I would totally understand parents getting worked up about an adult leaving their kids unattended in a swimming pool…

But what if the kids are 9 and 13-years-old?

Hmmmm…

Check out this story from Reddit’s “Am I the A**hole?” page and see if you think this woman was out of line.

AITA for leaving my partner’s kids (9 and 13) unattended in a hotel pool to go the bathroom?

“First time travelling with my partner (49M) and his two boys, 9 and 13.

I get along great with the boys. They’re awesome, smart, creative, funny kids. They can also be jerks, but that’s normal. I’m on the verge of becoming an official step mom, which would be a big “step” for all of us.. lately I’ve felt extra scrutiny from the three of them (kids and boyfriend), which makes sense.

Both boys have mentioned to my partner that I left them unattended in the hotel pool on this trip. I got pretty defensive when he brought it up, but perhaps I am the a**hole.

I grew up a latchkey kid in the 90s, and am often surprised at the lack of independence both boys demonstrate.. neither of them walk to or from school a few blocks away, they can’t be left home alone for an hour to run errands, or go to the corner store by themselves.. it seems odd to me. But I accept that I may be old and wrong.

Anyway.. I was watching them in the hotel pool. Small pool, not deep, but no lifeguard. My partner said he was “going upstairs to get his swimsuit” and left for 40 minutes. I had to pee.

I said jokingly to them “ok dudes, shallow end, no drowning!” and went to the lobby bathroom for maybe 5 minutes, then came back to watch them. Weeks later this has come up with both of them.

I’m annoyed with my partner for disappearing for an extended period of time when I thought he was coming back to swim, and I’m annoyed with the boys for ratting me out as if I left them in a burning car or something when I just had to pee and they are 9 and 13 and both decent swimmers! Argh!

But maybe I’m wrong. AITA?”

Here’s what Reddit users had to say about this.

This person said this lady is NTA and these kids are old enough to be left unsupervised.

And this Reddit user said she’s NTA and reminded people that these kids are not toddlers.

But another individual said they would have had the kids get out of the pool and wait for them to come back if they were in this situation.