Childminder has a swimming pool - am I being silly?

this makes me shudder...remove your LO quick. It is just NOT worth the risk. I had a similar experience to Julesnobrain and am now so so cautious of water.

Ah we have a cover so that must be okay. I will check with my employers though - am slightly worried now.

Frannikin - if you're in France, then I believe the law is quite strict about pools and fences and/or alarms. My PIL have a place with a pool, and had to adjust the height of the existing fence around it when they brought the law in, to ensure they comply. They will fine you 45,000 euros if you are found to be in breach! Believe the child of one of the Government Ministers drowned in a pool and this was brought in afterwards. Info here- www.frenchentree.com/fe-lavie/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=10834

I wouldn't remove my child but I would ask for a timetable of getting the pool fenced off and a cover put on which she can activate any time she needs to answer the door or if the kids are messing about etc. If she won't cooperate, then I would look for another CM.

Sorry but I would agree with majority on here and say remove your child - it's just not worth the risk! btw I'm a childminder myself!

Julesnobrain is right -

its the speed and silence of a toddler sinking in water that would worry me the most.

Ds1 is having swimming lessons now and has been taken swimming since he was a few months old. When he was 2, we were at the shallow steps to the baths, I was about to put his armbands on but he saw his little friend in the pool. He just rushed down the steps and threw himself in the water. I really expected him to sort of flap about and keep his head out like an adult would. No.
Just went straight down, I had ds2 to plonk down safely, charged down the steps - he was sort of lying on the bottom looking shocked which was really wierd. No noise from HIM as he went in, but without even realising it I'd screamed the place down and a lifeguard got to him first.
Take your child out of there straight away, I know I would.

Oh my! Her attitude does not reflect well on her tbh!!

Quite frankly is she does not see it as a very real, potential danger then what else does she not see as danger! If I were you I'd either look at taking your children elsewhere or insist she makes it safe!

i am really [shocked] that she hasnt made plans for the pool to be covered/fenced and sounds that she doesnt plan to either - or she would have said to you - fence is being put up in 2 weeks etc

it is her job to make sure house and garden is safe,one of the first things i made db/mb do was the grid cover our 2 big ponds when they moved

I would be wanting a fence and gate or cover installed ASAP.

If she's only just moved, give her the benefit of the doubt and ask her how soon she plans to have it done and if she will be letting the children outside during this time. If she says she will be, remove your child. If she plans to have it done immediately and keep the kids inside at all times, then it's fair enough to deal with it for a few days (though I'd be supicious if she took any longer than a week to get it done, who'd want their own kids around an unfenced pool?!)

Remove your child immediately until the pool gets either a child prof cover or is properly fenced in. My DS fell into a pool at one year old. DH was right there and pulled him out within about 5 seconds but it was amazing, he just sunk, straight down, no sound, no ripple, no splashing. made us realise how easy it is for toddlers to drown.. quickly. Don't risk it.

Definately has to be covered/fenced in!!!

To be fair, nephews are older and better swimmers than mine (who are not confident in water yet). I just think that if I had a pool I would want the main reception rooms and kitchen to be overlooking the pool or nearby rather than some distance away (is big house, amssive garden).

I am perhaps paranoid, but I appreciate the fact that dcs (5 and 3) can potter in garden while I have a pee, potter in kitchen, do stuff inside. While the pool (uncovered for much of summer) in question does have a fence, it also has an eminently un-childproof gate and while I trust dd not to wander ds is a different kettle of fish. I want to be able to relax (all of us) at home. Having a pool distant to the main rooms, with no alarm and get-at-able by youngish children would not be conducive to my relaxation

This is all an aside. In the case of a childminder's property I would expect there to be a definite barrier to prevent children accessing the pool area.

Really pooka?

Our pool has neither fence nor alarm - but it does have some snazzy cover that won't sink if a child falls onto it and it's always covered if not in use.

I'd say if the pool doesn't have some form of safety (fence/solid cover) then you're not being silly at all.

Even our tiny garden pond had to be made child proof for Ofsted, so I'm sure a swimming pool should be fenced in (with child proof access).

Definitely should be fenced in. Would be a requirement of ofsted over here, is a legal requirement in all private pools in France (or the pools need alarms that will go off if a child falls in).

If I had a pool I would have it fenced in, and am not looking after other people's children. In fact, my BIL has a pool with fence round it. And even with that I would be slightly unsure as the back garden is pretty remote from the main day to day rooms of the house.

I am a pretty relaxed parent. I love swimming and have taken both my kids for lessons from 6 months old - 3 yr old can swim a length unaided easily. Still in this situation I would remove my child immediately. Toddlers and swimming pools are not a good combination.

I would remove my children from somewhere that has a swimming pool whether its fenced in or not.
Nursery near us got shut down a few years ago after a child drowned in just a garden pond, never mind a swimming pool.

My aunt in california had a swimming pool. When my cousin married and had children, her husband refused to stay at my aunts with the children until her pool was fenced in and a locked gate installed.

A childminder should absolutely not have any body of water that children can access.

Am shocked she is so laid back about it really

Security to get out of the house to begin with

then also the pool not having a fence around

both issues would worry me and I would want to sit down with childminder and have a proper discussion about it. (Am a cm and a parent BTW). In England Ofsted would be down on her like a ton of bricks (not a fan of ofsted in general) but this is a ajor safety issue!

Not silly at all - I'm a very laid back/don't panic parent but there's no way at all I'd be happy with that

I don't wish to fearmonger here, BUT....

I read a book called "Freakonomics" recently, all about microeconomics. One of the examples the authors use to illustrate a statistical point is that most parents would be uncomfortable letting their kids play at a friends house if that household has a gun.

Truth is, statistically, that the child is at far, far greater risk of accidental death visiting a house with a pool than visiting a house with a gun. 500 children die in pools every year in the USA.

Given this information, I think you have every right to insist on a fence. I imagine, hope that sharing this statistic with your CM will probably make her think twice about leaving her own kids in such danger.

I'm suprised she didn't have someone in to fit a fence the day she moved in.

I remember when I was childminding, and I had a paddling pool out during the summer; I found it a pain to take all DC's inside every time I wanted to fetch a drink or something.

The whole idea of an unfenced pool makes me feel very uncomfrortable.