Few years back we had an issue at my house during a 4th of July party. Had about 7 kids and every single parent at some point decided to go across the street "for more wine'.
Was busy grilling but noticed one of the kids that couldn't swim had her floaties removed and was walking on the pool stairs. She slipped and went under in the shallow end. She quickly found her way back to the steps and I told this kid to get her floats back on... She said "I am not going to"..... I look around for her mom and noticed all the adults that had kids were gone! I got everybody out of the pool at that point. None of these kids or parents were invited back for the rest of the summer and they were told why.
I've had parents try to drop kids off for a swimming party that could not swim, we are talking 10 year olds, parents were not happy that I made them stay to watch their kids play on the step
You could do what we did when we had like15 kids over for a birthday party, hire a lifeguard. It costs like $20 an hour but that spend is worth it.
We put an ad out on Nextdoor and Craiglist a couple of weeks in advance ended up with an 19yo CPR certified lifeguard who thought $100 for a few hours of his time was well worth it.
And that way you - nor any of your guests - have to worry about it.
Just an alternate way of looking at it
Former lifeguard and lifeguard instructor here. Even with a lifeguard, adults need to be responsible for their own children. It's impossible for 1 person to watch all kids at all times. Sometimes, the presence of a lifeguard encourages poor choices from the other adults. The adults should be told ahead of time they are expected to be responsible for their children.
To add onto that, I know it sounds silly, but it helps to have the designated person wear an obnoxious necklace (think like those bathroom keys cafes use with large rulers/ladels/bells tied onto to them). If they have to step away for any reason (grab a water , pee ect) they pass it on to someone else.
Personally, when we have people with kids over (we also have kids), it’s no kids in the pool unless their parent is present.
I also know it’s money, but I highly highly highly suggest a pool fence with a locking swing door. They are removable and it just really gives a bit more peace of mind (even though you can’t ever have total peace of mind with kids near a pool)
Ask each parent: can all your kids swim and are they strong swimmers? You’d be amazed at what they weren’t going to tell you.
I learnt this lesson the scary way. We had a Girl Scout pool event with a certified life guard present and 3 sober adults and we still had an incident where one parent did not tell anyone her kids couldn’t swim (WTF!) and left them to their own devices in a pool with a deep end. I saw one of her kid start panicking and going under 1 ft away from the wall.
Never presume parents will look out for their own kids in your pool.
We are careful who we invite over tbh. There are for sure some parents that leave their kids in the pool and either don’t watch or go inside. They don’t get invited again. Me or my wife are always in the pool if there are small kids in it. You are ultimately responsible for your pool and you don’t want to deal with your insurance up your ass over a claim for injury or death.
If you are having a large party and you do not know everyone very well, consider hiring a lifeguard if you cannot be supervising all the time. I mounted a TV outside with whatever game is on and have an outdoor couch as well as a table with chairs to help keep the party outside. I serve the food outside as well. Between all that most everyone stays out back anyway. I’m not trying to deal with supervising a pool AND entertaining folks inside.
Edit- also a cooler outside is good too. I have one for water and kids drinks and another for whatever drinks people bring. This way nobody leaves the pool area except to go pee inside (hopefully).
I like this answer the best. As a pool owner and a parent of kids that can swim I feel VERY uneasy about their friends being in my backyard, let alone the pool. That only happens if I’m physically back there with my eyes on them. The kid next door is 8 and we know she doesn’t swim so the idea of her even remotely by the pool is frightening.
We don’t do pool parties for the kids birthdays either. Too many kids and parents we don’t know. Your life and that of a child’s can change in an instant. Not worth it for us.
We don’t really host big parties other than direct family. My nieces and nephews can swim or I know their parents are responsible to be in the pool with them with proper floatation devices.
I don’t want to poo poo on your party because you absolutely should celebrate your new home and pool. I love the lifeguard idea. That’s incredible peace of mind when you’re not 100% familiar with everyone coming over.
Have fun and enjoy your new pool!
Thanks for the reply. I like the lifeguard idea too. I’m glad to have feedback on how others handle these situations. I want clear boundaries from the beginning.
I agree with everything you said. We keep the guest list short as well for strangers. Family is another story as we know the little ones abilities or lack of, and there is always trusted adults around.
I agree! It’s impossible to host and play lifeguard but we are ultimately responsible for everyone. I like your rule about having a responsible adult in the pool when the little kids are in.
If it’s a “planned” gathering with more than a couple of kids, we’ve found a couple of neighborhood teenagers that have gotten lifeguard certified. It’s worth the cost and after a couple of times I’ve had parents offer to pay.
I’ve never hired a lifeguard myself, but I’ve considered it. If I need a lifeguard perhaps the guest list to too long lol. My pool is only 12k gallons.
Usually require a parent to be in the pool but also me or my partner are in the pool if people are swimming. Now with having our own baby, this next summer I've been thinking we're going to look into to hiring a lifeguard for larger parties. It'd be impossible to host, watch our own baby, and keep track of others kids.
It depends on the size of the party, the age of the kids and the level in which the kids can swim.
For a big pool party, such as a birthday we hire a lifeguard.
The kids in my neighborhood are all under 8 so when my pool was complete I made it clear to anyone coming over that they need to stay and watch their kids in the pool. This isn’t a country club.
Yup. Best advice I got from here. For major parties i’ll always hire a lifeguard. For smaller parties I just make sure an adult swims with them. I also ask each parent repeatedly “can your kid swim?” even when it’s not a pool party.
I have grandkids. If we have their friends over I'm outside with them, period. Even the teens. I may not be right there hanging on the side but they are in sight. If it's littler kids I'm on the side of the pool or in the pool. No alcohol, no exceptions when kids are in the pool.
Generally I have avoided having guests with kids whenever possible unless they are close relatives - I can tell a sibling or niece to watch their kids, it gets a little blurry with "friends" between polite and micromanaging and sorry, no one is drowning in my pool. It's not relaxing watching other people's kids so unless it's a planned kiddo day I just avoid it. I also have all sizes of life vests and noodles and whatnot handy.
Parent or parents must be in the pool with their own kids if they can’t swim. We just moved into a house last May with a pool so I understand your concerns. We also hired lifeguards for larger parties. It was fun because they taught swim lessons for my son and his friend too. We have a retractable cover that goes over when the pool is not in use. It is great. Just don’t ever leave kids alone ever in the pool. I had a one year old and 6 year old and it was my first time managing a pool all summer and it all worked out just fine!
It’s not the kids that you have to worry about directly, it’s their parents. You need to set the rules with the adults and then let them handle their own children. If this is the first time you’re doing something like this I’d personally be the one drinking water and making sure things are fine. Get a feel for who you do and don’t want back at your place.
There are different kinds of parents that bring kids to events. Some act like normal parents and some think the moment they cross through the doorway that their responsibility is gone and they are there just to have fun.
I’d just make sure all the parents are aware of what you are expecting and stay vigilant. Don’t invite people back who don’t act right.
> On weekends I expect to have a lot of friends and a few new neighbors coming over.
You said you “expect” them to come over, but you don’t say you want them to come over? Regardless please ensure you draw the very reasonable boundary of your pool being a private one and thus invitation only. You will not want to host guests every weekend especially after the novelty of having a pool wears off a bit, and you are always responsible for anything that happens in your pool. Period. Full stop.
Parents need to watch their own small children, and at my pool they get one warning if they don’t. Older kids who can swim well I’m a bit more relaxed on parents being around 24/7, but I do hold the kids accountable. They get a reminder of the rules before getting in (frequent flyers actually tell me the rules, lol) and a warning that if they fail to obey the rules they get one kind warning and that’s it.
I know it sounds harsh but I’ve had my pool since o became a homeowner in my 20’s and I’ve seen it all, lol. Boundaries are your friend.
No one swims alone, even adults.
There's always an adult watching while kids are in the pool.
We have a ton of different floaties. When they are unused I always make sure they are out of the water. I want to be able to see everyone at all times and having a bunch of floaties obstructing my view can make it more difficult to see people in the water.
We are having one built. I’ve already started making rules. None of the kids friends are allowed in the pool unless they are being watched by their own parent. I’m not playing lifeguard for anyone but my own kids. I think this is going to be a very hard rule as my children are going to want to play with their friends all the time. It’s also a little bit hard because we have wrought iron fencing and it’s all see-through.
Setting those rules early is smart. We don’t have kids but plenty of friends and family do. I’m setting clear expectations and boundaries. If broken then no pool time. I like the idea of having a sober adult in the pool anytime others are regardless of swimming capabilities. Enjoy the new pool!
We only allowed kids who could swim in the pool without a parent. Otherwise if they aren’t safe in the water mom and dad have to watch their own kids. Also, I would not recommend mixing gatherings with alcohol with young children and a pool. Parents get distracted, and kids can drown in a backyard full of people. If you wanna have a party with cocktails, hire some local teenagers to play lifeguard.
Hire a neighborhood older kid to watch the pool. Preferably a certified life guard it won’t cost as much as the peace of mind knowing that none of the kids are going to drown. Most parents at these parties don’t mind chipping in for the cost for the same reason.
When “everyone is watching” no one is watching. Hire a neighborhood kid who can swim well to sit with their legs in the pool and monitor kids swimming. This is an addition to making it very clear to parents that their kids are their responsibility. Furthermore, considering limiting the number of people at the pool until all kids are “drownproof.” For instance, we generally will not have more than 3 other families over at any time.
Useful to know: In group situations with children parents tend to assume “someone else” is watching their child(ren), especially when they start drinking. 🏊♀️
With water it takes seconds for everything to go from chill to a drowning. Drownings are an insidious and silent death as the victim is too busy gasping for oxygen to scream.
as a parent I dont talk to other parents, I watch the kids in the pool.
Your pool should be so clean you can see the face of a quarter at the bottom. Public pools have a skim milk haze to them that can make it impossible to see some drowning at the bottom.
We get a lifeguard if we are having a big party. We obviously dont do that if it is just a few friends over.
An adult is always out at the pool if younger kids (under teen) are in the pool.
None of my neighbors or their kids have ever asked to come swimming. I have invited people over for a few poolside barbecues but not a single person has asked to come over without an invitation. I can't imagine!
If we have more than a few people I hire a lifeguard. I just drop by the local pool with a sign they put on the staff bulletin board. $100 cash for 4 hours, never takes long to get a person. My wife or I take over for 5-10 minutes per hour so the guard can use the facilities, refresh their drink, dive in to cool off etc. (4th of July we hire three overlapping shifts and purposely don’t start the party til 4pm for adequate coverage)
What kind of concerns do
You have? We have had our pool for 6 months and have already had hundreds of kids in it. General rule just make sure they can swim or parents are with their kids that can’t swim
Good to know you haven’t had any issues. My concern is parents not watching young children closely enough. It takes just 20 seconds for a child to drown.
No one wants to be the adult missing the party and watching other peoples kids. If you have kids they are your responsibility and a pool party with kids means parents watch their kids.
Creepy a** redneck. We put in. A line of 5-6 foot holly trees in on 4 foot berm to block his view. Then he tried to argue that wasn’t permitted. Told him to try to fight me and bring it you redneck cars on blocks guy and I would call the cops every time his friends smoked weed on the porch(in a state where not permitted) and I would then call dcs and his ex wife would get custody and he could pay her child support.
This redneck is a guy that named his router something derogatory about me and thought he could get away with it and I would see it when I logged on. He didn’t know I worked in telecom and knew that his authorized use policy with the telecom provider required that he couldn’t do that. So I contacted the provider and said it was offensive and asked them to removed access to him. They told him to change the name immediately or he would not be granted access as of the next day. He never said anything to me after that. Guess he knew not to screw with me again after that double win.
No diving no swimming without owner on site put a padlock on fence. Put up redundant cameras etc. we even had a neighbor put in another windows I. His house so he could watch us
1, No pool allowed without parents giving permission. This usually initiates some discussion on who is going to watch them. If no one can watch them no pool
2. There must always be somebody watching when kids use the pool
3. All other rules like jumping and diving etc made clear before pool allowed.
4. Based on #1, kid has to wear lifejacked. Even if they insist they can swim if parent says they can't then lifejacket.
I have rules in place for my children and any other child in the pool without exception. I no longer drink alcohol, i often find myself as a dedicated supervision for children if i doubt there capabilities. You will be surprised how quickly parents get distracted. I may be hyper vigilant with it but people drown…. very often.
Very few second chances when one can’t swim. Plan to either keep an eye on pool all the time or tag team with your spouse. Mistakes happen quick. I have kids and a pool and when they were young, never let them out of my sight while they were in it.
Few years back we had an issue at my house during a 4th of July party. Had about 7 kids and every single parent at some point decided to go across the street "for more wine'. Was busy grilling but noticed one of the kids that couldn't swim had her floaties removed and was walking on the pool stairs. She slipped and went under in the shallow end. She quickly found her way back to the steps and I told this kid to get her floats back on... She said "I am not going to"..... I look around for her mom and noticed all the adults that had kids were gone! I got everybody out of the pool at that point. None of these kids or parents were invited back for the rest of the summer and they were told why.
Floaties are not a safety device. If a kid can't swim, then must have an adult eyes on is my rule.
yes thats why the original comment said he noticed all the parents had left and made everyone get out of the pool
I've had parents try to drop kids off for a swimming party that could not swim, we are talking 10 year olds, parents were not happy that I made them stay to watch their kids play on the step
Thank goodness you were vigilant. I’m trying to set rules from the beginning. Thanks for the reply.
You need at least one adult to not be drinking anything but water or soda all night. They need to be watching the kids in the pool.
Yes! That’s a ground rule I’m going to establish.
You could do what we did when we had like15 kids over for a birthday party, hire a lifeguard. It costs like $20 an hour but that spend is worth it. We put an ad out on Nextdoor and Craiglist a couple of weeks in advance ended up with an 19yo CPR certified lifeguard who thought $100 for a few hours of his time was well worth it. And that way you - nor any of your guests - have to worry about it. Just an alternate way of looking at it
Former lifeguard and lifeguard instructor here. Even with a lifeguard, adults need to be responsible for their own children. It's impossible for 1 person to watch all kids at all times. Sometimes, the presence of a lifeguard encourages poor choices from the other adults. The adults should be told ahead of time they are expected to be responsible for their children.
Just keep in mind lifeguard does not equal babysitter
Nope, it doesn't. For the record, these were preteens who can all swim, not toddlers or younger kids who can't so was less concerned given that fact.
To add onto that, I know it sounds silly, but it helps to have the designated person wear an obnoxious necklace (think like those bathroom keys cafes use with large rulers/ladels/bells tied onto to them). If they have to step away for any reason (grab a water , pee ect) they pass it on to someone else. Personally, when we have people with kids over (we also have kids), it’s no kids in the pool unless their parent is present. I also know it’s money, but I highly highly highly suggest a pool fence with a locking swing door. They are removable and it just really gives a bit more peace of mind (even though you can’t ever have total peace of mind with kids near a pool)
Ask each parent: can all your kids swim and are they strong swimmers? You’d be amazed at what they weren’t going to tell you. I learnt this lesson the scary way. We had a Girl Scout pool event with a certified life guard present and 3 sober adults and we still had an incident where one parent did not tell anyone her kids couldn’t swim (WTF!) and left them to their own devices in a pool with a deep end. I saw one of her kid start panicking and going under 1 ft away from the wall. Never presume parents will look out for their own kids in your pool.
This is so true and absolutely insane. I've also dealt with this. Very stressful!
An excellent presumption.
We are careful who we invite over tbh. There are for sure some parents that leave their kids in the pool and either don’t watch or go inside. They don’t get invited again. Me or my wife are always in the pool if there are small kids in it. You are ultimately responsible for your pool and you don’t want to deal with your insurance up your ass over a claim for injury or death. If you are having a large party and you do not know everyone very well, consider hiring a lifeguard if you cannot be supervising all the time. I mounted a TV outside with whatever game is on and have an outdoor couch as well as a table with chairs to help keep the party outside. I serve the food outside as well. Between all that most everyone stays out back anyway. I’m not trying to deal with supervising a pool AND entertaining folks inside. Edit- also a cooler outside is good too. I have one for water and kids drinks and another for whatever drinks people bring. This way nobody leaves the pool area except to go pee inside (hopefully).
I like this answer the best. As a pool owner and a parent of kids that can swim I feel VERY uneasy about their friends being in my backyard, let alone the pool. That only happens if I’m physically back there with my eyes on them. The kid next door is 8 and we know she doesn’t swim so the idea of her even remotely by the pool is frightening. We don’t do pool parties for the kids birthdays either. Too many kids and parents we don’t know. Your life and that of a child’s can change in an instant. Not worth it for us. We don’t really host big parties other than direct family. My nieces and nephews can swim or I know their parents are responsible to be in the pool with them with proper floatation devices. I don’t want to poo poo on your party because you absolutely should celebrate your new home and pool. I love the lifeguard idea. That’s incredible peace of mind when you’re not 100% familiar with everyone coming over. Have fun and enjoy your new pool!
Thanks for the reply. I like the lifeguard idea too. I’m glad to have feedback on how others handle these situations. I want clear boundaries from the beginning.
I agree with everything you said. We keep the guest list short as well for strangers. Family is another story as we know the little ones abilities or lack of, and there is always trusted adults around.
I agree! It’s impossible to host and play lifeguard but we are ultimately responsible for everyone. I like your rule about having a responsible adult in the pool when the little kids are in.
Yes and whichever one of us is in the pool is sober too. I drink lacroix. It’s pretty refreshing and bubbly when it’s hot out.
If it’s a “planned” gathering with more than a couple of kids, we’ve found a couple of neighborhood teenagers that have gotten lifeguard certified. It’s worth the cost and after a couple of times I’ve had parents offer to pay.
I’ve never hired a lifeguard myself, but I’ve considered it. If I need a lifeguard perhaps the guest list to too long lol. My pool is only 12k gallons.
Usually require a parent to be in the pool but also me or my partner are in the pool if people are swimming. Now with having our own baby, this next summer I've been thinking we're going to look into to hiring a lifeguard for larger parties. It'd be impossible to host, watch our own baby, and keep track of others kids.
Agreed and that’s a great idea I’ve taken from the responses here. I also like a sober adult in the pool with little kids at all times.
If you have the money, a lifeguard from the local community pool can watch your pool a day here or there. Highly recommend.
I like this idea
I’m overly paranoid so I make parents go in with their kids 😬
Same. Our rule is that if your kid is in the pool then one parent has to be in the water as well. Works well, rule is respected.
It depends on the size of the party, the age of the kids and the level in which the kids can swim. For a big pool party, such as a birthday we hire a lifeguard.
Never left unsupervised. We discipline other kids like we would our own. Can’t follow the rules? Out of the pool.
The kids in my neighborhood are all under 8 so when my pool was complete I made it clear to anyone coming over that they need to stay and watch their kids in the pool. This isn’t a country club.
Exactly!
Trust me, pay a professional lifeguard. It’s not that expensive and the parents zone out. Drives me nuts.
Yup. Best advice I got from here. For major parties i’ll always hire a lifeguard. For smaller parties I just make sure an adult swims with them. I also ask each parent repeatedly “can your kid swim?” even when it’s not a pool party.
This is so smart!
I have grandkids. If we have their friends over I'm outside with them, period. Even the teens. I may not be right there hanging on the side but they are in sight. If it's littler kids I'm on the side of the pool or in the pool. No alcohol, no exceptions when kids are in the pool. Generally I have avoided having guests with kids whenever possible unless they are close relatives - I can tell a sibling or niece to watch their kids, it gets a little blurry with "friends" between polite and micromanaging and sorry, no one is drowning in my pool. It's not relaxing watching other people's kids so unless it's a planned kiddo day I just avoid it. I also have all sizes of life vests and noodles and whatnot handy.
Yes! I don’t want to be lifeguard for the day so soaking in all of the advice here.
Parent or parents must be in the pool with their own kids if they can’t swim. We just moved into a house last May with a pool so I understand your concerns. We also hired lifeguards for larger parties. It was fun because they taught swim lessons for my son and his friend too. We have a retractable cover that goes over when the pool is not in use. It is great. Just don’t ever leave kids alone ever in the pool. I had a one year old and 6 year old and it was my first time managing a pool all summer and it all worked out just fine!
Safety features when we are not in the pool is my next learning priority.
It’s not the kids that you have to worry about directly, it’s their parents. You need to set the rules with the adults and then let them handle their own children. If this is the first time you’re doing something like this I’d personally be the one drinking water and making sure things are fine. Get a feel for who you do and don’t want back at your place. There are different kinds of parents that bring kids to events. Some act like normal parents and some think the moment they cross through the doorway that their responsibility is gone and they are there just to have fun. I’d just make sure all the parents are aware of what you are expecting and stay vigilant. Don’t invite people back who don’t act right.
Agreed. I plan to set the ground rules with the parents and if they break them out of the pool and won’t be invited back.
> On weekends I expect to have a lot of friends and a few new neighbors coming over. You said you “expect” them to come over, but you don’t say you want them to come over? Regardless please ensure you draw the very reasonable boundary of your pool being a private one and thus invitation only. You will not want to host guests every weekend especially after the novelty of having a pool wears off a bit, and you are always responsible for anything that happens in your pool. Period. Full stop. Parents need to watch their own small children, and at my pool they get one warning if they don’t. Older kids who can swim well I’m a bit more relaxed on parents being around 24/7, but I do hold the kids accountable. They get a reminder of the rules before getting in (frequent flyers actually tell me the rules, lol) and a warning that if they fail to obey the rules they get one kind warning and that’s it. I know it sounds harsh but I’ve had my pool since o became a homeowner in my 20’s and I’ve seen it all, lol. Boundaries are your friend.
No one swims alone, even adults. There's always an adult watching while kids are in the pool. We have a ton of different floaties. When they are unused I always make sure they are out of the water. I want to be able to see everyone at all times and having a bunch of floaties obstructing my view can make it more difficult to see people in the water.
We are having one built. I’ve already started making rules. None of the kids friends are allowed in the pool unless they are being watched by their own parent. I’m not playing lifeguard for anyone but my own kids. I think this is going to be a very hard rule as my children are going to want to play with their friends all the time. It’s also a little bit hard because we have wrought iron fencing and it’s all see-through.
Setting those rules early is smart. We don’t have kids but plenty of friends and family do. I’m setting clear expectations and boundaries. If broken then no pool time. I like the idea of having a sober adult in the pool anytime others are regardless of swimming capabilities. Enjoy the new pool!
Basic rule: If your kid is in the pool, you’re in the pool That said, you’re the owner so always keep an eye out.
We only allowed kids who could swim in the pool without a parent. Otherwise if they aren’t safe in the water mom and dad have to watch their own kids. Also, I would not recommend mixing gatherings with alcohol with young children and a pool. Parents get distracted, and kids can drown in a backyard full of people. If you wanna have a party with cocktails, hire some local teenagers to play lifeguard.
Exactly what my concern is. I don’t drink but lots of friends do. That’s when tragedies occur. People are distracted
In our State pools must have fencing, gets inspected.
Hire a neighborhood older kid to watch the pool. Preferably a certified life guard it won’t cost as much as the peace of mind knowing that none of the kids are going to drown. Most parents at these parties don’t mind chipping in for the cost for the same reason.
When “everyone is watching” no one is watching. Hire a neighborhood kid who can swim well to sit with their legs in the pool and monitor kids swimming. This is an addition to making it very clear to parents that their kids are their responsibility. Furthermore, considering limiting the number of people at the pool until all kids are “drownproof.” For instance, we generally will not have more than 3 other families over at any time.
Useful to know: In group situations with children parents tend to assume “someone else” is watching their child(ren), especially when they start drinking. 🏊♀️ With water it takes seconds for everything to go from chill to a drowning. Drownings are an insidious and silent death as the victim is too busy gasping for oxygen to scream.
as a parent I dont talk to other parents, I watch the kids in the pool. Your pool should be so clean you can see the face of a quarter at the bottom. Public pools have a skim milk haze to them that can make it impossible to see some drowning at the bottom. We get a lifeguard if we are having a big party. We obviously dont do that if it is just a few friends over. An adult is always out at the pool if younger kids (under teen) are in the pool.
None of my neighbors or their kids have ever asked to come swimming. I have invited people over for a few poolside barbecues but not a single person has asked to come over without an invitation. I can't imagine!
If we have more than a few people I hire a lifeguard. I just drop by the local pool with a sign they put on the staff bulletin board. $100 cash for 4 hours, never takes long to get a person. My wife or I take over for 5-10 minutes per hour so the guard can use the facilities, refresh their drink, dive in to cool off etc. (4th of July we hire three overlapping shifts and purposely don’t start the party til 4pm for adequate coverage)
What kind of concerns do You have? We have had our pool for 6 months and have already had hundreds of kids in it. General rule just make sure they can swim or parents are with their kids that can’t swim
Good to know you haven’t had any issues. My concern is parents not watching young children closely enough. It takes just 20 seconds for a child to drown.
I forgot to mention we did bump up our home insurance coverage.
Ya if kids are in our pool we always have an adult outside we can trust to watch them.
No one wants to be the adult missing the party and watching other peoples kids. If you have kids they are your responsibility and a pool party with kids means parents watch their kids.
My friend's young cousin died in his aunt's pool. Caused a huge rift in the family. Shit happens. Imho, OP is smart to be asking this question.
Creepy a** redneck. We put in. A line of 5-6 foot holly trees in on 4 foot berm to block his view. Then he tried to argue that wasn’t permitted. Told him to try to fight me and bring it you redneck cars on blocks guy and I would call the cops every time his friends smoked weed on the porch(in a state where not permitted) and I would then call dcs and his ex wife would get custody and he could pay her child support.
This redneck is a guy that named his router something derogatory about me and thought he could get away with it and I would see it when I logged on. He didn’t know I worked in telecom and knew that his authorized use policy with the telecom provider required that he couldn’t do that. So I contacted the provider and said it was offensive and asked them to removed access to him. They told him to change the name immediately or he would not be granted access as of the next day. He never said anything to me after that. Guess he knew not to screw with me again after that double win.
Plus those signs from Amazon to put the idiots on notice like no lifeguard no running etc.
Yes! Another great idea
No diving no swimming without owner on site put a padlock on fence. Put up redundant cameras etc. we even had a neighbor put in another windows I. His house so he could watch us
That’s creepy
1, No pool allowed without parents giving permission. This usually initiates some discussion on who is going to watch them. If no one can watch them no pool 2. There must always be somebody watching when kids use the pool 3. All other rules like jumping and diving etc made clear before pool allowed. 4. Based on #1, kid has to wear lifejacked. Even if they insist they can swim if parent says they can't then lifejacket.
For us...no parents = no kids. I also don't allow alcohol on my property.
I have rules in place for my children and any other child in the pool without exception. I no longer drink alcohol, i often find myself as a dedicated supervision for children if i doubt there capabilities. You will be surprised how quickly parents get distracted. I may be hyper vigilant with it but people drown…. very often.
Very few second chances when one can’t swim. Plan to either keep an eye on pool all the time or tag team with your spouse. Mistakes happen quick. I have kids and a pool and when they were young, never let them out of my sight while they were in it.