Parents have been left divided after a video of a baby being thrown into a swimming pool went viral. Simone Christensen posted a video of her 14-month-old daughter Scout's swimming lesson on TikTok but has been met with a mixed response from viewers, with some describing the clip as "traumatising" and "dangerous".
The video - which has been viewed more than 52 million times - shows Scout being tested on how to float as part of a survival tactic taught to children at a young age. After being dropped into the water from the side of the pool, she initially struggles to stabilise herself in the water and flips upside down, before emerging to the surface on her back, allowing her to breathe.
But while the instructor and Simone both applaud baby Scout's achievement, the one-year-old is seen starting to cry just before the video ends, having been shocked by suddenly being submerged in the water. Thankfully, she passed the test, which Simone said had taken place after months of lessons. You can read more about the latest viral TikTok clips here.
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While babies have primitive reflexes that look like they can swim, it is a popular misconception that babies are born with the ability to swim, as they cannot hold their breath intentionally or keep their head above the water. Swimming lessons for infants are becoming increasingly popular, with survival skills forming a key part of these lessons, with drowning the third highest cause of accidental death in children in the UK.
Simone accepted that the video may appear shocking to some people, but defended her decision to help teach her daughter how to swim. She wrote: "I know it looks scary but because of these classes she can save herself in an emergency," before adding: "Y'all really don't seem to get the part where this is a ONE TIME test after five months of normal lessons."
However, she has faced backlash from some worried viewers, who claimed the test was "concerning" and "emotionally damaging". One viewer who chose to comment on the video wrote: "She's a baby for god's sake. How do you expect her to know what the hell is going on and what to do or what to understand? She clearly was unhappy."
Another said: "I don't know about the baby but I'm traumatised," while a third added: "Absolutely not. Just near on had a heart attack." Others argued that the test wasn't necessary at such a young age, with one writing: "Nah. Who leaves a 14-month-old around water anyway? Why would she need this skill?". Another user said: "Can we just not do this? You can learn to float at any age," with a third adding: "This must have been so scary for her."
However, while admitting they could see why the video had caused such a debate, many more viewers leapt to Simone's defence and argued that the scary-looking exercise served an incredibly important purpose. One said: "A small amount of of discomfort and upset now could save her life down the life," with another user, who said she was a nurse, adding: "This could save so many kids. Start them early."
"She did so good," said another, adding: "I got sad when she came out and started to cry though," with a second writing: "I get the idea of this but this just gave me sooo much anxiety." Another added: "You know what's actually traumatising? Having your baby drown because they don't know what to do when they are put in a real situation. The baby might not 'like it' but it's not about what the child likes. It's about potentially saving their life."
One user admitted she wasn't sure how she felt about the video, but told her own "terrifying" story where her child nearly drowned within a minute of falling into the pool. "Our two year old was supervised and fell off his pool toy," she said. "In less than 60 seconds he was under the water and did not know how to get back up. It was such shallow water too. We will be doing more swim lessons but it was terrifying. Parents just want their babies to learn how to survive."
Simone was clearly not affected by the more negative responses to her video. After one viewer commented: "This is really so sad, look at that baby's face. You could be creating her to fear water rather than have fun," the mum responded with a short clip of Scout floating in the pool with a beaming smile on her face, adding: "You're right. She looks like she really hates it."
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