worst mother award goes to...

Me! Had a horror day today. Every saturday morning, jake and i go to swim clas. Usually mum takes us. Today Dad rang and wanted to take Jake and I. So I said yes. He also brought my nephew Sam, who's five. We got to the Lido and of course Sam wanted to swim, so I said that Jake could get in too, but to go to the toddler pool. Jake and Sam got in. Anway, after about five minutes Jake slipped and started doggy paddling. His head was going under and he was in trouble....and I froze! I knew that he was potentially drowning, and I stood there. Dad ended up running in, in his clothes and getting him. i feel like the worst mum ever. Standing there while my child drowns. I nearly burst into tears as we went over to the swim school (where incidentally Jake had a great lesson and enjoyed it all). I can see him even now, struggling in the pool and it makes me sick with guilt that I didn't do anything.

Lizzle you poor thing, that must have been the scariest moment ever! Don't beat yourself up over it, I'm not sure how I would have reacted, would have probably frozen too. My sister went through a similar thing when her youngst was only 1, he had a seisure and turned blue and she just stood there, didn't know what to do so hubby sorted it out and bubs was fine, so you are not alone there. So no, I don't think you're the worst mother (that award belongs to me at times) your simply human, sending big hugs your way.

Freaky Liz cos after Marlenes post and janines mishaps I was gonna start a topic on the "blonde moment' mum of the year where we all tell each other about our "blonde" moments and vote on who is the "blondest" of them all.I no Janines mishaps werent really funny at the time(more scary) but may well be something she will look back on and laugh about

totally, we are only human afterall.
On xmas day last year caitlyn was in the pool with my cousins and brother i turned around for A SECOND literally just a second and she was in the deep end struggling and i couldnt move-it was like i was stuck, luckily i yelled to my bro and he grabbed her
And another time caitlyn totted at the top of the stairs and i went to grab her and before i got to her she fell, head over feet and i could just watch helplessly...and does anyone find u have nightmares afterwards where for instance the stairs (for eg) are not carpeted but stone?
Hey also when my bro and sis were babies my mum got out of the car and left the handbrake off and the car went rolling down the drive with the kids in it

Aww Liz, thats scary stuff, no wonder you freaked and froze. None of us can know what we would do in a situation like that and you cant prepare yourself for it. Dont beat yourself up about it. We all do stuff like that and they are fine.

Liz You're not the worst mum in the world! We've all had a time where we panic and don't respond how we'd like to.

I've done the exact same thing - Maya was walking waist deep in water and slipped forward and couldn't find her footing. I did pull her out, but only after the lifeguard screamed at me to grab her. Very humiliated!

I agree with the others. DOn't beat yourself up and don't think you are a bad mum, fear can make people freeze. I remember when someone I used to be close with got hit in the face by a firework back firing....all I could was collapse and scream luckily as someone else grabbed him and shoved his head under cold water...when it's someone we care about it's so easy to panic and be rooted to the spot. You're only human sweetie so please don't feel guilty. *big hug*

My mum did the same thing when I nearly drowned and my swim instructor had to haul me out of the water (silly me thought I could float without flotation aides, called out to mum to watch and just lept on in!). You are not a bad mother at all and I think you would find, that if there had been no one else there your reaction would have been different

Liz you are a FANTASTIC mum. Who knows how we would react in the same situation??? The main thinkg is he is absolutely fine.