We own a pool and we have children. These two things can be deadly together. Honestly when we first bought our home nearly nine years ago and pre-kids, the pool was awesome. When we were expecting our first child, my mother commented about how sick she would always be knowing the pool is out there with a small child. I was than sick with worry about it.
So when our daughter started to move, we installed an extra lock at the top of the door to prevent her from getting out. We NEVER EVER let her out into the back yard unsupervised. We put her in swim lessons as soon as we could and she has had them every year to reinforce her skills.
Than last January, we were outside and our son who was still crawling at the time, crawled right over to the edge of the pool and stuck his hand in. We knew in an instant that we would need to do something to prevent the kids getting in the pool. So I began doing research on either a pool net or fence. We had quotes galore and we finally settled on purchasing the fence online and installing it ourselves. It took my husband one Saturday last March to install the entire fence around the pool.
I have to say that night I honestly slept really well knowing our pool was protected. We are doing the right things with the pool, like the kids in swim lessons, extra locks out of little hands' reaches, first aid training and the pool fence but we still had a scare.
Last Memorial Day weekend, we had a pool party so we took down part of out fence so that there was better access. We all watched the kids like hawks and insured that they knew the rules. After almost every one had left and I started putting the fence back up, my son toddled next to me and in a split second, was in the pool.
He made no sound going in and no attempt to try to get to the side. He just floated face down in the water. I instantly jumped in and grabbed him. He had held his breath and seemed unfazed about the whole situation. The whole event was seconds but felt like forever. As I was taking him up to change out of our wet clothes, my husband and the remaining guests put the fence back up.
After I had him all dry and myself, I sobbed because that was the scariest thing I had ever experienced with my kids. It turned out fine but I still get sick when I think about it. We are doing the right thing yet it still happened. In an instant, life could change so with the pool I never ever let my guard down. If the small part of the fence is left open, I yell about it. The kids are instructed not to even touch the fence and are instantly scolded if they do.
I take them out and sit outside when they play on their swing set or in the sand box. I never ever let my guard down because I have seen it happen as I stood there. When my brother was three, we were at my Grandparents' pool and he reached over and slipped in. Not a sound was heard as he struggled to the side. All of this happened in seconds and I shutter to think if we had not been out there what could have happen. Twenty-five years later it is still burned into my mind.
As spring begins and summer comes into full swing, please review with your children water wise safety and do the right things. Never let your guard down and ensure that if you have a open water source close to your home, that your children are protected from it. Even the most skill swimmer could get in trouble.
I know that my story is minor and that for some it has ended far worst but don't want any parent to have to go through a “scare” like that in their lives. Get your kids into swim lessons, and teach them the rules they must obey with the pool and NEVER back down from them. The pool can be the funniest part of summer for a kid but also could be the worst. I hope that I never even have to go through a scare like that again and I really hope that know one else does as well.
Be safe ad smart around water!
Bio:
Rebecca Benson is a League City stay at home mom who has lived here since 2003 when her husband took a job on the International Space Station program. She followed soon after working on the same program for nearly six years when she started staying home with the kids. Rebecca loves to craft, scrapbook, sew, and embrace motherhood. Rebecca has a blog called Mommiedom ((http://queenmommiedom.blogspot.com/) where she talks about all the things in her life not just those “confessions”.
