We all know a helicopter parent. The one who watches over their child’s every move, terrified to let them get even a tiny scrape on the playground. I actually know one who cuts her teenage son’s California roll sushi pieces in half. So when I heard that a mom was being called “dramatic” for hiring a lifeguard for her kindergartener’s birthday party, my jaw hit the floor.
And NOT because I thought she was being dramatic. No, no. Because I couldn’t believe other parents were actually judging her for doing the smartest thing I’ve heard all summer.
In her video on TikTok, Morgan Coulter, a mom of two from New Jersey said, “I hired a certified lifeguard for my daughter’s 6th birthday party and I had a couple of comments about it that I was honestly surprised to get.”
@thecoultercoop Lifeguard for a kids birthday party? 🛟
♬ original sound – Mo | SAHM | nursing student
Let’s rephrase this before we dive in (see what I did there?).
She hired someone trained in saving lives to watch 20 sugar-fueled 6-year-olds in a pool, and people called her “extra”? I’m sorry, sweetie, this is planet Earth. Please join us.
Let’s be clear: a pool party for little kids is not some chill backyard hangout. It’s literal chaos. It’s a blur of floaties, cannonballs, screaming, and kids who swear they can swim because they dog-paddled in a hotel pool that one time.
As any parent knows, water and children DO NOT MIX well unless there’s a solid adult-to-kid ratio—and even then, it only takes seconds for something to go very, VERY wrong.
So Morgan, host of the party, hires a certified lifeguard and suddenly she’s doing the most?
Please. How about saying, “THANK YOU”? She’s doing the bare minimum any of us should want at a party involving water and dozens of our tiny humans.
Because here’s the thing people forget… when everyone is “watching,” no one is really watching. You have parents chatting with one another, checking their phones, cutting cake, helping their own kids with goggles, and suddenly a kid is underwater and nobody notices. I’ve been to parties like that. I’ve seen it happen.
Luckily, the child was okay but it’s definitely a wake-up call NO PARENT wants to answer.
Also? Kids listen to lifeguards.
If I tell my kid to stop belly-flopping off the diving board, she’s going to do it three more times just to prove a point. But if a lifeguard blows their loud-a$$ whistle and gives her the “I will end your fun” stare? She freezes.
Respect for authority is real, especially when that authority is wearing a red swimsuit and holding a rescue tube.
Some of the mom’s TikTok comments were supportive. Things like, “Thank you for hiring a lifeguard!” “What a relief!” “Wish more parents thought like this!” Exactly.
Because most of us are just trying to make it through childhood birthdays without a trip to the ER or much, much worse.
So let’s talk about that one guest who asked, “Why would you waste money on a lifeguard?” I don’t know, maybe because drowning means you’re not leaving here with the kid you brought with you?
Maybe because no balloon arch, cake theme, or goodie bag is worth a medical emergency? Maybe because some of us value peace of mind over party optics?
This isn’t being paranoid. It’s called being prepared.
Seatbelts, bike helmets, sunscreen—these aren’t dramatic. They’re just parenting. Hiring a lifeguard should fall into the same category.
So to that mom: You are not “extra.” You are exactly the kind of parent I want throwing a party for my kid. You thought ahead, you prioritized safety, and you gave 20 sets of parents a chance to breathe a little easier.
I’m guessing the lifeguard cost less than the cake and while literally being trained to save lives.
If you’re having a pool party and not considering a lifeguard, maybe it’s time to rethink who’s being dramatic.
Because honestly? I’d much rather be “extra” than sorry. Wouldn’t you?
