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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Not to heat the paddling pool?

121 replies

justwhiisitwhosvotingtory · 30/05/2017 16:13

I've just been told off again for expecting a friends DCs to play in an 'unheated' paddling pool. It was 28 degrees and I filled the pool with cold water early in the day so it could warm up in the sun all day for when the DCs came home from school.

Apparently I should have filled the pool with warm water or used lots of kettles to top it up. FWIW none of the DCs complained and the only ones who got a bit chilly were mine (much skinnier!). The only complaints were when we asked them to get out... but this is the second friend who has made a fuss...

I'm a Scot and both of the friends are from families from much warmer places so wondering if AIBU?

What do you do?

OP posts:

Babywearinggeek · 30/05/2017 16:38

I heated ours last summer, but DS was only 7 months old!!! No way for bigger kids! YANBU

Kokusai · 30/05/2017 16:38

If it's not hot enough for cold water in a paddling pool then it's too cold to paddle.

^THIS

maddiemookins16mum · 30/05/2017 16:39

I've never heated a paddling pool in my life, the very idea!!
I did though used to fill it up after breakfast and keep it in the sun until DD got home from school.

Cheepandorm · 30/05/2017 16:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 30/05/2017 16:44

I'm a soft southerner and I've never heated a paddling pool. It's character building!

Topseyt · 30/05/2017 16:47

I've never heated the paddling pool in my life. What a ridiculous idea.

Your friend sounds very rude and pub. I'd be telling her so.

Highalert · 30/05/2017 16:48

I always but a couple of buckets of hot water in my kids paďdling pools.

Topseyt · 30/05/2017 16:48

Pfb, not pub. Auto-correct again.

Notalotterywinner · 30/05/2017 16:49

I confess to putting a bit of warm in, not Jacuzzi standard warm but just to take the edge off....

Will name change and/or offer my sincerest apolgies

VestalVirgin · 30/05/2017 16:50

Never heard of this. As others said, the whole point of a paddling pool is the cool water, surely?

And if you leave the pool to heat up in the sun, the temperature difference is the same one they'd have in a shallow pond, so entirely natural.

If the children have a heart problem that means sudden temperature changes are dangerous to them, their parents should have told you.

shinynewusername · 30/05/2017 16:51

I used to add a couple of kettles of hot water when DSC were babies to take the edge off but - once they're old enough to ask to get out if cold - I didn't bother. All my DSc were more than capable of informing us if uncomfortable

I do heat DDog's bath though: she is delicate

seafoodeatit · 30/05/2017 16:52

YANBU, unless you were using ice cold water then I don't see what their problem is, if they find it too cold they don't have to stay in the pool! I run ours from the kitchen so it's warm but that's my choice, I wouldn't expect others to do the same.

Deathraystare · 30/05/2017 16:53

I'm a soft southerner and I've never heated a paddling pool. It's character building!

I am with you, SoupDragon - half the fun of it was getting in the cold water , screaming with the cold until at last it warmed up! Some kids eh? Don't know they are born!

Highalert · 30/05/2017 16:53

I fill mine with Ice cubes.

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 30/05/2017 16:53

I've never heard of anyone heating a paddling pool!

toffeeboffin · 30/05/2017 16:54

Me and DH are divided on this.

DH fills said paddling pool up in the morning with cold water and expects it to heat up sufficiently until use.

I fill it with warm water just before use. DS loves it warm.

DH seems to think there's some problem with this, it's somehow unnatural and you should let the sun do its than, warm it up naturally

Fragglez · 30/05/2017 16:54

So the kids played happily but then went home and said it was cold? How did the parents know you didn't heat it? Not that you should btw!

DM used to fill ours in the morning and float black binliners on it to catch the sun's heat. I always thought that was clever

migrating · 30/05/2017 16:57

paddling pool is always lukewarm here, either it's been heated by the sun, or I top it off with hot water (got an outdoor hot water tap).

I hate cold water, cold seas or cold lakes. I also hate freezing cold swimming pool unless it's a really really warm country.

If the water is freezing, my little ones won't stay that long, so what's the point? It's much better for me if they are playing as long as possible whilst I get on with other things.

I don't really have an opinion about other people's pool, I just don't go in them if they're too cold.

LadyRoseate · 30/05/2017 16:57

Soft as shite here. I half-fill it with cold from the hose and then add several large buckets from the hot tap. Kids love it. They are also soft as shite.

I wouldn't do it if it was sweltering hot, but we're in Scotland and it really never is that hot.

However my kids do like being sprayed with the hose which is just cold water, but the paddling pool has to be heated.

Having said that I wouldn't moan to a friend about it! Their house, their pools rules

LadyRoseate · 30/05/2017 16:58

ooh the black bin bag idea is fab!

SoupDragon · 30/05/2017 16:58

I fill mine with Ice cubes.

DS1 and his friend once did that, aged 5. They transported it from the ice maker in the fridge door to the paddling pool In their pants!

I'd forgotten all about that :o

bimbobaggins · 30/05/2017 17:00

I always used cold water. I usually found if it was hot enough for the paddling pool to come out then my ds wanted to cool down in it, not have it heated

ErrolTheDragon · 30/05/2017 17:02

Heating paddling pool water? Weird. Mind you, I grew up by the seaside and would be swimming in the North Sea by this time of year (and no-one had wetsuits back then).

YouWhatMate · 30/05/2017 17:03

"Told off" by who? I honestly don't know how I'd respond to that. Not well though!

toffeeboffin · 30/05/2017 17:05

Black bin bags is a great idea!

Anyone remember the recent black bin liners thread or are we not allowed to talk about it?

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