[the_af]

I think the white lie is even simpler.

As a kid, I always wanted to go swimming (swimming pool or sea) as soon as I finished eating. My parents told me not to because of the cramps. "You must wait an hour before swimming".

It wasn't about throwing up and as an adult I finally understand it: they wanted to have a chat at the table after eating, take it slowly, maybe they were a bit drowsy. What they didn't want to do was to look after kids doing potentially dangerous activities such as swimming. So that hour of waiting? A period of grace for them to enjoy their meal and maybe rest for a short while.

[lhorie]

Nah, it's definitely the hygiene thing. Pools often forbid food and drinks at the deck for the same reason: if someone dirties the pool water, they basically need to close off the whole pool and recycle the pool water for a few hours, which is super inconvenient for all parties involved (and obviously embarrassing for the parents of the kid who made the mess). You'd be surprised at how often these things happen.

Ask me how I know :)

[jh3]

Exactly! Parental relief.