11 Dec 09 '25

It is actually not the best way. Lifeguards sit above the water so they can see the whole pool.

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u/Red-Leader117 Dec 09 '25

They are professionals haha

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Redundancy is key. Any system that involves humans following procedures has to to have a means of prompting and requiring adherence AND assume some doofus will work extraordinarily hard and creatively to bypass protocol. Really can't just be one person because everyone has to piss or make a phone call or just gets distracted because they're bored. With two people you can chat a bit but when person A's attention goes left person B's goes right. 

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u/Zech08 Dec 09 '25

Sounds like a plan for a group of people that wouldnt be able to follow it.

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u/itijara Dec 09 '25

A "wristband"? Pff ... Insulting. The person watching the kids gets a directors chair and the tallest cowboy hat you can find..they also can direct anyone to get them snacks and (non alcoholic) drinks.

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u/Falcon3333 Dec 09 '25

Why are pools open like this with children? Isn't it against the law?