The parents of a five year old girl have been taking some heat for their decision to let her swim with sharks. Do you think a 5 year old should be allowed to swim with sharks? when, as a parent, do you cross the line?
Would you let a 5 year old play in traffic? Light fireworks alone? Part of your duty as a parent is protecting your child from possible danger. Why do we put those plastic guard plugs in electrical outlets? In case they hurt themselves. Putting a kid in harms way is negligent, risky and bordering on abusive. CPS needs to investigate, because there is probably other ways that these parents are endangering their kids.
Parents' main function is to ensure their kids' safety by using sound judgment when kids cannot. When the girl is 18, she can decide if swimming with sharks is a good idea. Until then, no way.
Here's my problem: where do they go from here? Swimming with sharks as a preschooler, then climbing Mt Everest as a gradeschooler? They will have to keep topping these dangerous, adrenaline-fueled experiences until she's a hardcore adrenaline junkie and has to darn near kill herself to get a thrill. There's no going from swimming with sharks to dining with Cinderella at Disneyland. They're creating a monster.
Having seen a three-year-old be mauled and chewed on by a german shepherd, I'm hesitant to put any small child near any animal. I can't shake that experience.
They're fucking sharks! I wouldn't want a 55 year old to swim with them, much less a child. I've seen parents give in to ridiculous requests from their children so that they can be "friends" with their kids - but this is off the insane chart.
Jumping from would I allow it to - would I post it on you tube for everyone to see? I really question why people put their lives on public for everyone to see and voice an opinion.
No, I would not let my children knowingly swim with sharks. At 5 they were not allowed to cross the street by themselves.
It is interesting to see how many of us commenters are appalled at this. I grew up in South Florida and practically lived on the beach as kid. There are sharks everywhere there (and jellyfish, rays - the things that killed Steve Irwin). Yet families flock to the beaches with their kids in tow. And most attacks happen in shallow water.
Shark Alley in the Everglades is teeming with Alligators and yet millions of families flock there to ride their bikes around them (there are no fences or wall).
I am more scared of people and the probability of getting hurt than these situations. Again, that is me.
But no, I would not bring a 5 year old snorkeling on a reef. Not b/c of sharks, but b/c of swimming ability, weather variability, and many other factors I couldn't control. And if I did, I sure as hell would not post it on YouTube!
I don't think I could do it, but I assume there were experts around, people who knew the sharks and had been swimming with them before. In tyhe video, you see that there's a whole busload of tourist snorkeling together - it's not like they dropped their kid into a tank full of hungry great whites.
Y'all, these were little, non-dangerous sharks. Plus, they are sharks that hang out in that protected cove precisely so they can get fed by people, and are therefore used to being around humans. They aren't wild, rabid great whites. Honestly, if you have ever let your kid swim in the ocean, you have let your kid swim with sharks. They are everywhere. I started SCUBA diving in open water when I was seven, and had been swimming in the ocean since I was a baby before that. I've had multiple run-ins with sharks. Never had a problem. I'd have to say, in these specific circumstances, if my child wanted to do it and I felt they could handle it, I'd let them. But I'd be right there next to them.
I went swimming in the Keys with masses of sharks and barracuda with my dad when I was a teenager. Yes, a 5-year-old is tinier, but I don't think it's that dangerous. These aren't great whites. When we went in the shark pond at the marine institute we were staying, the hammerhead and nurse sharks hid from us. There are so many fish, these sharks are very well fed, and don't need to nibble on humans.
I would not. The fact that she is five and small seems to me to make her a more favorable target if there were an unfortunate attack. She's not a great swimmer, and certainly does not have the strength to protect herself should something happen.
I swam with the sharks in the Bahamas when I was about 25, but only after being fed Rum 151 most of the day by the boat captain, who also threw a chumbucket at the bottom to distract them while we snorkeled.
I wouldn't do it again and would definitely NOT let my kid do it but I'm not a big risk taker.
I would have a heart attack. But some people......
Funny, another single mom friend and I just took our kids to a swimming hole I found on swimmingholes.org, and we were commenting on their alligator swimming holes and the warning associated with them on the site. We were wondering aloud too, "who the F*&k would go to one of those holes to swim??" But these two loons probably would. Bingo! we found out who. I'm gonna have to tell her. Nuts. N.U.T.S
I agree w/ TexShan. I've been swimming in the ocean since I was 4-5, and there is potential for great whites here (although unlikely in Long Island Sound).
My kiddo went snorkeling with me in Puerto Rico when she was 8, but she's a very strong swimmer and my mom, my sister and I were all at her side. (didn't see any sharks!)
If the parents are responsible, and the child is capable, and it's a safe situation, I don't see anything wrong with it, really.
And swimmingholes.org is great! Wish we had more here, though. Damn small state!
I'm curious about their definition of a "swimming hole." They only list two in Minnesota, and we probably have thousands. (Tens of thousands?) I guess we just don't have enough spotters for them?
Too risky,would not allow that , my heart would fall out
ReplyDeleteWRONG!!!
ReplyDeleteUmm...was there a cage involved? Were the parents present? Personally, no I wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteSeems pretty dangerous...have you seen Shark Week?!?!?
ReplyDeleteWell if it's the child's dream to do so I'd THINK ABOUT IT, and most likely say no but I'd still give it some thought.
ReplyDeleteI have to recuse myself given my enormous fear of sharks all the way since childhood but you can probably guess which side of the argument I'm on.
ReplyDeleteHell no.
ReplyDeleteWould you let a 5 year old play in traffic? Light fireworks alone? Part of your duty as a parent is protecting your child from possible danger. Why do we put those plastic guard plugs in electrical outlets? In case they hurt themselves. Putting a kid in harms way is negligent, risky and bordering on abusive. CPS needs to investigate, because there is probably other ways that these parents are endangering their kids.
ReplyDeleteI think these parents were swimming with some bathsalts...
ReplyDeleteJust me testing my kindle.
ReplyDeleteDepends on how irritating they were that week.
ReplyDeleteI'd tell her the same thing I'd say about any grown up thing...."when you are 18 ....we'll discuss it".
ReplyDeleteSheesh. I bet they don't even let a 5 yr old bike to school by herself and they're letting her swim with sharks?
You mean she became an agent?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't. But, I am not surprised, and am not throwing any shade their way. I liked their analogy to the rollercoaster.
ReplyDeleteBarracudas would be more dangerous than those sharks. And those are all over the place in the Bahamas.
Parents' main function is to ensure their kids' safety by using sound judgment when kids cannot. When the girl is 18, she can decide if swimming with sharks is a good idea. Until then, no way.
ReplyDeleteHere's my problem: where do they go from here? Swimming with sharks as a preschooler, then climbing Mt Everest as a gradeschooler? They will have to keep topping these dangerous, adrenaline-fueled experiences until she's a hardcore adrenaline junkie and has to darn near kill herself to get a thrill. There's no going from swimming with sharks to dining with Cinderella at Disneyland. They're creating a monster.
ReplyDeleteSwimming with sharks litterally or figuratively? Did they allow her in the same room with a bunch of Hollywood producers?
ReplyDelete@Agent*it - regular Kindle or KindleFire?
ReplyDeleteI'm hesitant about putting a 5 year old in the ocean unless the water is really quiet - no way I'd let him/her swim with sharks.
@Agent - it's working! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't care, there's no temper tantrum strong enough or long enough that would make me give in.
ReplyDeleteOh Patty! That was just perfect.
ReplyDeleteHaving seen a three-year-old be mauled and chewed on by a german shepherd, I'm hesitant to put any small child near any animal. I can't shake that experience.
ReplyDeleteThey're fucking sharks! I wouldn't want a 55 year old to swim with them, much less a child. I've seen parents give in to ridiculous requests from their children so that they can be "friends" with their kids - but this is off the insane chart.
ReplyDeleteNo way!
ReplyDeleteJumping from would I allow it to - would I post it on you tube for everyone to see? I really question why people put their lives on public for everyone to see and voice an opinion.
ReplyDeleteNo, I would not let my children knowingly swim with sharks. At 5 they were not allowed to cross the street by themselves.
They let their daughter become a personal assistant to a studio executive? Not a bad gig, but she is a bit young.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see how many of us commenters are appalled at this. I grew up in South Florida and practically lived on the beach as kid. There are sharks everywhere there (and jellyfish, rays - the things that killed Steve Irwin). Yet families flock to the beaches with their kids in tow. And most attacks happen in shallow water.
ReplyDeleteShark Alley in the Everglades is teeming with Alligators and yet millions of families flock there to ride their bikes around them (there are no fences or wall).
I am more scared of people and the probability of getting hurt than these situations. Again, that is me.
But no, I would not bring a 5 year old snorkeling on a reef. Not b/c of sharks, but b/c of swimming ability, weather variability, and many other factors I couldn't control. And if I did, I sure as hell would not post it on YouTube!
I wouldn't be able to do it. I have a hard enough time even thinking of myself doing it, let alone my child.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could do it, but I assume there were experts around, people who knew the sharks and had been swimming with them before. In tyhe video, you see that there's a whole busload of tourist snorkeling together - it's not like they dropped their kid into a tank full of hungry great whites.
ReplyDeletelet her get bit then they prolly wont do that again...off to the volcano
ReplyDeleteY'all, these were little, non-dangerous sharks. Plus, they are sharks that hang out in that protected cove precisely so they can get fed by people, and are therefore used to being around humans. They aren't wild, rabid great whites. Honestly, if you have ever let your kid swim in the ocean, you have let your kid swim with sharks. They are everywhere. I started SCUBA diving in open water when I was seven, and had been swimming in the ocean since I was a baby before that. I've had multiple run-ins with sharks. Never had a problem. I'd have to say, in these specific circumstances, if my child wanted to do it and I felt they could handle it, I'd let them. But I'd be right there next to them.
ReplyDeleteI went swimming in the Keys with masses of sharks and barracuda with my dad when I was a teenager. Yes, a 5-year-old is tinier, but I don't think it's that dangerous. These aren't great whites. When we went in the shark pond at the marine institute we were staying, the hammerhead and nurse sharks hid from us. There are so many fish, these sharks are very well fed, and don't need to nibble on humans.
ReplyDeleteI would not. The fact that she is five and small seems to me to make her a more favorable target if there were an unfortunate attack.
ReplyDeleteShe's not a great swimmer, and certainly does not have the strength to protect herself should something happen.
I swam with the sharks in the Bahamas when I was about 25, but only after being fed Rum 151 most of the day by the boat captain, who also threw a chumbucket at the bottom to distract them while we snorkeled.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't do it again and would definitely NOT let my kid do it but I'm not a big risk taker.
Agent- sometimes when I post comments using my kindle fire, they disappear! Does that ever happen to you or anyone?
ReplyDeleteno. it seems so obvious to me. if this is hat they are willing to share, what else is there?
ReplyDeleteThey are reef sharks, not dangerous to people at all.
ReplyDeleteNot defending the P's, but not all sharks are blood-thirsty killers.
ReplyDeleteI would have a heart attack. But some people......
ReplyDeleteFunny, another single mom friend and I just took our kids to a swimming hole I found on swimmingholes.org, and we were commenting on their alligator swimming holes and the warning associated with them on the site. We were wondering aloud too, "who the F*&k would go to one of those holes to swim??" But these two loons probably would. Bingo! we found out who. I'm gonna have to tell her. Nuts. N.U.T.S
Omama, for some reason I love the fact that there is such a thing as "swimmingholes.org"
ReplyDeleteWho knew?
car54....check it out. I've found THE best swimming holes on it.
ReplyDeleteAnd now the even have an app....now that's a "who knew."
Bless (and enjoy the holes you hit :))
I agree w/ TexShan. I've been swimming in the ocean since I was 4-5, and there is potential for great whites here (although unlikely in Long Island Sound).
ReplyDeleteMy kiddo went snorkeling with me in Puerto Rico when she was 8, but she's a very strong swimmer and my mom, my sister and I were all at her side. (didn't see any sharks!)
If the parents are responsible, and the child is capable, and it's a safe situation, I don't see anything wrong with it, really.
And swimmingholes.org is great! Wish we had more here, though. Damn small state!
Line crossed. At least wait until year 6 to willingly endanger your kids life in order to become Internet worthy
ReplyDelete"life is too short to be boring" wow. This child will be allowed to do far more than this. At 5 she cannot rationalize the danger, the parents should.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about their definition of a "swimming hole." They only list two in Minnesota, and we probably have thousands. (Tens of thousands?) I guess we just don't have enough spotters for them?
ReplyDeleteMooshki....send them in.
ReplyDeleteThat's what the site says.
Omama thanks for the swimming hole website!! Its gonna be 99 today so I wanna find me a swimming hole!!
ReplyDeleteThere's always barracuda in the ocean when I swim-and probably sharks too. It's really not that dangerous.
ReplyDelete