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How to Prepare for Pool Days by Karissa Tunis Having small children means that trips to the pool are a lot of fun! But sometimes it can also be a very stressful experience. So I put this article and checklist together to help everyone better prepare and enjoy this special activity together.
Know your limits. It’s not always practical to think each child will always behave exactly as expected. Is it possible for you to manage everyone if someone needs fed, someone else needs to go to the bathroom, or someone needs extra help in the water? If not, then don’t go alone. As moms we want to do it all. We also prefer not to always ask for, or pay for, extra help. However, the pool can be a dangerous place for any little one that is not properly watched or attended. After my second and third were each born, I never went to the pool without help from a family member, friend, or babysitter. Whether they came along to be that extra set of eyes and hands, or if they kept my baby at home, I knew I couldn’t go to the pool with all of my kids – all by myself – until they were all much older. 4
Our Kids Magazine | May/June 2021
Prepare your bag ahead of time. I always keep a separate pool bag in the closet beside my beach/pool towels. It’s always stocked with sunscreen, band-aids, bug repellent, ziploc bags for wet or dirty items, tissues, a hair brush and hair ties. All I need to add the day of is our sunglasses, hats, a change of dry clothes, a few snacks and water bottles. Pack the toys and gear. In our garage there is a shelf right by my car that I keep our seasonal gear for the kids. In the summertime that shelf holds the kids swimmies, pool floats, and a toy bag. This bag is filled with sand/water toys. By keeping a separate bag of toys, it saves us from collecting things around the house, and then needing to clean and return them once finished. It is also fun to save these special toys for our special outings. Note – Be careful of pool rafts! I have a dear friend whose daughter is a strong swimmer. But one time she got trapped under a large pool raft. Every time she tried to pop up for air she was still under the raft and the lifeguard could FRIEND US @ facebook.com/OurKidsMagazine210
