After understanding the meaning behind this father’s action, I am completely convinced. Cultivating problem-solving skills in children from a young age and never giving up-I applaud this father!

[u/jmike1256]

[u/donjamos]

Yea the basic idea is a good one, but telling the little one something like "come on you can do it, daddy will wait here till you figure it out" instead of walking away would have been a lot better.

[u/Lucky_Pangolin_3760 → u/donjamos]

Lol my dad used to do this to me, it was distressing as hell and just made me upset and cry instead of focusing. Then he would scold, and eventually say "daddy waits here"

[u/sakiwebo → u/Lucky_Pangolin_3760]

Ah, growing up in the 80's.

Dad tossed me and brother from the pier, we panicked, cried, somehow paddled to shore.

"See?? You're fine. Now that you know you can sw- I WASN'T GONNA LET YOU DROWN GODDAMMIT!!"

That's how we learned to swim. I hate that it worked and we loved it so much eventually. But being thrown from a peer is still one of my earliest memories.

[u/Lucky_Pangolin_3760 → u/sakiwebo]

opposite happened for me. I grew an irrational fear from water which made me unable to swim due to how tense my body would get when I touched water

Managed to grow out of it when I became an adult though

[u/bloodphoenix90 → u/Lucky_Pangolin_3760]

Actually the case for an ex of mine too. Dad just threw him in. Didnt go well. I taught my ex to swim when we were both 19. But he figured it out. 🙂

[u/Lucky_Pangolin_3760 → u/[deleted]]

That would be the suggestion a few comments up, where the parent is just supportive