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When you think back to swimming in the pool as a teen, or going to swimming lessons when you were a kid, what kind of age were the lifeguards? The truth is that, while to us as little kids, our lifeguards and swimming teachers looked like adults, quite often these life-saving jobs are given to teens and folk in their very early twenties, people who are barely older than kids themselves. Lifeguarding is often a job done by younger folk, and when you think about it that genuinely seems crazy – but whatever you might think, it seems to work.

Regardless though, that’s a lot of responsibility for a young person, and it’s not a job to be taken lightly. So when the eighteen year old lifeguard in this story was put in charge of little kids’ swim tests, they took the job very seriously. After all, kids’ lives were at stake. But when one kid failed their swim test and ended up in tears, the lifeguard’s colleagues seriously thought that the lifeguard was the one in the wrong.

Read on to find out why.

AITA for making a kid cry for not swimming well during the swim test?

I am an 18 year old lifeguard at my local pool in the United States PNW, and I have been working there for at least a few years.

This summer I have been on the “swim test duty”. The swim test consists of a patron swimming down 10 yards and back (total 20 yards or 18 meters) while showing a fast/smooth freestyle (crawlstroke) stroke.

The swim test allows kids under the age of 18 to go to the deeper ends of the pool.

So roughly a week and half ago from today, there was this kid (7-8 years old) who swam the 10 yards down (took them roughly 30 seconds which is a little slow) and back which took them roughly 1 minute and 30 seconds with a very slow freestyle.

Let’s see how this swim test went.

My mentality for the swim test is if I am up in the stand and saw this kid, would I be worried about them swimming in my zone or feel fine?

So I ultimately fail this kid and say to him “Hey bud, sorry you failed the swim test, but you can always retake in a few minutes or wear a life jacket.”

Then the kid starts crying his eyes out for the rest of the swim.

When I get down from the swim tests my coworkers look at me like I am a psycho and tell me that I am messed up for failing this kid who couldn’t swim and tell me that I should teach the kid on how to swim, even thought it’s not my job to do that.

And this wasn’t a one-off.

A week later from that day I fail a different kid for the same reason as last time (not swimming well back 10 yards), and that kid starts crying, and my coworkers still went on my *** about failing him, then they go back to the kid and pass him for demonstrating a 5 second float on their back.

Now fast forward to today, we have this survey to see who is the best guard, worst guard, worst swim tester, and etc. I get nominated for first place for worst swim tester with a whopping 70% of the votes.

After asking around I find out it’s because I made some kids cry after not passing them for the swim test, even though in the past other people passed kids who were below the height limit to take the swim test.

Now everyone who I work with is now mocking me and telling me how cruel I am.

AITA?

Honestly, all the other staff need to take a good look at themselves.

This lifeguard isn’t failing kids for the fun of it, they’re doing so because genuinely this is a safety issue.

There’s plenty of chance to retake the swim test, so failing a kid that doesn’t look like a competent swimmer – while upsetting – is actually the responsible thing to do.

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Let’s see what folks on Reddit thought about this.

This person agreed that the other swim testers weren’t taking things seriously enough.

While others thought that the others were the actual problem.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a delivery driver who tried warning his boss the truck needed new brakes and tires, only to find his truck sidelined during their busiest season.

Meanwhile, this Redditor gave the lifeguard a little help with their wording.

The truth is that parents are putting their kids’ safety in the hands of these lifeguards, and so the lifeguards need to be doing their jobs properly and responsibly. The fact that this lifeguard is failing some kids that aren’t showing enough competency in the water actually proves that they are doing their job well and that should be respected – those who think they are being kind by passing kids who shouldn’t pass just to avoid the kid crying could actually be setting a dangerous precedent that leads to kids being unequipped for swimming and getting in some real trouble.

Unless you can show that you are a competent swimmer, you shouldn’t pass the swim test. And even though that might make some kids cry, that’s a small price to pay for them not getting into trouble in the water because they’re not a strong enough swimmer yet. Being upset is, ultimately, better than drowning.

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Author

Kyra Piperides

Kyra Piperides, PhD | Contributing Science Writer

Dr. Kyra Piperides is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter, specializing in Science & Discovery. Holding a PhD in English with a dedicated focus on the intersections of science, politics, and literature, she brings over 12 years of professional writing and editorial expertise to her reporting.

Kyra possesses a highly authoritative background in academic publishing, having served as the editor of an academic journal for three years. She is also the published author of two books and numerous research-driven articles. At TwistedSifter, she leverages her rigorous academic background to translate complex scientific concepts, global tech innovations, and environmental breakthroughs into highly engaging, accessible narratives for a mainstream audience.

Based in the UK, Kyra is an avid backpacker who spends her free time immersing herself in different cultures across distant shores—a passion that brings a rich, global perspective to her writing about Earth and nature.

Connect with Kyra on Twitter/X and Instagram.