When I tell people we have a pool at home, their reaction is either one of sheer joy or sheer terror. I get it. We LOVE having a pool, but we are very calculated in how we approach the inherent risks. You have to be extremely cautious of drowning when you have little ones. You aren’t being crazy. Water can be dangerous, so be as mom crazy as you want. Coming from a super anxious person, here’s what we do to keep our pool safe:1) Our kids can have zero access to the water unless they are swimming supervised. There are lots of ways to do this and you have to find what works best for your home and situation. For us, our pool is covered with a tensioned safety net unless we are swimming – 24/7 with zero exceptions. All doors at our house lead to the pool, so we opted for a system that would make it impossible for our kids to get in the water unless we were there (our cover is a Katchakid). The minute we get out of the pool, the cover goes back on. I have friends that use fences, automatic covers, etc. Our kids are 2 and 4, so we know we can’t trust their judgment around the water for some years to come.
2) When the cover is off, we have a designated watcher. This is so important because the more people that are around, the easier it is to think someone else is paying attention. Make sure it is specifically one persons job at all times and rotate to keep your attention fresh.
3) Swimming lessons are non-negotiable. Our kids are in swim lessons year round and will be until they are amazing swimmers. I might be the mean parent that makes them do something they don’t want to do, but I don’t care. You have to know how to swim and as young as possible. Our oldest could swim laps at 3-years-old and you would be amazed how well kids thrive when they are consistently exposed to the water. For our youngest, he completed ISR as a backstop should he fall in (learn more about ISR here). But again, we take numerous precautions to keep him out of the water. Our goal with ISR is that he should never need it.
4) Make sure anyone watching your kids understands the pool protocol. Our pool is never open with anyone but us, but we make sure all sitters know that and exactly which doors can lead to the pool.
5) Be aware of your pool as a risk for children besides your own. Once my kids are teenagers and the precautions aren’t as necessary, that doesn’t mean my pool can’t be a risk for someone else’s child. Keep your fence locked or your pool covered at all times to keep any wandering littles safe.
6) Learn CPR. Be cautious and crazy around the water so you never have to use it, but make sure you know it.
You might read this list and wonder why we would enjoy having a pool, but we really, really do love it. Once you find the best ways to mitigate the risks for your family and pool setup, it is one of the most fun family activities!
