OBLIGATION OR INTERFERENCE???

I go to the YMCA daily for aquatic classes. The Y also offers day care for little ones in the summer as well as summer camp. I am sure that this is a life saver for many parents. The little one participate in so many activities including daily access to the pool in a class right after my class.

Our locker rooms/shower areas are made of tile floors. There are 3 benches in the locker room. All sufaces, including the walls are very hard and when wet from the pool or showers, pose a potental danger for the kids and adults alike. There are adequate staff to watch and guide the children, but occassionally some come into the locker room/shower areas before the staff does.

So peridoically an adult (not the staff) seeing a child running on the wet surfaces, has to remind the child to walk or to be careful. I generally tell them......."Slow down and be careful" in a normal, not raised, voice.

I mentioned this to a friend who does not take the classes with me nor does she know the lay-out of the locker room/shower area. She went off the wall with me, telling me in a not-so-pleasant voice that I had no right to yell at any child there. "And if my grandchild went there and I heard that some of the adults were speaking to him/her in such a way, I would pull that child out of the Y!!! Who do you think you are interferring? You are lucky some parent does not sue you!!!", she coldly said.

I looked at her in shock. I told her that I would rather take my chances with a law suit from a parent then watch a child put himself/herself in danger by running on a wet, slippery tiled floor where it could slip and fall and knock itself out or crack its head, etc. I think it is the responsibilty for every adult to try to protect a child when there is danger lurking.

Then I posed a question to her. "What would you do if you were sitting on your porch and the little kids next door were playing outside and you looked down the street just as a car came speading down it at the same time one of those little ones ran toward the street to retrive a ball?"

She quickly said she would yell at them to warn them. Point taken. But she said that was different....that she would be stopping a child from harming himself/herself and that what I did at the Y was interferring with the child. I told her there was no difference. I too, was warning a child to protect himself/herself from potental harm. She said no more.

Now my question is this, If you saw a child in a situation of probable harm and could say or do something that would prevent harm coming to the child, would you say something to warn the child or would you keep your mouth shut? Which would it be.....an obligation or an interference?


ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1952, Clairol introduced a product call Psssssssss. What was it? It was a dry shampoo.
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1950, the credit card was introduced to the country. Which credit card company was it?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I'm so cared for -- long term care, eye care, private care, dental care.