https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 11 May 2026 12:47:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579252 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:34:19 +0000 ocean81 2579252@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: I love that you said that about inflatable pools. I just bought one and my husband went to fill it up. I was like WHAT are you doing! Don't put water in that! He thought I was crazy. :silly: </p> <p>Water terrifies me. I don't think I would be comfortable. Can they stay at your house? Our house is on a river and I don't let anyone take DD in the backyard besides my husband or I. It's way out of my comfort zone and I don't care if people think I'm a little crazy :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579217 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:04:52 +0000 gingerbebe 2579217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son LOVES water and the pool, but looking at vacation rentals this summer I couldn't even handle renting a VRBO with a pool because I was nervous about the safety issues related to it. And it would be me and DH supervising, not anyone else. So no, I would not leave my twins with someone else for several weeks at a house with a pool. Not because I don't trust my inlaws or whatever but because you never know and my son anyway gets into everything. We have a water table I don't even leave filled with water and our inflatable pool currently just has balls in it because we are paranoid. Let's just say we are big fans of splash pads! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579177 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:11:03 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 2579177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would be fine with this scenario, but I also know my parents &amp; in-laws pool setups and they are knowledgeable about pool safety. (Like, they'd never leave the gate open or unlocked).</p> <p>But I'd be more anxious about my kids in a new environment without their parents for 2 weeks. I think having her come to your house would be preferable because they'd have familiar surroundings while you're gone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579141 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:15:35 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2579141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents have a pool and they have a pool fence </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579068 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 16:12:39 +0000 NorCalWayfarer 2579068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents have a pool and they decided to get a net that goes over the pool for safety reasons. <a href="http://www.allsafepool.com/pool-nets/" rel="nofollow">http://www.allsafepool.com/pool-nets/</a> The other option was a pool fence. They also had an alarm installed that beeps when the sliding glass door opens. They also got a lock that goes to the top of the slider.</p> <p>My 2 year old LOVES the water and he can unlock and open the slider. He can also unlock the front door and we've caught him out in the front yard. As cautious as parents/grandparents are, kids are curious and personally I would take all applicable measures to prevent an accident.</p> <p>PS I'm generally a super low-key person who thinks most things are over-hyped but I've heard way too many stories about kids accidentally drowning. And I'm a former lifeguard so I've seen how quickly thing can go from curious/play to distress. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579053 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:57:32 +0000 jetsa 2579053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In my opinion grandparents are more cautious then parents. What scares them is more than what scares parents. So I'd be fine with it. I have a pool and it doesn't have a fence around it, it doesn't require that much extra supervision and she could always just keep them inside without issue </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2579010 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:34:43 +0000 PinkElephant 2579010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The issue for me would be that this isn't the house where she raised her kids, and she may not be familiar with small children and water safety.</p> <p>My kids stayed at my in-laws' lake house for 10 days while DH and I went to a wedding in Italy. There's direct access to the water, a dock, they were out in the boats a lot, etc. However, my MIL and FIL raised their three kids there in the summers - the girls had life vests on in the yard/beach area at all times, the house doors were kept locked, etc. My MIL actually did take both girls in the water alone; they wore life vests and she was very comfortable with it, so I was ok with it (it helps that she and FIL are both in medicine, so up to date with CPR and all). I think that she did a BETTER job watching my kids because she was in her own element (we live in NYC and she would have found all the walking, traffic, etc. tricky...so I understand the desire to have the kids go to MIL's house.</p> <p>Long story short: In your case, I think that I'd be more comfortable having MIL come to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578988 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:13:00 +0000 BSB 2578988@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: That actually sounds to me pretty safe. Hearing all that would ease my mind until I could see it in person. </p> <p>@hotpink: No, this will be the first time she has lived in a house with a pool. Good talking points to ask her. Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578987 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:12:53 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2578987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom has a pool and can't swim. I don't know if I would be okay with LO staying with her without me once he's mobile. She's goes out on her patio too much for me to be 100% sure the pool is inaccessible.</p> <p>I would feel comfortable if my LO and the homeowner both knew how to swim and there were surefire safeguards to keep him safe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578983 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:08:00 +0000 hotpink 2578983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did she raise her own kids around the pool? I would imagine that if she did she would have a good grasp on pool safety. </p> <p>My MIL has a pool now but didn't raise her own kids at a house with a pool. She is very flip about pool safety, to the point where there is no lock on the back door which has open access to the pool. Now that I have a toddler and a preschooler, who love to run, jump, and explore we don't stay with MIL because there is no safety between her house and the pool, and it's too stressful.</p> <p>You would have to trust your MIL 100% to make wise decisions about their safety around the pool. Will they be able to swim on their own should they fall in? Has your MIL taken a CPR class recently? What safeguards are in place around the pool? What additional safeguards might make you more comfortable? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578979 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:03:20 +0000 ShootingStar 2578979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: Well, I'd ask what her setup is and see what she says. In the house a grew up in the pool was fenced, and the fence was always locked. The only way from the house to the pool was through the screened in porch. The slider between the house and porch was generally always closed and locked, and the door from the porch to the outside had a high up lock, about eye level. And that generally stayed locked too. We never had any problems with anyone getting out to the pool that should't. I was 5 when we moved into that house, and my brother was born there. </p> <p>Lots of pools in warm weather areas also have special pool fences that are made to withstand little kids trying to get into them. Like this - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/j6s2kjl" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/j6s2kjl</a>. Maybe they've got something similar? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578974 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:00:03 +0000 BSB 2578974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winter_wonder: Oh, good idea. They do live in a small town so it would be pretty pricey to fly there (all 4 of us). Yeah, I like suggesting she stay at our house instead. Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578970 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:58:24 +0000 winter_wonder 2578970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pools and babies make me super nervous. Could they come to your house instead? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578967 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:57:10 +0000 BSB 2578967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: No, it's another house. Her and her husband (DH's step dad) bought the home about 2 years ago. Neither of them live there full time since he travels a lot for work and she is currently flying to see us every few weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578966 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:56:08 +0000 Mommy Finger 2578966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was just talking about this with a friend last night. Her mom has a pool and has offered the same. She's not comfortable with it as she doesn't trust her mother to always close the pool gate. She thinks maybe when they're older and can both swim but not right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578962 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:54:01 +0000 ShootingStar 2578962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up in a house with a pool, so I would probably be fine with it. Did she have that same house when your DH was a baby? If so, she's probably familiar with needing safeguards in place. I'd probably ask her what safeguards she had and how she would handle the kids in conjunction with the pool. I assume she's not going to try to hang out in the pool by herself with 2 infants.</p> <p>Are your kids mobile yet? That would also have a lot of bearing on my comfortability. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578960 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:53:19 +0000 BSB 2578960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bao: Trust issues... No, but I have not been or seen the house so I have no idea how easy it would be for the twins to get loose and gain access to the pool. I think I would have to see the house and pool for myself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578956 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:50:54 +0000 Bao 2578956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I trusted the adult overall then it wouldn't be an issue, if there are trust issues to begin with then no. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mil-offered-to-watch-the-kids-for-a-few-weeks-she-has-a-pool-at-her-house#post-2578953 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:49:55 +0000 BSB 2578953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Would this make you nervous?</p> <p>Would you want to inspect the house to make sure all the safeguards are in place before they stay with her?</p> <p>Let's say we decide to go away for 2 weeks (possible international trip) would you be okay leaving your kids at the house that had a pool?</p> <p>One baby... manageble... twins? I don't know. </p> <p>If this trip happens, won't be until next summer. Makes me nervous even though it's hypothetical and a year away. </p>