It's tough keeping kids entertained in scorching heat, and despite our best intentions, sometimes the temperatures get the best of us. One mum was so excited to order her children a paddling pool that she forgot to read the small print - and it ended in disaster.
Busy mum Samantha Ward hadn't been feeling great when she nipped out to the shops, promising her children she'd bring them back a fun pool to splash around in.
The business owner and influencer thought she'd spied a bargain when she picked up a paddling pool for just £5, before realising it was barely big enough for one child to squeeze in it.
The packaging stated that the pool was "great for a little splash", and Samantha had no idea at the time of purchase just how literal the description was.
Had the 37-year-old read the description properly, she would have realised it measured just 56cm in diameter and 15cm high, being nowhere big enough to play in.
Taking to TikTok, Samantha, who goes by the username @the.wardz, admitted she'd "misjudged that one", lamenting, "Why oh why did I not read the description?"
Addressing her followers in a video that's since gone viral, Samantha, from Manchester, explained: "Really hot day today guys. I thought, 'let's treat the kids to a paddling pool".
"This is the pool we chose. Silly me for not checking any measurements, but it just looks like a paddling pool and it says 'kid's paddling pool' so you assume that kids can go in it."
Samantha then cut to her five-year-old son Jonah squished up in the tiny pool, sarcastically quipping, "great size mummy!"
Followers were left in stitches at Samantha's shopping blunder, with one person chuckling that the pint-sized pool was "great for a little splash, literally".
Another remarked that it should really be labelled "baby size", while a third advised her to "get your feet in it".
Still, Samantha could see some positives when it came to her new product, joking that she could "put wine in it maybe".
Samantha said: "It said 'kid's paddling pool' so I thought it would be a decent size. It didn't say baby swimming pool or anything like that.
"I thought my sons would fit in it. It was really hot and I wanted to get them one. I got them one before and they wanted to go in that but it was too big and needed cleaning. They were excited when I said 'let's get one'.
"I asked the people selling it if it was a kid's paddling pool and if there was anything wrong with it and they said no. I thought it was a bit of a bargain and couldn't believe nobody had taken it. I paid £5 which is quite a lot for a car boot.
"When we got it out of the bag, I could see it was small. I blew it up and my son looked like he was going to cry but we burst out laughing. It was worth the laugh. It doesn't even fit my five-year-old. It's only big enough to fit a chihuahua. It's not for a child or a person."
Unfortunately, after dashing out to the supermarket to find a bigger paddling pool, Samantha discovered they were all already sold out. With a new grandchild on the way in August, however, she reckons she may find a use for her titchy-tiny pool yet.
She added: "I could just fit my feet in it. I've got a grandchild on the way so I might keep it for them. We gave up trying to find a pool in the end and I used the tiny one to dip my feet in."
Do you have a shopping fail to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
