Pool or Not?

I didn't have access to a pool when I was growing up. You had to have a house at the lake or belong to a country club. So I didn't learn how to swim and I still struggle with that now.
Where I live now there are plenty of public pools, including some indoor ones(no worrying about sunscreen). So at home we just have the small plastic or inflatable kind, sprinklers and a slip n slide- just enough to splash and cool off, no maintenance just get a new one next year. A few people in my neighborhood with older kids have above ground pools with nice decks perfect for parties. They don't have a separate fence for the pool, but all the backyards have wooden fences.

I grew up with a pool. It was completely fenced, gated and locked. It was great; the only thing I hated was that EVERYONE wanted to come to my house to play, and I was sick of my house and my pool.

You can buy alarms that go off if a child falls into the pool.

Small kids, small pool. Big kids, big pool. When your youngest is old enough to swim the length of a pool and climb out on his own, that's big enough for a big pool. The cost of a pool is never recovered when you sell your house, so if you're possibly planning to move to a bigger house as your family grows, wait on the built-in and buy a house that already has one.

Just as an option, when we moved into our new house I got a splash pad installed. I had the sam e concerns about a pool as you and we were not done growing our family. A lot of pool ocmpanies install these in backyards now and they are great. Its a slab of concrete that has water shooting up from various places. Ours cost $5000 (s much cheaper than a pool) and there is no drowning concern since there is no standing water. I live in AZ where it gets up tp 115 degrees in summer and have used this since my daughter was 1 yr old. We are planning on havinbg a pool put in when our 2nd and last child gets older (about 5 or 6). Jusat wanted to throw that out there, hope it helps. Here is a website to check out what the splash pad is all about http://www.raindeck.com/

We have a 4 year old and a 20 m old and we're planning to get a pool next year. I wish we had it this year! ALL kids need to learn to swim early on, and there are plenty of safety precautions you can take. I grew up with a pool, and I've missed it so much. I can't wait for my kids to start growing up with a pool too! It's wonderful exercise for them, and you. Kids NEED lots of sunshine -just keep the sunscreen on them, and they'll be fine. My whole neighborhood growing up was full of pools, and the only safety precaution was a fence and a gate and no one drowned. Now they have alarms, nets and all sorts of stuff! It's also wonderful when they're teenagers -you know where they are because everyone's at your place! I can't wait and I highly urge you to do it. Don't be paranoid. It's detrimental to your kids!

our house came with an old (1960's era) pool that we've found to be more of a minus than a plus b/c of the added effort and expense of upkeep. Even though we do all the pool maintenance ourselves, there's the expenses of the pool chemicals, solar cover (looks like heavy weight blue bubble wrap -good for reducing evaporation and keeping water warmer, but UV degradation means it has to be replaced every few years), and the nagging feeling that when you go away on vacation you'll come back to an algae outbreak that grew up in your absence.
And we can personally vouch that having a back yard pool doesn't guarantee that your kids will enjoy swimming - neither of our 8YO's likes to swim (honestly, they'd rather run through the sprinklers!), and swimming is like a major religion in our town.

Check out the Pool School and Pool Forum at http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/ to get an idea of what's involved in pool construction and maintenance

I got a pool when my youngest was 1 yr old. We had it fenced with a child proof gate and automatic locking mechanism. We never had any problems with the pool even though we had older kids who could swim and were in and out of the pool area. Of course you will always have to be on alert to making sure that the gate is always secure and that the kids are always watched when they are inside the pool area. I would also recommend avoiding outside during peak sun hours - 12-3 and always make sure they have sunblock to take those precautions. Its a great thing to have for entertainment purposes and its a great reason to get the kids swim lessons.

i think u should get it and put a gate around it thats what my friend did

aside from a fence/locks (which I believe homeowners requires if you have minors), you can also have alarms installed on the doors to the exterior to let you know if someone escapes the house, and you can get an electric pool cover that covers and retracts electrically, and the sides seal up so there is no chance of an accidental slip-under. Make sure you talk to any potential pool builders about safety measures when you put your project out to bid.

If you already worry, I wouldn't do it. I know it's a great thing to have but wait a few years until your kids can all swim and then go for it. My husband really wanted a house with a pool and of course we would do ALL of the safety precautions needed for it but when we were house hunting, we actually turned down a great house because it had a 6 ft. deep pool out back. My kids are 9, 4 and 2 with one on the way and I know it's going to be a couple more years before we'll ever have one put in our back yard......as much as we want one now, it's not worth the stress to have one.

I was like you and already worried myself too much about it, because no matter how careful you are, the accidents always happen when you least expect it, or when someone else is watching your kids. I just hear too many stories on the news about kids drowning in the family pools, even with the safety fencing put up, you just never know.

We purchased a couple of cute kiddie pools for the Summer, one even has a slide and water sprayer, it's really cute and 100% SAFE. I just know I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at night with an inground pool in my back yard......but that's just my opinion and I wish you luck in making your decision.

Take care.

I guess my question back to you is, why do you have to do it now? Why not wait 2-3 years so your 2yo can learn to swim first?

My husband really wants us to put in a pool but I am too worried about the drowning risks. So we compromised: he can have his pool, just not right now. We've agreed to put it in once our children know how to swim... So, for us that means 4-5 years from now.

Besides, the economy isn't that great... We're holding off spending that kind of money until the economy improves.

I grew up with a pool that was fenced in and locked separate from the house, so there was no way we could go out the back door and into the pool. It is definitely the way to go, we never had any instances of kids going into the pool unattended. That being said, I never want a pool of my own. My husband is pushing for one and these are my reasons against it: We are not in our forever home, we will probably move in a year or two so financially not worth it. You don't get you money back on a pool when you sell. Your homeowners insurance is likely to go up because of the risk. And even if you have a pool company come once a week, there is daily maintenance of the pool. Pools are expensive. I would price out pools, insurance and supplies and see if it is worth it for a few months. For me the extra 5 minutes it takes to load up the car and get to the pool is worth not having one of my own.

Aw, I grew up in DG! I can't imagine going through the expense of a pool there given how short the time of year is you can actually use it. If I did do one up there it would have to A.) be heated B.) add to the resale value of the home and C.) be above ground. All things being equal if you do want one get it now because it is more years your family will have to enjoy it and in the down economy they come cheaper.

I now live in Phoenix, which is pretty much like a toaster oven 5 months out of the year and people out here live in pools!

This is a personal choice. Growing up we had a pool and it was great. We were out there every day in the summer and had friends over constantly. My mother was like a hawk keeping an eye on us.

Personally, we could have bought a house with a pool and I didn't want one. As much as I love to swim I didn't want the up keep or expense and I didn't want to worry about my kids playing in the yard with a pool or going out a window. When they became teens I didn't want to worry about what went on when I wasn't home........an impromptu dip. That's just me. We found a great neighborhood pool and went almost daily in the summer. Still had the fun of running in the sprinklers and a safe backyard.

We've had one, and both of our kids could swim by the age of 3. Locking the gate is a good step. For me the downside of the pool is how much work they are to maintain. But I think that they're worth it. Nothing is more fun. But then, I live in S. Texas, you're in IL. We have climatic differences. I don't know that the work would be worth it to me in IL, and I think I'd be more concerned about safety, too, since the kids would not use it all year and for part of the year it becomes an inticing mystery. I'd aslk others in your area what their experience has been.

We put in our pool right before I knew I was pregnant with our first son. Our boys are now 4 and 6 and have grown up knowing about the pool and swimming. We have an above ground pool with a fence around the whole thing. I think it's much better to get them used to it now then to have them afraid of it in 10 years.

We have a pool and we bought an assortment of life jackets. During our pool parties we can put almost any sized kid in a life jacket (fit over swimsuits and zip up type) and it reduces the worries. We also use one for our daughter as she is learning to swim herself. Great fun for everybody.

When we bought our first house my oldest was two. It had a pool and we brought in a bulldozer and collapsed it and filled it and had a nice big yard. I was worried and so was my husband, even with precautions. My best friend lost her 3 year old brother on a Sunday afternoon because he got up from his nap, went in the back yard and fell or jumped in the pool without anyone knowing about it. There was a locked gate on a fence. My daughters babysit for a family that has a pool and I worry because it is a lot of responsibility for them. I know that deaths don't occur everyday and there are precautions that can be taken but I never look at statistics. I always look at possibilities.

I don't know if this is helping or not but it is my experience. Peace of mind can go a long way in having peace in the home.

God bless,

M.

If you can afford it, I say GET IT. Pools are like kids; alot of work and expensive but a ton of fun and totally worth it... I have finally convinced my hubby to get a pool for next year. I have always loved the water and my children are like fish. They would be in the water everyday if they could. They are now just taking lessons, 8, 4 and 3yrs.

There are risks with everything in life but you have to know what precautions to take and which are avoidable risks. Do everything you can to be safe and protect your kids; then create some memories to last a lifetime. They will always remember the times you had in the backyard. For me, going to a friends or a public pool is such a hassle and not always an option, plus a ton of money.

Go for it! You only live once and your kids are grown within a blink.
P.S. Aside from gates and locks. They also have alarms that attach to the gate or ones that will even sound when something breaks the water, like over 10 lbs.