All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also participate in: CJ Affiliate; eBay Partner Network; Rakuten Affiliate Network; ShareASale; Walmart Affiliate Program; independent affiliate networks.
When we began the search for our first home in 1992, it was with the condition that there be no swimming pool. That might not seem like a hard constraint to meet in most areas, but in south Florida it was. With two little girls in our family, I just didn't feel comfortable with the risk presented by a pool.
When I was pregnant with Monica, our fourth daughter, we had two businesses being run from home. With less than 1,500 square feet in our Boca Raton home, it was definitely time to expand. But as soon as we began looking, the drowning nightmares began. A pool was still out of the question.
Now that our youngest is almost eight and advancing nicely through his Red Cross swimming lessons, we are considering adding a pool to our backyard play area. It won't happen for a few more years, but as we plan the backyard, we have marked out the perfect spot.
No matter how old our kids are, you won't find a pool in our yard without proper precautions. We haven't researched any city regulations or safety information yet, but I have seen an array of pool fences, pool alarms, and safety pool covers. A good friend of ours has a motorized pool cover that completely seals the water in…and it's strong enough for a car to drive on top of it. That's a pool I can live with.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
I saw a commercial for that pool cover! It had a VW or something sitting on top. Pretty memorable. If it can hold a car, it can certainly hold a kid. Right?
I can’t tell you how important pool safety is. I’ve seen the sad, sad results when it isn’t enforced. 🙁
Sure when you have kids at home, a swimming pool can become a potential danger. But I know that some pools can have zones with different depth, very shallow for kids and separated from the adult’s area with the nets or something of the kind.
SueBee, that’s my thinking. I was amazed as my kids ran back and forth across the cover. Very strong and no way for kids to get in on any edge.
Martinscove, I’m so sorry for any tragedy you have experienced. Living in south Florida, drowning was the leading cause of death for kids — and they happened all the time.
Anna, true, there are lots of safe ways to use a pool. In Florida, all year round there were drownings and near drownings. Very often the accidents occurred at a home where no kids lived. Grandma might be watching the kids for an afternoon, a friend is visiting with her kids, etc.
Florida (and probably lost of other states) have “attractive nuisance” laws that cover such issues. Basically these laws note that some things (like pools) draw people to them and can harm them. So if you have pool in your backyard and it’s in any way accessible to neighbor children, you must have it fenced or otherwise secured so kids (even while trespassing!) can’t get into it.
I agree with you Alison. Safety first. It’s true for whatever we do, especially when it comes to our children!
Living in Florida, it’s so critical to have a safety fence around your pool. This is the safest and best option to ensure kids don’t accidentally fall in the pool
Hi Alison,
It’s indeed a difficult search finding a pool with sufficient security so it is save for your children. Have you ever considered a small(er) jacuzzi or spa? Covers are from hard materials so when not used they are not dangerous for the kids and as they are smaller and also not that deep it’s easier to use by younger kids.