Posted by Jock on December 08, 2000 at 14:40:50 from 212.244.243.30:
The question of where and how to strike the right balance in exposing children to risk is one to which there is no easy answer. As a parent I wish to help my children as they learn to cope with a world which is inherently risky, and yet I don't want to expose them unnecessarily to danger. I recognize and promote the character-building aspects of water based activities, but have also seen how easily a moment of seemingly innocent fun can turn into a tragedy.
So what to do? This is what I did myself - all parents have to make these decisions for themselves.
When my children learnt to sail and row, they had either already learnt to swim or were encouraged to do so as quickly as possible. Lifejackets were worn until they could. When they go out on the water under my supervision lifejackets are still compulsory when swift currents, strong tides, adverse weather, or other factors, mean that finding oneself overboard could have serious consequences - otherwise they are not. Gradually I have been lowering the age at which I introduce my children to becoming actively involved on the water.
When my children are in the care of others I expect the institution that is looking after them to have a fail-safe safety policy. My youngest daughter has been steering small boats since the age of 5, rowing since the age of 7, sailing since the age of 8. She swims like a duck. At the age of 11 she attended a 4 week sailing camp. Lifejackets were worn at all times and a safety boat hovered nearby. Neither I nor my daughter complained - in fact the safety regime, as well as the experience and the approach of the instructors is what I checked out first.
Has it worked? Three of my six children have taken to sailing and rowing. Three have decided that it's not for them. A 50% success rate means that nearly always I have a crew that I can press-gang. I am content.