Kids pool hopping

[DizBelle]

Pool hopping was one of our favorite summer pastimes growing up I'm not defending the kids, just saying it doesn't make them "delinquents" for trying to have some fun. Yes, it's trespassing and yes, it's wrong but they are teenagers and it's their job to break the rules and your job to catch them and then scare the bejezzus out of em

One difference is that we live in a beach community and only pool-hopped at the hotel pools along the beach. We'd actually start at one end and hit as many pools as we could down the stretch.

I can attest to the dangerousness of this though. I broke my two front teeth by diving in at pitch black to a pool with shallow water. Yup, lucky I didn't kill myself. My parents didn't sue because it was entirely my fault and people weren't so sue happy in the 70s. I hate to think that a family can sue if their kid trespasses into your pool.

We did lots of crazy things growing up, this being one of the most fun. Another was climbing the town water tower or jumping off the railroad bridge into the river.

FWIW, I'd kill my kids if I caught them doing the things we did but again, it's their job to break the rules and my job to catch them

What happened to the job of the parent to teach their kids to not break rules?

Oh, that's right, parenting has gone out the window these days.

 

[PatsGirl]

What happened to the job of the parent to teach their kids to not break rules?

Oh, that's right, parenting has gone out the window these days.

Yes, first its our job to teach them not to break the rules, then it's our job to catch them when they do If you are raising kids that never break the rules, kudos to you. I have one that tried to get away with everything he could and one that respects my guidance and discipline. FWIW, I don't tell the kids to try and break the rules, duhhhhh, I just recognize that some kids will! My parenting skills are not a debate here but my parents probably could have kept better tabs on us

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

What happened to the job of the parent to teach their kids to not break rules?

Oh, that's right, parenting has gone out the window these days.

Kids have been breaking rules for generations.

 

[Uuaww]

Get Barbed wire for your pool fence, 6 feet is good. Leave the gate open and once they are all in, sneak out and lock them in the pool area. Leave them there for a day, if they fall asleep, spray them with a hose.

 

[mhsjax]

Sure it is rude. But this is kids that is being discussed. I guess like many many many people out there, you've obviously forgotten that you were once a kid as well.


Fixed that last statement for you. You can't possibly know what is going on in the middle of the night unless you are posting out and watching at all times.

Well my pool is right outside my bedroom window and trust me my dog who sleeps with us would know. I can pretty much guarantee you that on one from my neighborhood has jumped in without us knowing. The teenager next door even asked if he can use our basketball hoop everytime, even though we told him it was ok whenever he wanted to use it

And really, why so rude, no I haven't forgotten what it was like to be a kid, we just didn't do those types of things.

 

[Darsa]

Wow, I must have been a saaad excuse for a kid. I would never have jumped into someone else's pool, on someone else's property... that just screams invasion of privacy to me, and probably would have back then too.

Yeah, I was a pretty boring kid.

Honestly, I knew as soon as someone mentioned the "hot coffee" issue this whole thing would start to derail. I really think that kids sneaking into a pool at night is a bigger issue than hot coffee, especially if something happens to those kids; how easily they could die.

As a parent now, I'd be MORTIFIED if my DD decided to pull something like that, though I know for a fact she wouldn't; she's boring like me. Not to mention, she respects other people's property & privacy.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yes, first its our job to teach them not to break the rules, then it's our job to catch them when they do If you are raising kids that never break the rules, kudos to you. I have one that tried to get away with everything he could and one that respects my guidance and discipline. FWIW, I don't tell the kids to try and break the rules, duhhhhh, I just recognize that some kids will! My parenting skills are not a debate here but my parents probably could have kept better tabs on us

My parents were very strict, which is why I rebelled behind their backs!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I was a kid like you, Darsa, I didn't climb into people's pools, or break many rules at all. I strongly suspect my kid will be the same way -- some of it is my splendid parenting, but a fair amount is just his personality. I'm pretty much a free range parent, and I know that if he does get into trouble people will point to that and say that's why. In contrast, if I'd helicoptered more, people would have blamed that. But in reality, personality plays a big role in why kids test limits.

But I also know that my generation, and my parents generation had kids that did do those things, or equally ridiculous things. Some of those kids come from parents who set no limits, and some don't Kids who break the rules are not something new, or related to some trend in parenting, and neither are adults who view the past through rose colored glasses and seem to forget that no generation was perfect.

My saying that sometimes kids pool hop, isn't to say that they should do that, or that we should excuse it or allow it, or not provide consequences, but that if they do it, and you don't want them to, one should probably take actions. Calling the police, or their parents if you know, them, or scaring them somehow, or talking to them nicely and asking them not to, all of these strategies will work if it's just one group of kids. However if someone wanted to protect their pool and themself, whether it's from being woken up, or from the liability if someone drowns, locking the fence might be the prudent thing to do.

 

[NotUrsula]

Two words. Blue dye.

That would keep any kids from jumping in without asking in the future.

LOL. I can attest to this. My workplace has a large 3 ft. deep reflecting pool in front. There is shrubbery that screens it from the street.

I was surprised when I first came that we didn't have more of a problem with kids swimming in it at night. That's when the maintenance folks told me that the water is dyed. Tee-hee.

 

[Pakey]

This happened at one of my very best friend's home. She and her family were on vacation in Hawaii. Here, everyone has 6 ft fences with locks around the property.

Some kids pushed garbage cans up against the 6 ft fence and climbed it. One of them drowned. The girl who drowned was from Texas and was visiting her cousins here for the summer.

The parents sued of course. My friend has an umbrella policy; I have no idea if a settlement was reached.

 

[arminnie]

The whole "what the F are you doing here" response seems a bit much, IMO, since this is the first time these kids have been seen.

Not my choice of words - but not too much at all. I'd have probably said way more than that. I would have been FURIOUS and scared unless they were really little.

In many states, the is what's called a "castle law" that allows a homeowner to shoot someone they percieve a threat in thier home as well.

Yes - and it could be very scary for a woman alone to be confronted by some 16 year old boys. Not saying that they should be shot - but in that circumstances it would be pretty easy to come up with a self defense plea.

I was in my second story bedroom one night when I saw a man's shadow in my window. It turned out to be some teenagers on the roof (townhouse so no real distinct boundary for them to know they had moved to the next unit). I called the cops - I'm not really going to go outside and confront a man who may be trying to break in! The kids realized very quickly that they were in the wrong place (I probably screamed - it's been a long time ago). But when I talked to them they were terrified as they thought they were about to be shot by a homeowner.

I don't have a gun - but if I did I don't think I'd hesitate to shoot someone that I thought was coming in my home. I don't think I'd wait until he got inside and then decide to ask questions.

I would strongly advise kids NOT to do this. The average homeowner is not going to shoot them, but with all of those security ads on TV some people are really jumpy, and there are a LOT of guns out there.

 

[RadioFanatic]

In many states, the is what's called a "castle law" that allows a homeowner to shoot someone they percieve a threat in thier home as well. .

NY is one of those states, recently, one of our local well-loved teachers was in Buffalo to attend a jack/jill baby shower for good friends. He was shot and killed when found in the next door neighbors' house (which the homeowners' left unlocked); and didn't answer their calls to leave. They checked his blood levels which showed he was drunk. They think he went to bed with his wife, sleepwalked out the house and got lost, going into the neighbors' home instead of his friends. The homeowner was not charged bc of this law. It was very sad.

 

[disykat]

Wow, I must have been a saaad excuse for a kid. I would never have jumped into someone else's pool, on someone else's property... that just screams invasion of privacy to me, and probably would have back then too.

Yeah, I was a pretty boring kid.

.

Me too! We could hear the pool noise from two pools in our neighborhood and, as envious as we were, we would NEVER have tried to pool hop or even invite ourselves over to swim.

 

[AustinTink]

Honestly, I'd call the cops on them. Maybe pool hopping is no big deal to many, but, if i paid 30k to install a pool on my property, you had better believe I don't want some uninvited guest hopping in it.

But, then again, we called the cops when we finally caught the teens who were ringing our doorbell between midnight and 3am for a month. Ok, let me have it now.... kids will be kids. Let them wake up you your child and elderly mother every night because they are kids, by God, and they need to blow off steam and break the rules. Baloney!

We all did it. Err, no... I didn't. My husband didn't. It's a shame we have such low standards for kids these days.

 

[Missy1961]

Honestly, I'd call the cops on them. Maybe pool hopping is no big deal to many, but, if i paid 30k to install a pool on my property, you had better believe I don't want some uninvited guest hopping in it.

But, then again, we called the cops when we finally caught the teens who were ringing our doorbell between midnight and 3am for a month. Ok, let me have it now.... kids will be kids. Let them wake up you your child and elderly mother every night because they are kids, by God, and they need to blow off steam and break the rules. Baloney!

We all did it. Err, no... I didn't. My husband didn't. It's a shame we have such low standards for kids these days.

Exactly. Sorry, I don't have to let a kid ruin my sleep, swim in my pool, etc. And the majority of kids don't do these things. So why should the ones that do it get away with it?

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Sure it is rude. But this is kids that is being discussed. I guess like many many many people out there, you've obviously forgotten that you were once a kid as well.


Fixed that last statement for you. You can't possibly know what is going on in the middle of the night unless you are posting out and watching at all times.

Actually, I never jumped into someone's pool without asking. I never went into another person's backyard without permission. I was taught that you don't do that. Period.
I was taught that it's too dangerous to jump into strange pools in the dark. Especially without asking first.

Of course, I also knew that if I did something like that, I'd get my butt beat when I got home. It didn't matter how old I was either.

What happened to the job of the parent to teach their kids to not break rules?

Oh, that's right, parenting has gone out the window these days.

Exactly. It's actually one thing to break rules, it's completely something else when you break safety rules.

 

[mjkacmom]

Honestly, I'd call the cops on them. Maybe pool hopping is no big deal to many, but, if i paid 30k to install a pool on my property, you had better believe I don't want some uninvited guest hopping in it.

But, then again, we called the cops when we finally caught the teens who were ringing our doorbell between midnight and 3am for a month. Ok, let me have it now.... kids will be kids. Let them wake up you your child and elderly mother every night because they are kids, by God, and they need to blow off steam and break the rules. Baloney!

We all did it. Err, no... I didn't. My husband didn't. It's a shame we have such low standards for kids these days.

I don't think anyone is saying it's okay to break the rules - I would've done the same thing if I was the OP, and if it happened again, I'd call the cops. I think kids are actually behaving better these days because laws and parents have become stricter (my parents had pool hoppers every summer when I was growing up, but haven't had one in years - and if they called the cops back then, I don't think they would've done anything, but would now).

The point is I'm not surprised when I hear stories like, because kids are known to make poor choices, especially when with their friends. It just takes one jokester to get good kids to do stupid things.

I think every generations says "kids these days," and I'm sure the generation before us says "parents these days."

 

[dawson5]

Some of these responses are so great. A private property sign- really?? I think everyone knows a private home is just that- private. Should stores post a sign saying payment is not optional? I mean, there is a price tag but how do I know I have to pay? Sheesh

My mother owns a home across the street from Lake Erie. On the 4th a few years back, she came home to her driveway full of cars. She called the police and they said there was nothing they could do unless she had had a "no parking" sign up. Next day she bought one, hasn't had a problem since. It seems stupid, her house, her drive and even her lawn but she needed that for the police to do something.

Also when we were kids, we had a pool. My dad busted kids skinny dipping one night, he took their clothes. They had to go streaking through the neighborhood.

 

[Darsa]

Also when we were kids, we had a pool. My dad busted kids skinny dipping one night, he took their clothes. They had to go streaking through the neighborhood.

Good for him!

 

[arminnie]

Also when we were kids, we had a pool. My dad busted kids skinny dipping one night, he took their clothes. They had to go streaking through the neighborhood.

That's good. Might be even more interesting in today's world with all the phones that take pictures.