A Complete 180

A couple years ago when we were house hunting in Virginia, hubby and I agreed that we didn't want a house with a pool.  We were worried that the kids would end up sneaking into the pool area and would drown.  Neither of our kids were swimming at the time either so that was a bit of a deterrent.

One of the criteria when we bought our recent house was that it MUST have a pool.  So why the change of heart?  Our son can swim quite well on his own now and our daughter is almost there and that helps some.   We also realized that since our children were born, we've told it to them straight.  We've told them the potential dangers of falling into a body of water, running in the house, talking to strangers, and even swimming alone when you are a good swimmer.  We've also been sure to make sure they know that if their sibling is in trouble they are expected required to come and find us immediately to let us know.

One of the first rules we made once we started renting the house in Florida was that an adult MUST be in the pool area with them.  They can't even pass through the pool area without an adult at least knowing about it and watching them.

Although the pool at the new house is not currently usable (it's currently got an algae problem), they are definitely using the pool at the rental.  In fact, I'm pretty sure the kids have used the pool 5 of the last 7 days (the 2 days missing were days we were at the new house). 

Not only are my kids having fun and getting some exercise, but there are so many learning opportunities with a pool.  My daughter has made a K'Nex dolphin and my son made a K'Nex paddle boat.  Are you aware that one K'Nex will float briefly, but when you add a bunch together it sinks immediately?  Unless you attach an empty water or soda bottle to use for buoyancy.  And my son has also had to figure out how to make sure his K'Nex motor doesn't get wet.

The scuzzy water at the new pool has even given us opportunities to discuss why the water turned green, why we can't swim in it, and what the various chemicals do to help make the water usable again.

As hard as it is sometimes for me to find the time to sit by the pool while the kids are in it (it's still a bit cold for me right now), it has been such a great addition to this homeschool family and I'm so glad we changed our minds.