Why do people still run the risk of toddlers and garden ponds?

[JackandDiane]

We all know it is not a risk worth taking? Parents, grandparents, whoever
WHY?

i am pretty lax in all sorts of areas
But in this one the thread is actually about which is what we are talking about, I wouldnt risk it

Those who says their kids escape. Well do they escape via the front door and walk into the street? It's the same thing surely.

It's more likely my toddler will find a stool and climb up and get a knife, then manage to open a set of locked UPVC French doors.

yes jack I know . I was referring to the way you seem unable to understand why anyone else would take the risk just because you wouldn't

We live not far from where you g twins drowned recently in a huge fish farm tank that was in the grounds of a rented house. Horrible.
My sisters next door neighbours have a swimming pool. My 3 year old nephew managed to worm his way through the fence and was spotted by the neighbours sitting cheerfully on the pool cover - just a tarpaulin, not a rigid cover.

*Because it's an easily managed risk? We never considered filling in our ponds, we just watched DD like a hawk whenever she was in the vicinity, and taught her water safety early.

I realise that depending on various factors this may not be an option for all families , but equally it is wrong to say that all families with young children must fill in their ponds or be branded deeply irresponsible.*

It actually isn't an easily managed risk. Every single family who had a child die tragically in a pool or pond thought they were managing the risk. But clearly they were not.

The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that families with children under the age of 6 do not have pools or open bodies of water.

If a small child is face down in water, they will not struggle. They will stay still and drown. When I was a child, a 2 year old got lost and was found drowned in 1 foot of water at the edge of a small reservoir.

If a small child falls into water, or is overcome by a large wave, they will stick their arms in the air and go straight down without a shout or a splash.

In a swimming pool, my dd who was 3 jumped in right next to me whilst I was talking. I turned and saw her suspended in an upside down v shape and motionless. I have never moved so fast.

The trouble is you watch them, turn away for a second, and then they are under. It is not worth it.

You can buy sturdy covers, or make one to fit. It needs to be strong enough to walk over and not easy to move.

I have had to deal with several drownings (pead icu nurse).
Toddler + grandparents + new baby (mum occupied ) + pond/ pool in near area even next door = tragedy (it's like bingo the story always have certain things).
Not worth the risk I would NEVER have a pond children are tricky little things. A hole in the fence a bush that they can push through an uncovered pond arrrrrrrrrr. I hate drownings. Poor family is all I can say.

Teaching water safety is infinitely more important than covering your own small pond. Water exists beyond most people's back gardens.

I know two people who died in swimming pools. One toddler whose parents were house-sitting and weren't used to having a pool in the garden; one older child who'd been happily living in the house (different place) for years. Both drowned under the safety covers.

The pp who said why start a thread about this because of today's tragedy is totally missing the point. More people need to be aware of the dangers. Everyone needs to be aware... it still happens far too often.
Also the pp who says her toddlers can't open the back door - well one day they'll be able to and your friend's toddler might well venture out...

well one day they'll be able to and your friend's toddler might well venture out

In which case they are just as likely to go out the front door and get hit by a car...

"Those who says their kids escape. Well do they escape via the front door and walk into the street? It's the same thing surely.

It isn't though. We have to live on streets. We don't have to have ponds.

I'm not saying I'm Team "Ban All Ponds". But I find the above argument inadmissible.

"It's more likely my toddler will find a stool and climb up and get a knife, then manage to open a set of locked UPVC French doors."

I also think that in reality, people like to have those locked french doors open every once in a while.

I haven't seen the news but I feel very sorry for the child's family.

I really want a pond because it's great for wildlife. My children have been in swimming lessons since they were six months old. I still won't have open water in the garden because it's just too risky.

Last week my four year old fell off the low side of a swimming pool, less than a foot away from me while I was dealing with the baby. I didn't notice because it was loud but within seconds two life guards were at her side. She was struggling for the side like she has been taught, but it was a holiday destination pool, like a wave machine with a current, and she couldn't reach or hold on. I am absolutely mortified and shocked about it still. She was fine and I thanked the life guards but it definitely reminded me that things can happen in an instant and that young children don't always react predictably or as trained.

My daughter plays for hours in our garden, out of sight. We don't let her do that when the paddling pool (only a few inches of water) is out. It's just not worth the risk.

A friend knew a toddler who died when he escaped from his garden into a neighbour's garden and got stuck under the swimming pool cover. It only takes a moment.

It's just not a risk I would ever take, even though my grandparents had two ponds and I loved looking at them. Maybe when my children are much older.

If a child escapes out the front door, the car will not inevitably hit her. The car is driven by a human who may spot the child, slow down, stop and bring the child back.

A pool won't do this.

Also you need a front door. You don't need a pool.

And teaching water safety is important - but not as important as removing a clear and unnecessary danger from your toddler/preschooler.

When I was 8 my best friend had an indoor pool in her house. I never swam in it because a child had drowned in it at a party the year before.

I've been to several inquests where children have drowned in ponds. Like Nelle said, it's nearly always at a grandparent's house, when 'everyone' is watching the kids, when actually no-one is watching the kids.

Children can drown in a second. You can see them go in the water, rush over to them and pull them out, and they could still drown. I'm not usually alarmist. My own house is not particularly child-proofed. I don't have stairgates etc. But I'd never in a million years have a pond.

I'm in Oz, we have a pool. The rules are very strict here, all pools need to be fenced off, and doors to the garden need to be locked. Even a paddling pool has to be fenced if the water is over 30cm deep (IIRC). Still, children drown, but nowhere near as many as did before these rules were introduced. There was a particularly sad case last year when a child drowned at a day care that had a pool, apparently the child managed to build a step to climb over a locked gate. So there were obviously supervision issues there, but they either brought in or are bringing in a new law to forbid day cares to have pools now. Which seems sensible to me.

My mum was never careless about leaving me unattended but I pretty much went from learning to crawl to running at high speed over night. On what my mum calls the worst day of her life she stepped into the house to pick up the cordless phone and came straight back to find me (just under 2 years old) all the way down our large, very long garden, face down in the pond. I have no memory of course and the pond was drained the next day. My GPs complained about it looking ugly after being drained!!!

Everyone intends to be 100 per cent attentive to their children at all times, but most people slip up from time to time, and that's when accidents happen. So, I'm happy to have a fenced pool in my garden, there is no way into my garden unless you climb a 6 foot wall or go through a locked door, also my kid is a teenager. I would not be happy to have an uncovered /unfenced pond on my property, especially if I had little kids around. It only take a minute for them to drown.

Kids drown in toilets as well. Another reason to Keep those lids down.

Notness, couldn't read and not give sorry for your loss.

I also think that in reality, people like to have those locked french doors open every once in a while.

Actually no I don't open it. If I want air, I open the windows. Clothes are dried in the conservatory or in the drier. Why would I open the doors? I don't use the garden.

Teaching water safety is infinitely more important than covering your own small pond.

I've found it's actually possible to two things that aren't mutually exclusive.

As PPs have said, teaching water safety is vital, but doesn't prevent all unpredictable accidents and events.

Agh, my parents have an enormous "natural" pond thing plus a raised pond. It drives me crazy. Three grandkids at the moment (one on the way). No one in my family seems to take me seriously when I bang on about the dangers. Particularly (as a PP said) at their house, everyone and no one is supervising the kids. I spend whole time on hyper vigilant pond watch. When mine is old enough to toddle, I'm going to refuse to Do anything til there's a fence round the large one and a cover on the raised one.