Parents who say they let their young children swim at the beach solo have defended their choice to let them do so.
Sammy and Jason, who live in Australia, claim they have adopted the “lighthouse” approach to parenting — which means creating a balance between setting limits for a child and showing them love so they feel nurtured and safe.
That’s optimistically meant to ensure the kids respect their parents as important figures in their lives while they are still free to do things on their own.
Part of their approach, they shared with the Australian reality TV show “Parental Guidance,” is letting their kids — Pepper, 10, Jude, 6, Rory, 3, and Lottie, 2 — have their own independence.
They explained that means they will only interfere with their children if they need something — to teach them to “fend for themselves.”
Their eldest children, Pepper and Jude, are able to participate in activities that traditionally require parental supervision — like going to the beach near their house by themselves.
Sammy and Jason let their two eldest kids swim alone at the beach. NINE News“It’s an opportunity for them to showcase how independent they can be, and give them some trust as well,” Sammy explained, according to the Sun.
Sammy says they use this method of parenting to avoid scaring their kids, adding they don’t like to “hover over them” or be so overbearing that they “see danger when there is none.”
The parents also said they “assess” the risk of each activity their kids take part in, adding that they find it hard to focus enough attention on each individual child.
“Which means we have to let the other kids have their own freedom and their own space,” Sammy added.
Even though they were criticized for their choice, they said they always assess the risk. NINE News
They explained that means they will only interfere with their children if they need something — to teach them to “fend for themselves.” NINE NewsOther parents were horrified at the thought of letting their kids go swimming without an adult watching.
“I feel ill. Kids at the beach by themselves at that age makes me feel physically ill,” declared Leanne, another mother participating in the reality show.
“That water can change in an instant and from where you are and where the kids are, they’re gone,” the appalled mom added.
The parents acknowledged that their style of parenting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it works for them — rejecting a claim from the show’s host that they expect lifeguards to “babysit’ their kids.
“The thing with our parenting style is the children to be aware of their own limitations,” Sammy explained.
