Are paddling pools just for children?

Because while I sit in the sweltering heat, and my children are nowhere in the vicinity, surely it is perfectly acceptable for me to take ownership of said paddling pool which is sat invitingly in my garden. I mean I did buy the thing!

But of course etiquette kind of dictates that you are too old for paddling pools once you reach the age of 13, unless it is because you are supervising young children when it becomes perfectly acceptable. You know, for safety reasons.

And for reasons which can never quite be explained it is totally fine to laze on a lilo in a big pool or chill out in a hot tub, but if you sit in the paddling pool with a cuppa (*cough, wine) it is completely outrageous.

Dangling your feet in is though apparently socially acceptable, so long as the children are within sight.

I think that is because it is called ‘supervising’.

But what happens when the smallest members of our families decide they would rather hibernate indoors away from the sun rather than enjoy splashing out in a bit of water?

I mean toys are meant to be played with – I’ve seen Toy Story!

Of course enjoying padding pools are not the only thing which is socially unacceptable when you reach a certain age.

Swings are great fun if you are with children and I’ve been known on more than one occasion to take my turn on the swings while playing with my small people.

But having a go on a swing without small people is a no, no. We are too big and grown up. How dull.

And so while my little ones shun their pool my dilemma continues with the result possibly being that I may have to sneak in there to cool down and see if they actually notice.

If they complain I’ll just say I want to be a child again.

Who wants to be a grown-up anyway?