Am I the only one or one of the few that takes her twins to the pool alone? My husband works 40 hours a week and I have two older girls (8 and 5). My pool has a fenced in baby pool that always has a life guard station there. I bring two life jackets, two spring floats ... along with a host of other things. For the baby pool I put them in the spring floats and they just walk around in them. If they tripped they just fell back into the floats and not into the water. If we go into the big pool, I put the life jackets on. I also have to say how great the life guards are at our pool. Often in the baby pool she'll come in and play with the twins. All this being said we go to the pool 3 to 4 times a week usually I'm by myself. I have thought about hiring a mother's helper but honestly money is a little tight right now. Evie
Good for you! That's really quite a feat, especially with two older girls so I applaud you! I haven't done it yet and I don't imagine I will any time soon! Even when DH and I take everyone, it's really tough to keep an eye on the three little ones (our oldest is nine and he's just fine on his own). There's also no kiddie pool, though the one we go to has a graduated entrance and really great life guards.
My inlaws live right next door and they have a pool, but I have never gotten up the courage to do it by myself. I always wait until DH gets home from work or we go on the weekend. I think it is awesome that you not only have tried, but have figured out how to do it successful! Way to go!!
I :bow2: down to you. That is awesome! I am not that confident to take my twins into our backyard pool by myself at all. I wish I was!
Our zoo has a kiddie pool area and I will take them there. It's small, they can walk around in it and there are always other moms and/or lifeguards that will steer one my direction if necessary. The hardest part there is changing into or out of swim diapers with both. I don't know that I would be comfortable at a big pool, but they've only been in a big pool a couple of times so it's a lot of excitement for them. No way, no how, will I do the beach alone anytime soon. One wants to chase birds and the other wants to attack the waves.
Nope. I posted about this last week. I take mine by myself 75% of the time. I also have a 6 year old. We got 4 or 5 times a week. My girls don't wear lifejackets. Yes it's tiring but whatever! When I can get my 10 year old niece to come, she'll come. But she doesn't help out all the time. She's there to play also. I'm not hiring a mother's helper when I can do this without one.
Well good for you that you figured out how to do this. I have an 8 year old and I still don't go to the pool alone with the 3 kids. For me, it's a safety issue. Our neighborhood pool has a baby pool that the twins could use, but I don't feel comfortable letting my 8 year old swim alone in the big pool. And I don't feel comfortable trying to hold onto two 3 year olds, with swimvests on, and try and keep an eye on my 8 year old. I'm just not willing to risk my kids' safety doing that.
It is great that you guys can do this without a helper! I'm too chicken to even take them to the park alone, let alone in water! :lol:
I take them everywhere alone. I'm often tempted to charge admission for the show we often give the masses. It's like WWF between me and Lulu and Greta just runs around laughing as I chase her with Lu under my arms like a sac of potato's, but in the end, they're tired...I feel better than I would holed-up at home and the community gets to go home and talk about the crazy lady who tries to manage two very precocious toddlers in public. The bookstore usually causes the most drama. The pool is fun...we too have a very confined area and Lulu is a pretty good swimmer. I actually have to try to stop her from staying under water too long. She loves to be under. Greta just hangs onto my leg like a Koala bear so there's no danger for her. I will say that a few times I get them in their car-seats after an outing like the pool and I have to breath for a while before starting the car.
The only pool we have in the area is so crowded all the time there is no way for the lifeguards to see a child quietly slipping under the water. There's just no way. There is a big chance of being plowed over by the high schoolers running around oblivious to little ones at their feet. Plus our pool has big waves the my little ones can just not resist so to do it with all 4 of my kids alone is just not worth the risk for me. I wish i had a pool in my are that was calmer and less crowded where safety wouldn't be such an issue.
I JUST took my girls to a pool today with my sister & her husband. It was enough to keep all 3 of us busy!! I can't imagine doing it alone, let alone with two other children. You & the other mom's who said they take their kids to the pool alone, I salute you!!! Now if it was a small wading pool, I might consider it, but for sure not a big pool.
I've taken mine a lot by myself. We don't have a baby pool, but all three kids just stay and play on the stairs and I sit beside them. None of them are super adventurous, so it's not like they're trying to jump in or something. It probably depends a lot on personality. They are content to splash in the water or try to blow bubbles or watch what the bigger kids are doing. I love the time we get to go to the pool.
I take mine into our blowup pool in the backyard alone - does that count? :laughing:!!!! No way would I take them to a community pool alone yet, too hectic for me!! Maybe next year ~
I should also note that while the pool I go to is a public community pool it definitely has more of a private country club atmosphere. Most people swim at the nearby lake rather then pay the membership price for the pool. The pool has been approached several times by the county/city to try and get them to join the system of pool but they refuse. I love that. I don't have to deal with overcrowding or crazy teenagers. They also have a very strict rule system which they enforce.
Sounds great! If I had a place like that, I'd be tempted to bring them by myself too. I do the kiddo pool in our back yard by myself, but thats as adventurous as I get.
That's a feat! We aren't members of a pool, so we don't go often. I'm trying to imagine me with my 3 youngest. . . scary!
the closest we come is I bring my girls in their double stroller and my son takes swim lessons (class of 4 boys w/ 2 lifeguards)- I'm too much of a worrier to try and let them meander around in water (even w/ lifejackets). My son had an incident last summer- he's so comfortable in the water, had been in & out of a friend's pool the whole afternoon w/ a lifejacket on. All the adults were facing the pool- plenty of supervision. One of the older kids put a floating basketball hoop in and my son got caught in it- and nearly drowned trying to get free. The sound of him crying & screaming was dulled by all the other noise around us. I had to leave my girls with people sitting near us to go after him. I can't imagine trying to handle something like that at a public pool...just too spooky. I am all for independance, believe me! If I can do it myself I will. And it's one of those things were it's not likely that anything wierd would happen (like my experience last summer) but strange things can happen-- so I just offer that as a caution. anyhow- I applaud the determination & courage it takes to just get out there and try to have a normal life as long as everybody is safe.
Nope. I posted earlier this week as well, but I take the boys to the pool and the beach by myself. Not that I wouldn't rather have another adult around, but I don't want the kids to miss out on the fun because daddy isn't home, or can't go. We have a system down and it works really well for us. I can't imagine doing it with the twins + siblings, but I am sure we would find a way. It's great that you guys manage to get out and have fun and that folks are willing to help you out if you need it.
