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?

I live somewhere where many houses have a swimming pool. I would not in a million years go on holiday with young children and an unfenced pool. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Yeah I grew up with a swimming pool that wasn’t fenced but the back garden was fenced.

No being in the back yard without parents and always watched. I brought my kids ‘home’ and they were watched constantly.

I think there is a lot of hyperbolic thinking if you aren’t used it to. I know many many many kids who grew up this way and never heard of an accident.

You just have to be vigilant.

Is there any way to hire pool fencing? Some countries you can.

It’s not just when you’re outside though, it’s all of the time. How are you going to stop them wandering off at any time of the day? It takes seconds for an accident to happen. Who’s going to watch them while you have a shower? How reliable will ALL other other adults be about shut and locked villa doors at all times?

We only ever went to France with young children due to their pool safety rules, pools have to be fenced, locked etc and we were VERY strict about the gates being shut and knew who was responsible for the kids at all times.

As is so often the case the first response nails it.
There is absolutely no way I would be going on this holiday.

The number of adults actually increases the risk that a door is left unlocked or open and you will spend the entire holiday in a constant state of panic even when you nip to the loo or inside for a drink.

It takes seconds for something truly tragic to happen and no amount of people reassuring me it will be fine and they survived with unfenced pools would make me consider rolling the dice and hoping my children didn't become another statistic.

Wouldn’t do it, with a toddler or a crawler. Lived in Aus for a long time and there was such a push for all pools to be fenced as it’s such a big issue

Absolutely no way would I stay in that villa, ridiculously unsafe.
Who on earth booked it knowing there would be 3 young children going?

With children that age, I’d be watching them constantly anyway. Not sure why the pool being fenced makes a difference. Pool fencing is more important for kids aged, say, 5-6 upwards that don’t have to be watched constantly.

Nope. Wouldn't go.
Takes seconds to drown. You chatting with another adult. Thinking the kids are eating. Thinking the kids are asleep. Thinking the doors are locked. Popping to the loo Thinking someone else will watch them. Be the most stressful holiday of my life, no thank you.
If you absolutely must go. You plan who is in charge every minute of the day. You barrier any doors/French windows at night. (But then think of escape routes in case of an emergency) you can buy floaty suits but tbh they tend to instill a false sense of confidence. Get your kids in the local swimming pool and focus solely on teaching them to float on their backs. Drill into your 3 year old the dangers of water.
Or change the villa.

No way. I am not at all risk averse but toddlers and bodies of water are a recipe for disaster.

I would not go. End of.

Speechless that this has been booked

I wouldn’t go. Not. A. Chance.

Who on earth booked this? It's completely inappropriate for your family.

I think you can get something that sits in the water and sounds an alarm if a child falls in. That statistic is from the US where pools are more common. OP I’ve read so many sad cases of drownings abroad where granny etc was meant to be on duty watching the kids or mum handed over to dad and a lapse in concentration…child escaped the house etc .

i think in France pools have to be gated? Could you rebook for a villa there or too late?

This is patronising and clueless "advice".

I don't think I could fully relax with such young children and no fence around it. I would be on high alert the whole time.

Completely agree with the majority of others - I wouldn’t be staying in the villa.

Of course the kids should be watched constantly etc but it’s just not worth the risk IMO - it takes seconds for something horrendous to happen.

Someone thinking someone else is watching while they nip to the loo, a door accidentally being left open etc - these can happen far too easily.

We’re heading to an all inclusive resort this week (me, DH and young DC) that we’ve been to previously and love and they emailed offering us an upgrade to an absolutely gorgeous new suite with a large private terrace because we’re returning guests - and I’ve turned it down because it has direct pool access and it’s just not worth the risk.

There is no way I'd be going on this holiday.

Where I am (NZ) it is compulsory to have fences around pools, am surprised to hear it's not so in France (where there will be way more pools than here)

I've done it myself with similar aged DC, but you have to be hyper vigilant at all times, both indoors and outdoors, and have a partner/spouse who takes turns watching them so that the whole burden of not relaxing isn't yours alone. We were fortunate to have very hands on GPs with us who took on some of the load. It won't be your most relaxing holiday, I guarantee that.

You could keep swim flotation vests on the DC while they're outdoors, but of course it will make them hotter.

Who booked a villa with an unfenced pool knowing that toddlers would be coming @DozyCrow ?

I’d have the in floaties during the day and get a pool or submersion alarm.

As others have said, make sure that someone is in charge and handover proper key. Keep doors closed. Get a baby pen.

Take some electrical tape with you. Tape over the door by the handle. It’s not to keep it shut, but rather to remind absent minded adults it’s supposed to be closed.

It doesn’t reflect well on the owners either (although not a fraction as badly as re the person who booked it!)

a decent villa owner would make it abundantly clear the pool was unfenced (although the photos would have also confirmed that!)

and had a minimum age of 12 for example

No it’s not. Getting the 3 year old to understand how to save themselves is probably the best thing they could do.

To be fair they could even have a go with the baby.

Mot learn how to fully swim, but how to fall in and kick to the side.

Cool
but that’s not going to happen before this holiday
and a holiday with an unfenced pool is really not the time to think… now let’s teach them these skills
that is BEFORE the holiday with the unfenced pool

My friend's 3 year old nephew just drowned in a pool on a similar holiday. He managed to get outside during the night and was found in the pool in the morning.

Honestly, I wouldn't go. But if you do, make sure you're sleeping in the same room and there's no way for him to leave the room without you. I wouldn't trust anyone else with making sure the door to outside was secured... even if you go to bed last there's a chance someone might go outside afterwards and forget to lock up properly.

Through the day, take it in turns to watch him like a hawk. Don't fall into the trap of relaxing because there's lots of adults, one person needs to be responsible for watching him properly at all times.

Wrong thread