Keeping toddlers safe around an unfenced villa pool on holiday

[OneProudCrab]

Very excited to be going on our first family holiday to a villa. We have DS1 (3yr) and DS2 (13 months crawler). There will be PIL (but are fairly hands off parenting) and BIL with a baby also.

Ive started to get a bit paranoid about pool safety after hearing some terrible statistic that it is the number one cause of death in 1-3yr olds (think it was the US and haven't fact checked so it may be completely false but nevertheless I'm worried still).

The villa does not have a fence around it and I think the idea was to spend a lot of time in the outdoor shady area that is close but not directly overlooking the pool.

Any advice other than to stay super vigilant on how to keep kids safe and allow us to relax as much as we can whilst they play?

As stated below Australia and I believe USA have these as mandatory. The Aussies at least know the risks as they have a lot of residential pools there. I suppose now we’re out of EU we can’t really push for legislation on this in Europe (can we?) but what price is put on keeping children safe? There is no price. Once a child is gone, they’re gone. The lucky ones are the ones saved on this thread.

My parents friends who lived in SW France permanently had a gated pool but it was easy for neighbours to access when they went on holiday. Despite this neighbours with children used the pool without permission despite them telling them not to do so. The friends were worried if there was an accident they’d be held liable.

I wouldn't go to be honest. You are never going to relax or trust people 100% to close the door. You always run the risk of someone just being a second dashing out the door to pick up their sunglasses etc and leave the door ajar. Also a sliding door can easily be opened by a child etc.

I would try to change properties if you could before.

I don't see how you'll be able to keep an eye on them the entire time nor will other people especially if people are drinking as they will

In the US each state has different laws or building codes. I believe only florida prevents direct house to pool access unless there are barriers and alarms. Many states have laws or codes about fences but its often the garden perimeter, which can include the house. They are to protect the public.

Thanks. It should be mandatory across all states which have outdoor pools.

Yeah, I would cancel. I saved a toddler who was floating face down in the sea once. I almost didn't see him, I was on holiday at the beach and was focussed on my own kids, but I noticed something floating past me at thigh height. I fished him out and took him over to his mum who had not even noticed that he wasn't with her any more. She looked totally confused when I handed him over. It just takes a moments lapse in concentration, OP. It's just not worth it.

You can rent pool fences. Rent one. Worth every penny for peace of mind.

Have you seen Emilie Kiser on social media? She's an influencer in her mid-twenties who has millions of followers. Her three-year-old son drowned in their pool in Arizona, a state that DOES have laws about pool fences. She ignored the law - I guess she thought that vigilance and locked doors were enough. It's so tragic. Anyway, point is, some states in the US do have laws - I think Florida is another - but people simply flout them. Those states should be issuing harsh fines and court summons - escalating consequences - in order to protect children. I mean, what's the use of having laws to protect people if they're not enforced! Australia has strict laws about pool fences, too.

Australia has strict laws about pool fences, too. Europe is really far behind on this issue.

The whole of my kids childhoods were spent holidaying at my friend’s villa that didn’t have a fenced off pool.

We had some ground rules. When they were little, the doors were always locked when we were all inside with the key out of reach. They knew they were never allowed outside in the garden without one of us.

When outside, one of us was always next to the pool. If we had to go inside to get something, the kids came too. The kids also had to have armbands on at all times until they were very very confident swimmers.

I would not be going. The risk is way too high and I would be on edge constantly

For perspective, in Spain, 50 children per year die by drowning, and around 50 children in the UK are killed on the roads annually. So yes, obviously an unfenced swimming pool is a major hazard, but I think the people who are acting like your child will definitely die if you stay in this villa are overstating their case somewhat. I don't see how it's more dangerous than when I lived in a house that opened straight onto a busy main road and had a toddler who was a runner. We used to keep the door locked at all times, and the key to the door hung up high where the toddler couldn't reach, and be on high alert when leaving the house and walking down the pavement. It was bloody exhausting. But having a toddler is generally exhausting one way or another. The holiday won't be the most relaxing one you've ever had, but I wouldn't just not go...