Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Funny? Scary?

BOTH!
Tim and I have put a bid in on another shortsale. This home has an unfenced pool.
We were just online pricing pool fences when Kayla comes in from outside and says, "Mom, Collin says it's not too cold to go swimming so can we go?"
Me, "Collin doesn't know honey... it IS too cold."
Kayla, "Well he's touching the water right now, he must know!"
Me... PANIC!! I ran outside, very confused, since we have a 5 foot locked metal fence around our pool and we lost the key to it months ago (which didn't matter because it was too cold to swim anyway).
There was Collin sitting by the pool with his feet in the water.
Since then we tried many things to keep him from scaling the fence: positive reinforcement, punishment, etc...
Finally yesterday morning, I had a heartfelt talk with him and I was brutally honest.
I told him that statistically, 3 and 4 year old boys are the most common drowning victims. I told him, in detail, how it would make me feel to walk outside and find him floating in the pool. That brought me to tears, which then brought him to tears and he promised me he would never do it again. We are going on day two of him keeping his word. Do I entirely trust a 4 year old? No... but we have made HUGE progress!
Now Tim and I are looking in to a special mesh fence that kids can't easily climb since there is no foot hold. Luckily, these fences are cheaper anyway!
I think our conversation really impacted him.
Should I have taken pictures of this??? Probably not!
But I think he'll enjoy reading about what a rascal he was when he has kids of his own one day! :)
(excuse our many weeds... we need to get a key made and get in there!!)

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