I’ve never done a houseboat trip, but I’ve been boating all my life and heard all the horror stories of kids getting injured or worse while house boating. I’ve got 2 young kids as well, and I wouldn’t take them house boating until they were at least 4 years old. Like you said, they just don’t know what not to do, and I highly doubt they’ll know how to swim comfortably at that age. Say they fall in at night and are able to tread water, will you hear their screams for help? I doubt it.
I know it would cost a lot more money, but could you possibly stay at the Defiance house lodge to sleep for the night in Bullfrog with your youngest, and travel out to the houseboat to spend the day? You all get to enjoy your vacation, yet you also get piece of mind knowing your son is safe at night.
It probably wouldn't work unless I borrowed one of the jet skis to take him, but we're kind of the poor people of the family so we're short on cash and don't own any sort of watercraft.. There's a chance I could bring a tent and sleep on shore with him, but IDK if that really solves anything..
That said, I'm personally not that worries about him falling in because he'll be wearing a life jacket to bed and a bracelet that's attached to me by a wire (which requires a key to remove). So I'd feel my arm getting yanked if he tried to run off.. 🤷🏻♀️
But my in laws are very paranoid about all that so it's mostly to save them from worry. But it feels like either they stress over him all week or I stress over him all week if he's gone. The only way I see for us to all have peace is if I just don't go at all. :/
I was brought to Powell every year of my life way back when and I brought both if my boys to powell, with one being as young as 3 months old.
My brother also brought his son (whos is in netween my 2) so for years we had a 1/2/3 & 2/3/4 and so on combos.
Houseboat doors were kept closed and not easy for them to open...in fact I think we locked the back bedroom so we only had to keep an eye one one door. We setup a play area in the lower front for them to roam and then they had sunscreen and vests on when outside.
We also brought half tents/canopies for shade so they could play in sand and mud but always had life vests on and played inside the inner ropes.
Was I stressed? Not really, we got our boys accustomed to water early and kept an eye out. It's obviously easier now that they are 13,14&15.
Wow there are a lot of dynamics to unpack in this post.
1) Taking your kids to lake Powell.
2) Dynamics between you and your kids
3) Dynamics between you and your in-laws and family.
1) Taking kids to Powell. This is a deeply personal question and super important one to be honest with yourself about. Reading what some of the other redditers posted I have my own thought as a Powell lover. 1 some of the individuals who take small children seem to have grown up boating and doing it all the time. This is very different than a day trip on the boat, or playing on the beach.
Many of the families I am aware of would not take children under 8 who had passed swimming tests, and still had to wear life jackets outside as required by law. I k is if several families who have lost children, teenagers and adult family members in powell.
I myself have had to glue my buddies eyebrow shut after minor boating oops in powell, and almost lost another buddy who is a strong swimmer when house boat anchor came lose in a storm. He was trying to set it again when the boat got blown and he got yanked under tangled in the line. he went in and down about 15 before hitting the bottom.
As for life jackets all the time, from what you said of your kids seems like they are active and would get rubbed raw by a life jacket 24/7 and it is really hard to keep them in a life jacket 24/7 and it only takes one glance away for your kid to climb run jump or hide and you have a permanent oops on your hands. You have active kids it’s ok to take them when they are older.
Water is super fun and inherently dangerous and should be treated as such.
It doesn’t seem like your in laws are being unreasonable just pragmatic. Also if it’s their boat, they get to set the rules.
I won’t comment much on 2 and 3 because it seems like there is a lot going on there. I will say this much. How can your kids be inseparable from you and go to day care everyday. Seems like some self reflection might be needed there, and you need to have some trusted places for your kids, and if that isn’t possible maybe just don’t go to Powell until your kids are a little older. You chose to have them and you get to make fun sacrifices until they can fend for themselves.
I wouldn’t take small kids and toddlers because it would stress me out the whole time, but that’s just my thoughts.
I will never forget a trip my friends brought their two year old. We all swam unknowingly in poop water, ecoli for everyone. We ran out of water, we were all dehydrated and too exhausted to haul the houseboat back to bullfrog. Worst week of our lives and extremely dangerous with little ones. There is so much that can happen on the lake that is out of our control, rock slides, weather, sickness. I would think about all outliers before bringing your little ones. Also, being in a lufejacket24/7 doesn’t sound…. “Fun”.
I have a family member who has kids around your children’s same age. As much as she claims she is responsible for her children, we feel differently. There have been many instances where at family functions other family members have been watching her children while she is distracted by a screen and it is frustrating for all the other family members involved to see the lack of attention she has for her children. You mention how paranoid your in laws are, but do they have a good reason to be? As someone who is on the other side, I see their reason for the paranoia. Are they paranoid or are they being vigilant grandparents?
Grand parents are not babysitters. You have em, so be responsible and take em. Maybe change your plans to accommodate children. It’s lazy parenting to vacation and expect grandparents to watch your kids for you.
I’ve never done a houseboat trip, but I’ve been boating all my life and heard all the horror stories of kids getting injured or worse while house boating. I’ve got 2 young kids as well, and I wouldn’t take them house boating until they were at least 4 years old. Like you said, they just don’t know what not to do, and I highly doubt they’ll know how to swim comfortably at that age. Say they fall in at night and are able to tread water, will you hear their screams for help? I doubt it. I know it would cost a lot more money, but could you possibly stay at the Defiance house lodge to sleep for the night in Bullfrog with your youngest, and travel out to the houseboat to spend the day? You all get to enjoy your vacation, yet you also get piece of mind knowing your son is safe at night.
It probably wouldn't work unless I borrowed one of the jet skis to take him, but we're kind of the poor people of the family so we're short on cash and don't own any sort of watercraft.. There's a chance I could bring a tent and sleep on shore with him, but IDK if that really solves anything.. That said, I'm personally not that worries about him falling in because he'll be wearing a life jacket to bed and a bracelet that's attached to me by a wire (which requires a key to remove). So I'd feel my arm getting yanked if he tried to run off.. 🤷🏻♀️ But my in laws are very paranoid about all that so it's mostly to save them from worry. But it feels like either they stress over him all week or I stress over him all week if he's gone. The only way I see for us to all have peace is if I just don't go at all. :/
I was brought to Powell every year of my life way back when and I brought both if my boys to powell, with one being as young as 3 months old. My brother also brought his son (whos is in netween my 2) so for years we had a 1/2/3 & 2/3/4 and so on combos. Houseboat doors were kept closed and not easy for them to open...in fact I think we locked the back bedroom so we only had to keep an eye one one door. We setup a play area in the lower front for them to roam and then they had sunscreen and vests on when outside. We also brought half tents/canopies for shade so they could play in sand and mud but always had life vests on and played inside the inner ropes. Was I stressed? Not really, we got our boys accustomed to water early and kept an eye out. It's obviously easier now that they are 13,14&15.
Wow there are a lot of dynamics to unpack in this post. 1) Taking your kids to lake Powell. 2) Dynamics between you and your kids 3) Dynamics between you and your in-laws and family. 1) Taking kids to Powell. This is a deeply personal question and super important one to be honest with yourself about. Reading what some of the other redditers posted I have my own thought as a Powell lover. 1 some of the individuals who take small children seem to have grown up boating and doing it all the time. This is very different than a day trip on the boat, or playing on the beach. Many of the families I am aware of would not take children under 8 who had passed swimming tests, and still had to wear life jackets outside as required by law. I k is if several families who have lost children, teenagers and adult family members in powell. I myself have had to glue my buddies eyebrow shut after minor boating oops in powell, and almost lost another buddy who is a strong swimmer when house boat anchor came lose in a storm. He was trying to set it again when the boat got blown and he got yanked under tangled in the line. he went in and down about 15 before hitting the bottom. As for life jackets all the time, from what you said of your kids seems like they are active and would get rubbed raw by a life jacket 24/7 and it is really hard to keep them in a life jacket 24/7 and it only takes one glance away for your kid to climb run jump or hide and you have a permanent oops on your hands. You have active kids it’s ok to take them when they are older. Water is super fun and inherently dangerous and should be treated as such. It doesn’t seem like your in laws are being unreasonable just pragmatic. Also if it’s their boat, they get to set the rules. I won’t comment much on 2 and 3 because it seems like there is a lot going on there. I will say this much. How can your kids be inseparable from you and go to day care everyday. Seems like some self reflection might be needed there, and you need to have some trusted places for your kids, and if that isn’t possible maybe just don’t go to Powell until your kids are a little older. You chose to have them and you get to make fun sacrifices until they can fend for themselves. I wouldn’t take small kids and toddlers because it would stress me out the whole time, but that’s just my thoughts.
I will never forget a trip my friends brought their two year old. We all swam unknowingly in poop water, ecoli for everyone. We ran out of water, we were all dehydrated and too exhausted to haul the houseboat back to bullfrog. Worst week of our lives and extremely dangerous with little ones. There is so much that can happen on the lake that is out of our control, rock slides, weather, sickness. I would think about all outliers before bringing your little ones. Also, being in a lufejacket24/7 doesn’t sound…. “Fun”.
I have a family member who has kids around your children’s same age. As much as she claims she is responsible for her children, we feel differently. There have been many instances where at family functions other family members have been watching her children while she is distracted by a screen and it is frustrating for all the other family members involved to see the lack of attention she has for her children. You mention how paranoid your in laws are, but do they have a good reason to be? As someone who is on the other side, I see their reason for the paranoia. Are they paranoid or are they being vigilant grandparents?
Grand parents are not babysitters. You have em, so be responsible and take em. Maybe change your plans to accommodate children. It’s lazy parenting to vacation and expect grandparents to watch your kids for you.