[sjs100]

Hi,

We have found a house we really like which has a large pond/lake as part of the property. It has beautiful views of course and the water is swimmable. Our main concern would be safety. We do not yet have kids but plan to have them and would be worried about the safety factor for our own kids and also our kids' friends. I am looking to hear from people who live on a lake/pond. How have you dealt with the safety concerns? Is it worth the worry?

Thanks!

[JViello]

Unless you plan on fencing the entire lake, of course it's a concern.

However, there are thousands of families around the nation who raise kids near a body of water without issue. It's all on you, how you raise your family and what you instill in your children. It's really not THAT much different than having a pool once they are of the age of understanding and ability to open gates.

I guess we can dress our kids up with a life vest, helmet and padding everyday, but the reality is our children are at risk all the time from many angles.

I grew up with a freakin reservoir across the street and we did things that would make the hair on your neck stand up...but I wouldn't have traded it for the world. Fishing, camping, swimming, rope swing, row boat etc.

[Stylo]

There's really nothing to worry about as long as your kids respect the hazards of their environment. I grew up next to a path that led to a lake - about a 10 minute walk. I went there all the time. There were steep rocks over the water and some might consider it treacherous. I was smart enough to know to be careful and not jump headfirst into 2' of water. My parents went down with me for a while, but by about 1st or 2nd grade I started walking back there with friends and no adult supervision. We also played a lot in the brook that was near our house. Almost every day. The worst thing that ever happened was some girl we were friends with from up the street fell into the brook in winter. It was about a foot deep so she was plenty cold, but fine. We never had any incidents otherwise. That's right, kids jumping across and playing on slippery wet rocks for years and we never fell once. We were used to the outdoors and knew how to handle things.

I think overprotectiveness of kids just makes them more prone to exploring danger. Don't make it a huge taboo or something to avoid and educate them properly and they'll be fine.

[Kristin85]

Like JViello & mkiv, I grew up across the street from the water (a stream that turned into a river after storms.) The only time I really stayed away was when the flood alarms went off which was pretty infrequently. My parents taught me not to go near the water without supervision until I was about 7-8, and then my friends and I were smart enough not to wade into strong rushing water. I fell once on the rocks but wasn't hurt. That's life. Warn your kids of risks a million times and tell them horror stories of what could happen if they don't listen to you; they should be fine.