Water Safety

[Sandbox Sally]

I am putting up a 12 ft by 3 ft pool in my yard this summer. I guess the key with that one is no kids under 6 without a life jacket!!! It is going over by my side yard, so it will be out of sight unless you walk around the house. Strangely, I do not feel afraid of having this with the daycare kids. They will either not be allowed near it, or they will have approved floatation devices on.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I am putting up a 12 ft by 3 ft pool in my yard this summer. I guess the key with that one is no kids under 6 without a life jacket!!! It is going over by my side yard, so it will be out of sight unless you walk around the house. Strangely, I do not feel afraid of having this with the daycare kids. They will either not be allowed near it, or they will have approved floatation devices on.

Make sure you inform your insurance carrier of this and that your home childcare ryder specifically indicates that your property where you operate your business has a pool on it ... some insurance companies will not offer a home childcare ryder if the property has a pool, trampoline or fire pit and others will offer it but your premium will go up due to the increased 'risk' perceived with these backyard items ... if you do not notify your insurance carrier and something happens you could find your policy 'void' as a result

I would also check with your new neighborhoods 'bylaws' around backyard pools - many bylaws require pools that cannot be emptied daily to have a fence and locking gate around them?

[playfelt]

Does that mean the whole time the kids are playing in the sandbox, kicking a soccer ball, etc they are going to be required to wear a life jacket - will parents or you be providing these. Can you just fence the area off instead.

[Sandbox Sally]

Does that mean the whole time the kids are playing in the sandbox, kicking a soccer ball, etc they are going to be required to wear a life jacket - will parents or you be providing these. Can you just fence the area off instead.

I could fence it off, but I don't see the need. Perhaps we will, but I can't imagine a scenario where I would leave toddlers alone in a yard with a pool. The door is also equipped with an alarm so that it rings when opened. Enlighten me, please.

I have three toddler life jackets. I will supply these.

[sunnydays]

I think if it is an above ground pool that is high enough for them not to be able to climb into and you have a ladder that you can remove during the day, then you will be okay. The only concern then is that you are 100% sure that the ladder has been removed each time you take the kids out to play.

I could fence it off, but I don't see the need. Perhaps we will, but I can't imagine a scenario where I would leave toddlers alone in a yard with a pool. The door is also equipped with an alarm so that it rings when opened. Enlighten me, please.

I have three toddler life jackets. I will supply these.

[Sandbox Sally]

The pool will be on the side of my house. We will be playing in the back of my house. I am still unsure on how the children will run over to the pool on their toddler legs without me seeing them. Then again, I'm sure it'd only cost about $100 bucks to stick a fence up. Shrug.

[Bookworm]

I actually have a small above ground pool in my backyard. The only access to it is from my deck and it is gated off. The gate also has a padlock. My dck's are not allowed on my deck unless they are with me walking up the steps to the backdoor. Since I have two small children of my own (who are not allowed on the deck without me either), I have no worries about any child getting into my pool. I am super diligent when I'm outside with the kids, and no one is allowed to go off on their own at any time. I also have no toys near the pool so that climbing into any other way is not even possible. I just teach the kids that the deck is off limits, unless we are entering and exiting the house, and then I'm with them.

[Sandbox Sally]

I would also check with your new neighborhoods 'bylaws' around backyard pools - many bylaws require pools that cannot be emptied daily to have a fence and locking gate around them?

I have. They are allowed. To be clear, our back yard is fenced and has a lock on the gate.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I would also check with your new neighborhoods 'bylaws' around backyard pools - many bylaws require pools that cannot be emptied daily to have a fence and locking gate around them?

I have. They are allowed. To be clear, our back yard is fenced and has a lock on the gate.

I know my friends parents got in trouble because they put in a pool in their yard which was already 'fenced and gated' - but turned out they had to have TWO ... because the yard was 'large' and had both the pool and kids equipment for play the pool itself had to be fenced off separate from the rest of the yard even though it was fenced already ... it was an in ground pool though not sure if that was why ... just know some cities have gotten really anal with their pool liability due to the drownings they have had?

I will admit pools and bodies of water and 'children' scare me ... it only takes 20 seconds to drown and you only need a couple inches of water ... so when I think of caring for five children and the number of times a day a child can quickly pop out of my sight even when IN my line of vision as I am scanning them in the backyard cause they are hiding behind a toy or plant or tree and that 'scare' you get until you find them ... adding pooled water to the mix just scares me I'd be having a heart attack everytime those moments arose ... all it takes is for a small distraction of one child scrapping a knee and howling about it and a kid to take advantage of that moment of distraction where you are looking the kid over and cleaning the wound or what not to go check out the cool pool fall in without a sound ... and the fact that the media shares stories like that does not help

[playfelt]

Since the drowing here in Orleans a couple years back most licensed agencies have banned homes with pools and many won't even allow a kiddie size pool in their homes. Not sure what the insurance industry view is in terms of have they all taken the same stance or not.

I do find it a bit disturbing that even without having the experience of your own kids around the pool that you are just assuming that it won't be an issue for the daycare kids either. One kid climbing on a trike or being boosted by an older kid to peak in or whatever is all it takes. The risk in lieu of a few feet of fencing is not worth it in my view.