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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To book a villa with a pool when we have a toddler

26 replies

IDontLikeMondays88 · 28/12/2021 13:36

Looking at a villa with a private pool in Spain. Is this stupid with a toddler (2 years).

I like the idea of having our own pool but wonder if we are just going to be constantly on edge trying to keep toddler safe?

OP posts:
IDontLikeMyself · 28/12/2021 13:48

Just visiting a pool/beach with an active toddler was exhausting, you can’t take your eyes off them for a second! That wouldn’t be a relaxing holiday for me, I’d be constantly on high alert.

SalcombeSunset · 28/12/2021 13:49

Wait until they are 3/4 and have a sense of danger! You can book villas with gated pools or small family pools with a fence which are more toddler friendly. But not relaxing as you will constantly be jumping up to supervise!

Throughabushbackwards · 28/12/2021 13:53

Yes it's going to be hard work. Can you look for one with a pool fence?

We went to a villa in Spain with another family with several DC under 4yo and it was exhausting being vigilant every single moment the kids were awake.

Monsterpage · 28/12/2021 13:55

I would only do it if it was able to be secured a locked so a wandering child could not get in. I specifically didn’t hire somewhere like that for the first 5 years of my child’s life due to fears of an accident as I know a family where it did happen.

gogohm · 28/12/2021 13:57

Would you even be able to use it enough to justify the cost? Personally I would suggest finding a villa/apartment/chalet within a complex with a pool and a babysitting/nursery service for under 3's this year. I went on a Disney cruise at this age (plus had an older one) and it was brilliant being able to drop dc off with the onboard nannies for an hour or two, plus on the day we visited the beach they offered 2 hours babysitting so we could swim etc in the ocean

Marvellousmadness · 28/12/2021 13:57

Have you ever taken your 2 yo to a swimming pool and having to keep an eye on him for every second you are there...

Well.. multiply that by 289443 times and welcome to your holiday

ExPatHereForAChat · 28/12/2021 13:59

We do it often and love it. We've both grown up with a pool outdoors so are used to the safety aspect and the need for one adult to always be "on" beside the pool. DC has a brilliant time with bouncy balls and an inflatable boat

itsgettingweird · 28/12/2021 14:03

In the nicest possible way.

How do you think those of us who have children abroad in places such as Spain and live in homes like this cope?!

Just make sure all the safety measures are in place and you can lock external doors etc at nighttime.

100problems · 28/12/2021 14:03

We took DS and other children from when they were babies and never had a problem. Obviously you need to be vigilant, but they're kids in unfamiliar places with tile floors and concrete steps so you'd have to do that anyway.

Top tops:

Take a small blow up paddling pool so they've got shallow water to play and potter with away from the pool

Get a shark fin float that straps round their middle and keeps their arms completely free

WakeUpLockie · 28/12/2021 14:04

It’s fine, we’d do it, doubt your 2 year old will be unsupervised anyway even if you didn’t have a pool?

BlueShirtGuy · 28/12/2021 14:11

How do you think those of us who have children abroad in places such as Spain and live in homes like this cope?!
Well, that's not the same at all.

If it's your pool and you have a toddler you fence it and you know the lock works because it's your pool.

Then you teach your child all about pool safety and not going near the pool from the moment he starts rolling over. He will know to walk and not run when around a pool.

The child whose parents own a pool is likely to be a stronger and more experienced swimmer than a child who has been in a pool only a few times in his life. He will also be less enamoured of the pool and not be desperate to get in it every moment of the day.

Lastly, far more children do drown in countries where pools in homes are the norm than they do in countries where they aren't.

Laiste · 28/12/2021 14:15

www.amazon.co.uk/Zeraty-Swimsuit-Neoprene-Swimming-Buoyancy/dp/B085ZTJ9VF/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=Kids+Float+Jackets+and+Float+Suits&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1640700347&sr=8-11

We went through the same dilema OP. In the end we didn't book the holiday for other reasons - but i was still deciding and on the fence about it all until it was called off anyway.

While deciding i found these online and if we'd gone ahead i would have definitely purchased about 3 of these and kept one on DD all day every day!

It's true that people who have pools have young kids and cope, but i'd be willing to bet that most of them
a) have the pool fenced off while they're young or
b) have a different outdoor area fenced off for the child or
c) have baby gates on all doors to garden

and

c) are just more used to being on 'alert' because pool + baby is normal life for them.

Being on holiday is a time when you are distracted and out of your familiar surroundings and your usual routine/safety zones and it's right to take the drowning worry VERY seriously.

Laiste · 28/12/2021 14:19

www.amazon.co.uk/Konfidence-Float-Suit-Clownfish-Years/dp/B07P5F6QPY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Kids%2BFloat%2BJackets%2Band%2BFloat%2BSuits&th=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1640701042&sr=8-5

This one is a whole little suit.

(just in case you worry that they find a way to wriggle out of the straps on the other type)
(like i did!)

WhiteXmas99 · 28/12/2021 14:28

The float suits are a good idea - but the child still needs supervising 100% of the time. A two year old who falls in face first will not be able to flip over on to their back. They will still drown.

Also there is the night time risk. Small children do get up and wander especially of there is an atractive garden outside.

shouldistop · 28/12/2021 14:28

We went to a villa with a pool when ds1 was 20 months. It was fine, one of us was with him all the time as we would have been at that age anyway.

Laiste · 28/12/2021 14:30

@WhiteXmas99

The float suits are a good idea - but the child still needs supervising 100% of the time. A two year old who falls in face first will not be able to flip over on to their back. They will still drown.

Also there is the night time risk. Small children do get up and wander especially of there is an atractive garden outside.

Totally agree.

I'm really glad the decision was taken out of my hands in the end!

EmmaGrundyForPM · 28/12/2021 14:31

In France, all pools have to be fenced off by law, so France may be a better option.

Bert2020 · 28/12/2021 14:34

We’ve done it, the issue we found was the pool was cold despite being heated. We now book to places with childrens pools as they warm up better.

Laiste · 28/12/2021 14:36

Every decent parent fully intends to see that their 2 yo child is always supervised.

The realist in me knows though that i'm not perfect and neither is DH. A 10 minute toddler escape into our back garden might result in a scraped knee or a cat scratch or a chewed snail, but an unfenced pool ..... i just can't bare the thought!

CornedBeef451 · 28/12/2021 14:40

I wouldn't do it, a moment of inattention on holiday and the worst could happen.

I know a family where a toddler drowned on holiday, I just couldn't take the risk.

Lazypuppy · 28/12/2021 14:42

We always went for hotels with swim up rooms for that age. Mainly for ua so wr could still be by the pool and swimming whilst our 2yo napped etc. They also were set up for safety so we knew if ahe was inside then she couldn't get out to pool

OhWhyNot · 28/12/2021 14:44

If it was fenced off I would

Not if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be able to relax

My dad has a pool as soon as he had grandchildren he built a fence dividing the garden that only an older child or adult can open

Robostripes · 28/12/2021 15:49

We went away to villas with pools every year from when DS was 1 until he was 4 (not since then due to covid Angry). It’s fine, you don’t leave them alone of course but you shouldn’t anyway. We’re lucky that DS has never been an explorer really, he has always tended to stay where you put him! He absolutely adored having our own pool and was in it (with an adult of course!) from morning until night.

Original poster
IDontLikeMondays88 · 28/12/2021 17:33

Thanks all - I think this has reiterated to me what I was already thinking.

A complex where we have access to shared pool but it’s not right outside our apartment I think would be a better option

OP posts:
ChristmasRobins · 28/12/2021 17:39

We always did this when DC were small. At that age they need such close attention anyway that having a pool was no extra burden.