Taking a 1 and 3 year old to the pool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really confused. Baby pools are like a foot deep, small, and generally fenced in. It is incredibly easy to keep an eye on two kids in a baby pool. You just need to make ground rules - if you run, leave the area, etc, we leave immediately.

Not being able to handle two kids in a baby pool IS completely unreasonable.

Like I mentioned in the OP I have never been to this pool ever so I am not familiar with it nor the depth. Nowhere was it said that I could not handle it. My concern is safety due to the way my older charge acts and needing a lot of 1 on 1 attention. His brother just began walking and would not be in a stroller but out so that he could enjoy the water also. I have never seen any special floating devices etc with their pool stuff at the house so my assumption is that mb holds the baby while there while db watches the older charge or vice versa. they go together. This is a child that would break off and run when he hears something he doesn't like or change his mind frequently while in the middle of an activity. If it weren't for his usually issues that we work with on a daily basis in other circumstances I would not have any concerns. But naturally I am thinking of the worst case scenario.

And the last family that I was with the kiddie pool would reach my waist/lower chest area while sitting in it and was NOT fenced separately from the larger pool but just a few feet distance away. So a 1 year old could still drown. Naturally this is the vision that I have in my mind because I haven't seen this one yet. Mb has been avoiding going with me like she said she wanted to initially and just trying to get me to go with the both of them on my own all of a sudden.

[Anonymous]

I understand your fear(s) & anxiety over this.

There is just too much risk and liability involved here.

I day let their parents take them swimming on weekends + during the week, you can take them to the museum or aquarium.

[Anonymous]

*say

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take my 3 year-old and 11 month-old (I'm mom) to the pool a couple times a week. 3 year-old wears puddle jumper and I hold the baby. I do have a raft that the baby can float in, but not all pools allow them.

Yea it's really not that hard. I'm shocked to see a nanny here complaining, and even more shocked to find other nannies agreeing with her. Not all jobs are a good fit for everyone and for OP nannying is clearly not the job for her.

You can be obtuse and be a jackass if you want. I know this childs behavior and am accustomed to it, but not while at a pool where he could run near a larger pool while I have the baby in my hands. Even his mother has her husband with her when they go. Like I said I have a charge that just started walking and the older displays very sporadic behavior and temperament. He is already getting treatment for these issues. My concern is safety. If you only have snarky insults to offer why respond? does it make you feel better about yourself?

You can explain it all you want. But seriously if I was your MB and found out you always felt moments away from losing control of the children. If you have these fears at the pool then a parking lot, a playground, or even the sidewalk would be just as dangerous with you.

My mb is aware of his behavior and he actually behaves better for me than he does with them. We do a lot of activities together and I have to keep a very close eye on him. He usually is medicated but the last 2 weeks has not been and his behavior has been worse for all of the people that work with him. He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for another evaluation. I am able to take him to the store without issue yet when she takes him if he gets upset its not uncommon for him to pull things off of shelves and run from her etc.

So now what say you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand your fear(s) & anxiety over this.

There is just too much risk and liability involved here.

I day let their parents take them swimming on weekends + during the week, you can take them to the museum or aquarium.

Thank you for understanding my stance on this. I am not speaking of a "normal" child, or what some would consider normal.

I am definitely going to either insist she take some time off and go with me initially like she said she would or we just stick to our normal routine and activities. Just listening to her tell me how he gets in and out of the water during swimming lessons and constantly changes his mind and freaks out gave me reservations about how he would behave and what I would do if he decided to bolt from me while going from point A to B near water while I have a baby. He can be very unpredictable.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to the replies that gave real suggestions. I am going to ask that they get the puddle jumpers since I wont have an extra set of hands there with me and that she or DB go with us the first time so that I can see how my older charge acts while there and have an idea of what to expect.

I may very well be over thinking this after I see the environment but I don't believe in ever being too safe.

I just don't see a couple of noodles and arm floats while holding a baby being enough of a safety measure. I don't care how shallow the water may be.

[Anonymous]

You said they told you it was fenced though, right? Can you ask how deep it is? I've truly never seen an actual baby pool over 1.5 feet. Maybe you can go with the parents the first time to check it out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take my 3 year-old and 11 month-old (I'm mom) to the pool a couple times a week. 3 year-old wears puddle jumper and I hold the baby. I do have a raft that the baby can float in, but not all pools allow them.

Yea it's really not that hard. I'm shocked to see a nanny here complaining, and even more shocked to find other nannies agreeing with her. Not all jobs are a good fit for everyone and for OP nannying is clearly not the job for her.

You can be obtuse and be a jackass if you want. I know this childs behavior and am accustomed to it, but not while at a pool where he could run near a larger pool while I have the baby in my hands. Even his mother has her husband with her when they go. Like I said I have a charge that just started walking and the older displays very sporadic behavior and temperament. He is already getting treatment for these issues. My concern is safety. If you only have snarky insults to offer why respond? does it make you feel better about yourself?

You can explain it all you want. But seriously if I was your MB and found out you always felt moments away from losing control of the children. If you have these fears at the pool then a parking lot, a playground, or even the sidewalk would be just as dangerous with you.

My mb is aware of his behavior and he actually behaves better for me than he does with them. We do a lot of activities together and I have to keep a very close eye on him. He usually is medicated but the last 2 weeks has not been and his behavior has been worse for all of the people that work with him. He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for another evaluation. I am able to take him to the store without issue yet when she takes him if he gets upset its not uncommon for him to pull things off of shelves and run from her etc.

So now what say you?

Same thing as before. I hope beyond hope that your lack of ability doesn't lead to this child being seriously injured or worse. Everything you write breaks my heart =(

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take my 3 year-old and 11 month-old (I'm mom) to the pool a couple times a week. 3 year-old wears puddle jumper and I hold the baby. I do have a raft that the baby can float in, but not all pools allow them.

Yea it's really not that hard. I'm shocked to see a nanny here complaining, and even more shocked to find other nannies agreeing with her. Not all jobs are a good fit for everyone and for OP nannying is clearly not the job for her.

You can be obtuse and be a jackass if you want. I know this childs behavior and am accustomed to it, but not while at a pool where he could run near a larger pool while I have the baby in my hands. Even his mother has her husband with her when they go. Like I said I have a charge that just started walking and the older displays very sporadic behavior and temperament. He is already getting treatment for these issues. My concern is safety. If you only have snarky insults to offer why respond? does it make you feel better about yourself?

You can explain it all you want. But seriously if I was your MB and found out you always felt moments away from losing control of the children. If you have these fears at the pool then a parking lot, a playground, or even the sidewalk would be just as dangerous with you.

mb is aware of his behavior and he actually behaves better for me than he does with them. We do a lot of activities together and I have to keep a very close eye on him. He usually is medicated but the last 2 weeks has not been and his behavior has been worse for all of the people that work with him. He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for another evaluation. I am able to take him to the store without issue yet when she takes him if he gets upset its not uncommon for him to pull things off of shelves and run from her etc.

So now what say you?

Same thing as before. I hope beyond hope that your lack of ability doesn't lead to this child being seriously injured or worse. Everything you write breaks my heart =(

His parents have the lack of ability not I. The mb is just in serious denial about what is normal behavior for this age or completely ignorant. I am just being proactive and smart enough to discern whether this child should even be put in the position to harm himself or cause the harm of another in the first place based on what I know about him and the fact that they usually do pool outings together.

I'm not sure why I'm even responding to you though you clearly are trolling and just wanting an asinine reason to go back and forth with someone due to you having too much time on your hands. Have a good evening and thanks

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to be a problem solver. You shouldn't need the parents to take you to the pool. You can call the pool and ask how deep it is, about family changing rooms, etc. You should be able to handle this without the parents holding your hand through going there.

[Anonymous]

The child is usually medicated at the age of 3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The child is usually medicated at the age of 3?

Right? This is pretty unusual, OP. I am not sure why you think that your MB is in denial. She seems hyperaware of her child's behavior problems.

[Anonymous]

I would tell MB that you want to check the pool out yourself so you can have a plan for keeping both of her kids safe IF you feel it is possible for you to manage both of them at the pool. And insist on making that visit every time this comes up.

You can also ask her how she has managed when she had taken both kids to the pool BY HERSELF.

Thank her for her confidence in your abilities, emphasize that you want to be sure you can safely bring the kids to the pool, and offer ideas like a wading pool for the backyard if that is possible.

Also, ask to contact the swim instructor and ask her for the best flotation devices to use for both boys, and ask if the swim instructor would take your older charge to the pool slone along with his toddler brother.

You are absolutely right to refuse to take a child who is not able to listen and respond on a developmentally appropriate level, as well as a toddler, to the pool solo without adequate knowledge of the situation. Ignore the sad trolls!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would tell MB that you want to check the pool out yourself so you can have a plan for keeping both of her kids safe IF you feel it is possible for you to manage both of them at the pool. And insist on making that visit every time this comes up.

You can also ask her how she has managed when she had taken both kids to the pool BY HERSELF.

Thank her for her confidence in your abilities, emphasize that you want to be sure you can safely bring the kids to the pool, and offer ideas like a wading pool for the backyard if that is possible.

Also, ask to contact the swim instructor and ask her for the best flotation devices to use for both boys, and ask if the swim instructor would take your older charge to the pool slone along with his toddler brother.

You are absolutely right to refuse to take a child who is not able to listen and respond on a developmentally appropriate level, as well as a toddler, to the pool solo without adequate knowledge of the situation. Ignore the sad trolls!

Telling the nanny to do her job/something any adult off the street could do is not trolling.

[Anonymous]

To all of the posters who are slamming the nanny, unless you have a child like she describes, you wouldn't understand. I used to be a nanny and took twin toddlers to the pool regularly with no problems whatsoever. Now, with my own son, whether I would feel comfortable supervising him along with another toddler at the pool would totally depend on the other toddler's personality. My son is a dare devil, has no fear, and I must be right with him in the pool at all times. He's 22 months old, but even last summer when he was about to turn 1, I couldn't just have him in a floating baby raft in the pool as he constantly tried to get out, flip it over, etc... and he is a huge kid.

OP, your bosses might be frustrated because they envisioned their kids spending their summers at the pool. I think you're smart to be aware of your comfort levels, particularly when it comes to water safety. I would ask them to take you to the pool, and then address all of your concerns with them and see where the conversation goes.