partial snip

> In my opinion, this means that the parent, get his or her butt in the water,
> and participate in the class.  Notice I said participate, not interfere.  A
> parent who attempts to take over the teaching process is just as useless as
> a parent who drops of his kid and says "call me when jr is certified"
>
> The parent needs to make an honest (hopefully) objective assessment of the
> child's ability, aided by the instructor, and be prepared for the
> possibility that jr really isn't ready to dive.
>

With this I agree. I have two children that are certified both recently
turned 11 and 13. It was my passion for diving that became their inspiration.
I also know that I am their 'Role Model' and exhibit proper behaviour
regarding diving. I must admit that I was apprehensive about them diving at
such a young age. However, they were determined to do it so they could join
me on my adventures. I made it a point to be highly involved in their
training. I wanted to be sure beyond any doubt and beyond any instructors
possible flexibility in letting them pass that they would be good divers. I
helped them with their studies and quizzed them before the class even
started. I sat in on the classes and pool sessions and when they had their
'open water' I was in the water as an observer. I wanted to know if they
could really handle it and how they might behave on our first real dive.
It has been mentioned that children would be of no use  in an emergency. I
have to agree. There is no way my children could save me should I become a
panicked diver or several other underwater scenarios. That is why I have
another experienced adult diver with me when I dive with either of my
children. I prefer the other adult diver to be rescue trained or better. I
typically make sure that when I am diving with both children that I have two
adult divers along with me for that added safety margin. Should an adult in
the group have a problem, there will be one adult to help and one can attend
to (keep an eye on) the children. This is similar to letting children drive a
car with a learners permit. You are not allowed to d(r)ive without an adult
along until you are old enough (or proven yourself) to be capable to handle
the various hazards you will be exposed to.
My kids go on dive trips twice a year. That is at most 20 dives annually and
though I have heard about possible medical concerns regarding their young
bodies and diving, I think they would have to be diving a lot more than that
to cause harm.

John Bulik