Do You Get in the Pool with Your Kids?

L.:

yes, I get in the pool with my kids. I have fun with them.

And yes, I sit on the deck as well. My boys are 11 and 13 - so it's a mix of fun with them and letting them be.

I always felt my youngest needed to be "pushed" to interact with other children not just parents. so sitting and watching can often be the best thing for a particular child.

My boys really don't care. They're 10 and 12. They're busy playing with other kids. I usually get in and get wet, because roasting in the recliner isn't my style.

ETA: Must be nice to go to the pool 4 times in a week. Lucky. :-)

geez. moms get no breaks from other moms.
i'm an otter. i can't hardly stand to stay out of the water if i'm near it.
but if you've got kids who can swim, and you're at a pool with a lifeguard, i see nothing wrong with a mom taking a break on a recliner. as you say, they're watching their kids.
naturally that doesn't apply to tinies. but i don't see why a mom who DOESN'T love being in the water is doing anything wrong by bringing her kids to the pool and then watching them from a recliner if that's where she wants to be. beats the hell out of keeping them at home and then posting on MP that everyone is so bored.
khairete
S.

My daughter is 18 now but we have great memories of being in the pool together at the community pool, resort pools, country club pool, etc.

We went to South Beach in Miami last year and we were both in the pool at our resort.

It's not fun for me just sitting there and sweating. Some women would never ever get their hair wet and go sans makeup for some fun pool time. Sad, huh

My son is 10 and we have a pool.
There are times he swims & I read, times we both swim together, times he swims with 1-5 buddies, times he, my husband & I all swim, times he swims with my husband, times my husband swims with him & his buddies... You get the point....
Maybe the moms you're seeing have kids that swim really well? Older kids that would rather swim with friends?
Maybe that's the only hour of quiet that mom gets all day. Who knows? I don't let recliners moms "bother" me. As long as everyone is safe & happy, what's the difference?

Well, my DD is only 3 and can't swim on her own yet... So obviously I always go into the pool with her! Lol.

I imagine when she gets older, I will do a bit of both. I remember when I was young, it was MUCH more fun to swim without my parents. Lol. If I saw other kids I wanted to play with, I would feel bad for 'ditching' my dad, or sometimes I just wanted to swim around... But at the same time it was fun playing in the water with him every now and then.

I think this is another one of one things that each family finds the balance at works best for them.

When my kids were little, I would be in the water with them . . . with in arms reach. They seemed to like that. I was just another pool toy and felt they were safer because of my presence. Now that I'm a grandpa there always seems to be a child that wants me to hold them or help them swim so I'm still another pool toy, and I guess after all those years I like it. I have been in the right place at the right time because I was alert and caught a child under water. They would have been in danger if I wasn't there and alert. So I'll stay in the water and show my love for them by my deeds . . . and being a watchful grandpa.

Good luck to you and yours.

Not only do I get in the pool but I put my head under! I was at my friend's club last year and it was a crowded day. I looked around and noticed that I was the only one with wet hair. I'm not having fun unless I am fully submerged!!

I love swimming, so you won't find this fish on a chair. However, I think it's a fine opportunities for parents to relax. They can watch from the sidelines and lifeguards are there as well.

Having kids is the PERFECT reason for me to get in the water with them.
I don't sit on the recliner. I get in the water with them. I dunk them, throw them around, play marco polo, do handstands, give back rides, race.....anything! My daughter is only 2 so I need to be in the water with her. But my boys are almost 11 and almost 8 and they still like me in the water with them.
L.

Of course I did! Why should she be the one having all the fun?

I always went in the pool with them. I couldn't understand the recliner moms. Sigh

While I like to layout, when my kids are with me, I'm like you. I ENJOY swimming and playing in the water. There'll be plenty of time to read poolside once they are teens and run the opposite direction of their mom in a swim suit - lol.

Well - you said you sometimes recline and watch so maybe these moms are doing that the day you see them?... When my kids were little of course I went in with them but they're busy with their friends now so I don't very often. In general there seems to be so much pressure for mothers to "play" with their kids while in former generations, mothers rarely played with their kids and no one felt neglected. I work all week to secure things financially for my kids so yup, sometimes I do want to recline while they're happily playing. I don't have many moments like that.

Because of my weight, I'm self-conscious in a swimsuit so I absolutely hate going to the pool. The kids love it, and when we do, I get in. I have to with the youngest being only 3.

yes either me or my husband are in the pool with our kids. My daughter who is a pretty good swimmer does not need us in there with her, but my son who is 6 and can swim, but still not quite a strong enough swimmer to be alone in the pool yet, so we are in there for him. So, yes. We are in the pool with them.

Whenever we go somewhere with a pool, either my husband or I go in the pool with them or we make sure that there's another adult in the water that's there specifically keeping an eye on the children that knows how to swim and perform CPR. My friends are all the same way.

This year is the first year that my daughters are all taking official swimming lessons and water safety lessons, and while that won't relax our rules at all about such close supervised swimming just yet, it will help me feel much more confident about their swimming skills.

I LOVE being in the water, especially when it's in the upper 80s and 90s. I can't see paying admission for myself and then just sitting there. Granted, my kids are all at the age where they need very close supervision in the pool, even when they are wearing life jackets, but I LOVE swimming with them.

I can't imagine that once they're independent swimmers that I'll go in the water less.

When they kids where real little I always got in with them. Now that they can swim no problem on there own it depends. If I have someone to talk to that's not in I will talk to them but if it's just me and the kids or my husband I will get in.

I used to but they're older now and are usually playing with friends and somehow I'm usually so cold. Even if it's hot or something, the water is too cool for me. I used to look at my mom and wonder how in the world she didn't want to go in the water and now I understand. It's sadly become really unappealing... But I try to go in sometimes. And as I said, my mom (who couldn't really swim) almost never went in with me my entire childhood and I grew up fine with an excellent relationship with my mom. My dad used to throw me into flips etc and my husband does that with our kids too. Seems like tradition for the dads to be the water playmates and I'm no where near strong enough to throw them anymore.

Absolutely!
Even before we had our son I was constantly in the water.

I go in at the pool, but sit out at the cold lake most of the time. Brrr. I see nothing wrong with either. Sitting out and resting at the pool might be mom's only rest time that week.

It's funny you posted this today. we were at the pool yesterday and I was "reclining" lol, and I was thinking about a few times last year when the pool was super crowded, my kids were less confident swimmers, and hubs would have the kids at the pool and when I joined them he would be on his towel instead of in the water watching them and I would get so mad because I felt he was being irresponsible. But yesterday the pool was empty, they are both super condfident swimmers and have passed the tests to be in all areas of the pool, and it was COLD, so I was happy on the side lines.

personally I wear glasses and don't feel I can watch my kids well enough with out them on, so I can never go under the water, and it's a pain when they splash me, so I guess i'm not that much fun in the water anyways.

but even from my chair, I am scanning for my kids and I know where they are and if they are ok, i'm not going to totally trust a life guard.

AGE makes a huge difference too, so i'm not sure who you are judging. if your kids can't swim then yes you need to be in there, or if they are under 6 I think our pool has rules that an adult should be in arms reach. older than 6 and not super crowded, and confident, then to each is own.

My kids are 2 & 5, yep we get in the pool with them. Well my husband does. There are many times I will not swim, but always one of us in the pool with them.

yes but not for 5 hours straight though i have done it. my kids would live in the pool if i let them. i also like to sit and read a book.

Depends if we're there alone or with friends. Friends - kids want to play with them and not mom, so I recline with the other moms and everyone gets social time. If we're there without family friends, I go in with the kids and play with them.

When my kids were younger I did, but I really don't like swimming in crowded public pools so now that they are older, I'm one of the moms (grandmas) on the recliner watching!

Most of the time, yes I get in with them. But they could stay in the pool ALL day, so when I'm done I get out and watch them. But the older two know how to swim. My youngest is never in or near the water without an adult very close by.

I do not get in the water (pool, lake, river, ocean) I am terrified of the water. BUT I did not want to pass that on to my kids, they now (14 & 12) love to get in splash around. When they were younger I had an aunt and uncle who would love to "babysit" my kids in the pool. I was never far, either on the sidelines or making lunch. they ask me every now and then "come on Mom get in with us" and I do and I am so terrified LOL i HATE being in water, i dont even like baths. so it means a lot to them they times i put my biggest fear aside for them.

You can't keep me out! :)

I used to when they were little! And even as early tweens and teens we had fun with it.

Now I stay out of the pool because I try my best to avoid chlorine. I do still enjoy swimming in the ocean.

Yes, I am always in the pool with them. The pools we go to are generally pretty crowded and I do not feel comfortable being up on a lounger that far away from them, it is just too easy to lose them in the crowd or get distracted. Many times I am just sitting in the pool near them and do not actually "swim" and get my face and hair wet. The kids love when I do swim and play with them but sometimes I just don't have it in me to do more than watch!

I only went in with them until they could swim. I only like to be in the water for a few minutes while my kids could literally stay in there for hours!

Normally yes. Yesterday it was only 77 and breezy here, so I did not - I watched from the side with a sweater on!

Normally I'm racing them for the slide though :).

My kids are 6, 8, and 10.

Absolutely! At this point I have to because they are young but would do it regardless. I enjoy cooling off and playing games with them.

it's a mixture - depends on my mood :-) my daughter is almost 11 and a great swimmer, plus it's SUPER HOT here. so most times i'm in the water with her. but, sometimes i like to relax and feel the sun on my skin.

Now it is about 50/50. When they were younger and needed my help I was always in the pool with them, but now that they are strong swimmers and spend most if their time on the diving board or slide I tend to sit and read my book (if there is a life guard).

I love to swim, but if I am spending the day at the beach or the pool I am in and out. I may spend 1/2 and hour in the water, then I will sit and read for 1/2 hour, and go back and forth like that. The kids are usually happy to stay in the water for hours on end. There are some days when I don't feel like swimming at all, but just because I don't want to swim doesn't mean my kids don't get to. I don't need to teach my kids to swim because they take weekly lessons from Sept to June, then a daily 2 week session in the summer.

Most of the time I'm sitting on our deck unless we are all in n we have our daughters swimmies off to try n get her to stay afloat n swim

I get in the pool with my kids, and have fun with it. I take a little break, though and I sit to watch them or swim with my husband if there is another adult (grandma, friend, etc) to watch them.

My kids are older and I still go in the pool ! I do laps for excercise !

When they were little, I went in, too.

I love the water !

We usually spend 2 hours at the pool. I spend the first hour and a half in the pool with them, then I get out and get thing ready to go while they swim a little more. I do keep my eyes on them when I'm out.

Yes, I get in the pool w/the kids.
I enjoy it. Makes it feel like summer to me.

For me, I would be in the pool. My daughter(6) isn't trust worthy enough for a "proper" pool. I also have a 9m old so..yeah. As for the little pool in our yard, yup, I get in that one too...couldn't find my suit the other day though.

Usually I am hot and I go in and play with my kids or swim some laps. But there have been times I only wade a bit with my youngest and don't really go in. It depends on my mood I guess.

Yes, but I also have lost 35 lbs and feel very positive about my body right now. 10 years ago, I was 70 lbs heavier and the recliner mom.