Other Kids Behavior at the Pool

IF you are certain that they are not residents of the complex where they are swimming then you can call the police b/c they are trespassing. I know that sounds harsh but it just might do the trick. You could even give them a warning that you are going to call the police. This might stop the behavior all together. I know it is frustrating and as a mom you worry about their safety. And I would not be above talking with their parents about their behavior. If you have asked them to stop doing things that are dangerous and they continue then their parents need to be informed. Also I would want to know if my kids were being a pain in the neck and if they were some where that I was not aware of. I bet even money that if they are swimming in their clothes and not swim suits then their parents do not know where they are. Do not be afraid of making the kids mad, you are protecting them by letting some one know of the dangerous behavior. I hope tis helps.

N. you are not over reacting it is your job to protect your children.You must call the HOA that is their job to see something is done.If something should happen to the children you would feel guilty.As for as their parents go who cares if they get upset its better than having a child dead.If your husband thinks you are over reacting let him go play lifegaurd.

Wow - that is really unfortunate. If no one from the HOA handles the problem, I would just ask the kids where they live and if they state that they live in another complex, tell them that you are on the board of the HOA (or have a friend stop by and do the dirty work for you) and that they are not allowed to swim there. You are not required to be nice to children who are putting you or your children in harm's way. If a child was injured or worse and you are the only adult there, fingers would point in your direction (wrong as that may be). I've found that one of the hardest parts of being a parent is having a stronger voice and backbone. Good luck!

Call the landlord and the HOA. They definitely would want to know about the problem. Not only are they causing you problems, but the complex would be liable if anything happened to one of the kids.

Don't worry about spoiling their fun. They shouldn't be there in the first place. As adults, we have to put the safety of children first not matter whose fun it spoils. This is definitely a bad situation for all involved!!

Hi! I have a neighborhood pool and we are urged to "police" the pool at any time. We've had some parents send kids home who are underaged and unsupervised. I've had kids ask me if I can "watch" them. I just tell them I'm sorry, but I've got my own kids to watch and I don't feel comfortable supervising a stranger's kids and to go ask your mom/dad to come watch you. It's not fair for other parents to expect strangers to watch their kids. And it can make you liable and responsible if something happened to one of their kids. Unfortunately you've got to think that way and protect yourself. The kind of people who let their 4 yr old swim alone are probably the kind who would also sue you if he drowned. My advice is to spoil their fun :( , send them home, and contact your HOA about the problem. They should have someone on the Pool Committee who can help.

First of all feel free to be mean. Please don't let kids push you around, because they are right now.

Second, call the HOA. Tell on the kids to their parents. Make sure the kids know they can't get away with anything! You're watching, the village is watching, so the message to them is "BE GOOD OR YOU WILL BE BUSTED".

If it were me, I wouldn't threaten to call the authorities because when you actually do, they'll know who did it and might seek retribution (either on you or your kids). Talk to the landlord or HOA and if that doesn't work, contact the police department. Some cities (I know mine does) have beat officers for each area and you can ask to speak with him/her and see if they can add some patrols to the area and help keep these kids out of the pool.

Imagine if you aren't at the pool and one of those kids gets hurt or drowns... I wouldn't want that on my conscience because I didn't do anything about it.

Definitely call the HOA and your landlord. Rules are there to be followed. I would call the parents as a last resort. Sometimes the parents don't care and let their kids do whatever they please. That is obvious if a 4 year old is outside with other "kids" and not supervised.

Your concern is about your kids' safety, your safety and even the general safety of the unsupervised kids. That comes first above all else.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

And I might add that you shouldn't give a rat's tail about ruining their fun because they certainly couldn't care less about ruining yours or your kids'! Next time one of those balls shows up, I would take it from them (after ONE) warning that it is endangering your kids. After confiscating it, tell them it will be returned when you are done enjoying a safe pool. I guarantee you they won't make waves for you by telling their parents later because they don't want their parents to know they were misbehaving. I hate to generealize but today's kids have a horrible lack of respect for anyone else's comfort so you can't worry about hurting their feelings. They NEED people to put them in their place, you are teaching them they do not have the right to do whatever they want at the expense of other's comfort and safety. So, yes, see what you can do about complaining about unsupervised and possible non residential kids but in the meantime, don't be afraid to be a little tough. Also, does your pool community not operate on a key system? Meaning only residents who have paid a deposit or something have access to the locked pool gate? If so, then someone is letting them in....

Definitely call the HOA. There should be something they can do.

Yep, call HOA...or whoever is in charge. They shouldn't be doing this. By doing that, you're being a good citizen & a good parent.