That's what Sean should have for his next news letter. The ten top pool signs that should be at the pool. :lol:
Best way to handle this? swim requests
- Thread starter lulupalooza
- Start date
Great idea! Also can you include how to tell neighborhood kids how to stay out of my pantry! I can't believe their gall! :lol: they just pranced on in the house this afternoon and went straight to my pantry. @@ This week is going to be torcher! It's spring break- MASTERS week- so kids will be home and that means it will be romper room over here!
i am actually thinking about putting in a shock fence around my pool fence that i can actually turn on and off. when you go somewhere or dont want anyone coming near the pool, ill turn it on and let them get a shock. that should keep them away. i think that the shocking part can be adjusted. this is just a thought, but it sounds like a good thought. please dont flame me. yall ask about trying to keep them away.
feel your pain
my kids are older now, but I know exactly where you are coming from. My rule was as long as their parents come to watch them they could swim. But I was not going to be responsible for sitting outside in the heat and watching others kids all summer. I think a pool is to be enjoyed and I am glad to share, but I am not willing to be responsible for a pool full of kids. The older kids I don't worry about and they can have friends whenever they like. If they get too rough I know how to handle that, too. Good luck.
my kids are older now, but I know exactly where you are coming from. My rule was as long as their parents come to watch them they could swim. But I was not going to be responsible for sitting outside in the heat and watching others kids all summer. I think a pool is to be enjoyed and I am glad to share, but I am not willing to be responsible for a pool full of kids. The older kids I don't worry about and they can have friends whenever they like. If they get too rough I know how to handle that, too. Good luck.
When we got our new pool I also was afraid that we would have all the neighbors kids in it. My children are grown and out of the house but we live on a farm and have lots of animals and the neighbors like to come by to see them, which I don't mind, but I did not want to babysit their kids all day or be responsible for them. So, I made the rule that the kids could come to play in the pool but only if they brought a parent, each child should have their own parent and of course they had to call first. Well I had a few visits at first but then it slacked off, I guess the parents got to busy or did not want to impose.
- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,616
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Nobody comes unless invited. Our kids were allowed to schedule swim dates with friends in advance. Nobody swims unless my DH or I am here. Thems the rules, they have always stuck pretty well - but we live in the country so its a PITA to come out here for anything anyways.
jjparrish said:PF had a 'pool sign' thread. Lots of folks that had signs made for their backyard oasis shared them with PF members. Wish we could get a copy of that now. "If you were not invited, you are trespassing" kinda' stuff, too. Like many here have said, it is your pool and your rules. Enjoy.
The best one I remember from here was matt4x4's sign that had a picture of his dog and said something to the effect of "Hi! I can make it from the house to the fence in 4 seconds...can you?"
Thankfully we don't have any small kids that live around us. Got a middle school behind us, but the kids stay on the school grounds.
mudrider420 said:
"Daisy air rifles - keeping kids off your lawn (or pool) for 40 years "
We don't know anybody with small kids so kids in our pool aren't an issue. If the situation did arise I would apply the same rule we have for people's dogs:
If you want your dog to swim in our pool, you must be in the water with him.
This is something kids can understand. When they ask if Johnny or Jane can come over and swim you can say yes, which makes you the nice guy, but only if their mom or dad has the time to come swim with them. Not the babysitter or the housekeeper or the nanny. Mom or dad. My guess is, this will drastically reduce the visitors.
Many years ago when my kids were little I set up a round metal horse trough in the driveway. It was 2 feet deep and 8 feet in diameter and yes, I kept it clean with bleach
Of course this was the neighborhood kid magnet. It horrifies me, now, to think of this body of water in my driveway, unfenced and unsupervised but 30 years ago it seemed like a good idea.
It's conflicting for children to have such an excellent toy at their very own house, a pool! It gives them instant popularity with the other kids. But if they aren't allowed to have friends over they'll either be shunned (for having a mean parents) or they'll ignore the pool and go play with their friends elsewhere.
I would probably try to find a compromise. I might set two days a week as swim days and select a block of time that would allow a child's parent to be there. Parental supervision would have to be a primary and unbreakable rule though, otherwise you will become the neighborhood babysitter.
Good luck!
AnnaK
If you want your dog to swim in our pool, you must be in the water with him.
This is something kids can understand. When they ask if Johnny or Jane can come over and swim you can say yes, which makes you the nice guy, but only if their mom or dad has the time to come swim with them. Not the babysitter or the housekeeper or the nanny. Mom or dad. My guess is, this will drastically reduce the visitors.
Many years ago when my kids were little I set up a round metal horse trough in the driveway. It was 2 feet deep and 8 feet in diameter and yes, I kept it clean with bleach
Of course this was the neighborhood kid magnet. It horrifies me, now, to think of this body of water in my driveway, unfenced and unsupervised but 30 years ago it seemed like a good idea.It's conflicting for children to have such an excellent toy at their very own house, a pool! It gives them instant popularity with the other kids. But if they aren't allowed to have friends over they'll either be shunned (for having a mean parents) or they'll ignore the pool and go play with their friends elsewhere.
I would probably try to find a compromise. I might set two days a week as swim days and select a block of time that would allow a child's parent to be there. Parental supervision would have to be a primary and unbreakable rule though, otherwise you will become the neighborhood babysitter.
Good luck!
AnnaK
AnnaK said:
Thanks Anna! I really like the comprimise you stated! So I am going to work out at least one day per week to start that a few of their friends can come over to swim with them. But definately have to have the parents come with them.
It's no different from a water park where all children under a certain age must be accompanied by an adult.
If my child asked to go swim at a friend's pool my first question would be, who's there to watch? And I would call the pool owner to find out if it's okay. That's when the parents will learn that it's only okay if they go in, actually go in the water, while their kids are in my pool.
How many parents do you think will go for that? And you remain the nice mom, you said they could come swim
AnnaK
If my child asked to go swim at a friend's pool my first question would be, who's there to watch? And I would call the pool owner to find out if it's okay. That's when the parents will learn that it's only okay if they go in, actually go in the water, while their kids are in my pool.
How many parents do you think will go for that? And you remain the nice mom, you said they could come swim
AnnaK
I don't have my pool yet, but I am certain that this will be an issue as there are a ton of kids in my neighborhood. And, of course, they all think "Ms. Francine" is soooooo cool. However, they are all terrified (rightfully) of my big dogs. LOL! Now, if you come to my house as a guest, my dogs are perfect angels. Try and enter my house, yard or car when I'm not around and it will be a bad day. My dogs know the difference between guest and trespasser, too!
So, in anticipation of all the little heathens thinking my house will be the "cool hangout" place, I've already got my responses ready for "can we swim?" First, I already have beware of dog signs posted on my fence, including one that says "I can make it to the gate in 3.2 seconds, can you?" Second, the pool is the DOGS' POOL. Most importantly, my son is 25 and out of the house, so there is no reason for me to be entertaining kids at my house, let alone in my pool. LOL! I'll probably go from being cool to a complete biach in no time but that's okay. The way I figure it, their parents can either take them to the public pool or buy their own pool for swimming. It may sound harsh, but the reality is if any of the little heathens breaks something, neither they nor their parents could afford the repair. In fact, I may be putting off my pool install until I replace my current fence with an eight-foot privacy fence to hopefully keep the little buggers from even knowing a pool is in my yard.
So, in anticipation of all the little heathens thinking my house will be the "cool hangout" place, I've already got my responses ready for "can we swim?" First, I already have beware of dog signs posted on my fence, including one that says "I can make it to the gate in 3.2 seconds, can you?" Second, the pool is the DOGS' POOL. Most importantly, my son is 25 and out of the house, so there is no reason for me to be entertaining kids at my house, let alone in my pool. LOL! I'll probably go from being cool to a complete biach in no time but that's okay. The way I figure it, their parents can either take them to the public pool or buy their own pool for swimming. It may sound harsh, but the reality is if any of the little heathens breaks something, neither they nor their parents could afford the repair. In fact, I may be putting off my pool install until I replace my current fence with an eight-foot privacy fence to hopefully keep the little buggers from even knowing a pool is in my yard.
Not a problem for us with no kids, 8ft. high fence and we keep it locked.
But when I was growing up we had a friend who's dad built him a huge 1/2 pipe for skateboarding...we're talking 32 ft. long, 11 ft. high on one side 8 ft on the other, 16 ft. wide...it was awesome.
They simply took a legal document and made all of our parents sign it...of course we got hurt, busted knees, elbows, etc...but the parents were very comfortable since they had a waver for every kid on the ramp and I think it hit home with the other parents with the terms in the waver..."death" etc...we always wore out pads...almost always
But when I was growing up we had a friend who's dad built him a huge 1/2 pipe for skateboarding...we're talking 32 ft. long, 11 ft. high on one side 8 ft on the other, 16 ft. wide...it was awesome.
They simply took a legal document and made all of our parents sign it...of course we got hurt, busted knees, elbows, etc...but the parents were very comfortable since they had a waver for every kid on the ramp and I think it hit home with the other parents with the terms in the waver..."death" etc...we always wore out pads...almost always
cini75104 said:
Ohhh they will still know,LOL we have 8 foot privacy fence with chainlink and I have already caught kids climbing over my fence (stealing the pop tabs off soda cans), peaking and staring while the pool was being installed and even caught the kids- I'm talking 6 yr olds, busting apart the metal latch and lock and climbing over the padlocked chainlink to get into the backyard to come play on the trampoline, before the pool was even back there!
Well, since the pool has been back there. I have made my backyard off limits to any of the neighborhood children. Other than a few of the older ones that my kids have been really close with since we moved here 6 yrs ago. And I used AnnaK's suggestion that they could swim, BUT the parents have to come and swim too. So far no takers,LOL But we also haven't gotten into the HOT and HUMID GA summers quite yet. Wait until July! :-D
I did have the rule that no kids were going to swim in our pool unless a parent was right there with them.
My neighbors children asked to swim and I said sure, if mom or dad comes to watch you. So the mom did (someone I actually thought was smart and got along with well.)
She came and put the kids up on the ladder and then realized that it was much deeper than she had thought and LEFT HER KIDS AND WENT HOME to get life jackets! Granted her backyard backs into mine but its a long run if anything happens... and guess what? Her five year old decided to jump into the middle of the pool. Thank God I was on the phone (and have a pacing problem when I talk) and happened by the open back door at just the moment her butt hit the water.. I screamed ran out the door dropping the phone and everything in my hands and grabbed her about the third time she was going under... Then her mom mosies up and says what happened?! and I had a complete nuclear melt down on her. I made her take the kids and go home.
No one has asked to swim since, and she moved (they got out of the military) so I dont have to deal with it this year. I dont feel bad for flipping out on her, that was the dumbest thing anyone could have done, and I couldnt live with myself if someone was hurt in my pool. Now the only kids allowed in my pool are teens and I am always there to watch (from the patio). I cant wait to fix up my backyard and add a deck around the back of the pool so I can have a birds eye view of the action and be that much closer if anything happens.
My neighbors children asked to swim and I said sure, if mom or dad comes to watch you. So the mom did (someone I actually thought was smart and got along with well.)
She came and put the kids up on the ladder and then realized that it was much deeper than she had thought and LEFT HER KIDS AND WENT HOME to get life jackets! Granted her backyard backs into mine but its a long run if anything happens... and guess what? Her five year old decided to jump into the middle of the pool. Thank God I was on the phone (and have a pacing problem when I talk) and happened by the open back door at just the moment her butt hit the water.. I screamed ran out the door dropping the phone and everything in my hands and grabbed her about the third time she was going under... Then her mom mosies up and says what happened?! and I had a complete nuclear melt down on her. I made her take the kids and go home.
No one has asked to swim since, and she moved (they got out of the military) so I dont have to deal with it this year. I dont feel bad for flipping out on her, that was the dumbest thing anyone could have done, and I couldnt live with myself if someone was hurt in my pool. Now the only kids allowed in my pool are teens and I am always there to watch (from the patio). I cant wait to fix up my backyard and add a deck around the back of the pool so I can have a birds eye view of the action and be that much closer if anything happens.
- Jun 23, 2012
- 1,053
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Let the parents of these kiddos know that you swim naked.
Well, on second thought, that might draw the parents over. Nevermind.
Well, on second thought, that might draw the parents over. Nevermind.