Would you rent a vacation house with a pool (no fence) if your 4 year old could not swim?

[Anonymous]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Here's why: I know a family whose 2 year old died in the family's swimming pool. The mom thought the father was watching the kid, the father thought the mom was watching the kid, who fell in the pool and drowned.

A pool is very attractive to a 4 y.o., and parents are not 100 percent attentive, even the best of us (see above). You don't want to go through what these parents went through (and are still going through). Don't do it. Find another pool-less rental.

[Anonymous]

Yikes
we are renting a house with a pool for 3 weeks this summer. We figure we will just be strict. The way we are strict about watching out for traffic living in an urban area

[Anonymous]

As others have pointed out, my fear wouldn't just be about unsupervised access. I'd also worry about the times when there are adults physically present, but everyone assumes someone else is actually watching the kids. A sleepy afternoon or a busy party, a cooler full of adult beverages, the designated kid-watcher ducks into the house for a moment...

If you have a pool at your house (or busy traffic, like the PP), you've probably had endless conversations about situation-specific safety. But for a kid who doesn't have extensive experience with a particular danger, I think the risk is compounded -- they just aren't used to watching out for X.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I am thinking of getting the Turtle alarm that the child wears on the wrist.
There will be no alcohol.
I am aware of the potential problems...maybe we should wait a year.

[Anonymous]

We did in the outer banks last summer. We kept track of our kids (4 and 6) and locked the door to the back yard/porch area. The turtle idea is good. I mean we have to think about tons of stuff kids can get into - are you renting a house wo a pool but a closet full of cleaning supplies that arent child proof. Just be aware and keep an eye on your kids.

[Anonymous]

Do you plan on leaving your 4 year old child outside unsupervised? I should hope that you wouldn't but if you do then you are probably a bad parent and shouldn't rent the house. Do you worry about your child running outside into street traffic as well? I would say that if you are a good parent- your 4 year old wouldn't be outside alone. Most 4 years old do not know how to swim.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

While I understand the concerns, I also think you could certainly make it work and it sounds like you have already made certain plans to keep your child safe. Although I would not want to have a pool at my home, I would consider the vacation rental with a pool, something that is on a much more temporary basis.

Does nobody here take their children to the pool? I know it's not exactly the same, but still, I'm not sure we need to live in such fear.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Yes! Just apply the same scrutiny that you would when crossing the street, driving, doing bath time, etc. If the other parents are all on board with the safety then you should be fine. You guys must live very limited sheltered lives if you avoid all activities that have risk!!

For one thing, getting in a car is WAY more risky than having a pool!

[Anonymous]

For me, it's a question of necessary and unnecessary risks. Getting in a car at some point is pretty necessary; renting a vacation place with a pool is not. And it's not that I think there's a large chance that my child would drown if I rented a house with a pool; it's more that it's one more thing I'd rather not worry about during what's supposed to be a relaxing break from routine.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't. Eeven if you are totally vigilant, things can happen. Rent in a deelopment with a pool or something. I'd be worried that your child wakes up early and decides to take a swim or something. Drownings are relatively common even when the parents are vigilant. To me, it's not worth the risk when there are other options.

[Anonymous]

No way. Plus I WOULD NOT go to a beach where there is no lifeguard. Why not just go to Sea Colony? It's perfect for your child. You will not have much of a vacation with that unfenced pool. Plus how many others will end up in it that you do not know.

[Anonymous]

I would. And I have. It depends on the child, depends on the house, depends on the supervision, depends on the "vacation".

We rented two houses when my kids were 12 months and 3 years. In both cases, the pools were a little bit away from the houses. (One was around the corner, down some steps, and up some steps -- it was a mountain villa) The other was about 75 yards from the house, and again, on the "back side" from where the house faced. In both cases, I was there with my family members... so we had 8 adults, and only my two kids. We also spent the majority of our time outside, and the kids just weren't all that "fast" back then.

I would have more concern about it if my older child was "into everything"... but the fact is he is a very conservative/cautious kid. He never opened cabinets, and at that point in his life, had never even tried to open a door. The outer doors of the house locked, so I didn't worry about him getting out of bed in the middle of the night and going and jumping in the pool. My little one is more of a risk taker/explorer, but at 12 months, he just wasn't that fast. We never let either one of them get out of sight.

So, I think if its just one child, I would do it. Take appropriate precautions while you're there to make sure your child cannot get out of the house without you noticing. And be cautious. People are right, drownings only take a second. But I think its relatively easy to be vigilent for a week long vacation.

By comparison, we bought a house with a pool (which I really really did NOT want due to fears about drowning). The safety fence went in the same day we moved in, and we have several "layers" of defenses with our home pool. Its just impossible to be "vigilent enough" when you live somewhere long term Sooner or later you relax (or want to anyway-- its your house!).

So-- really, I think a vacation house with a pool could be loads of fun for a 4 year old. Just be careful.

[Anonymous]

Your instincts are telling you not to rent that house -- follow them.