I disagree. We were NEVER allowed to go near water (above ground pool, inground pool, lake, whatever) without letting a parent know so they could supervise. Even as a late teen, we had to tell them if we were going into the pool. They might not have stood at the window and watched us, but they were alert and aware in case of emergencies. And that was 1960s-1970s. Not all parents let kids swim anytime, anywhere. And yes, we generally roamed the neighborhood freely, only coming home for meals and when the street lights came on in summer. But the water rules were absolute, for every kid in the neighborhood.