If your kids love the water, you may have contemplated building a pool at your home. However, the dangers that come along with pool ownership may have you questioning whether or not that’s a good idea. Here are a few tips that can assist you in determining if your family is ready to build a pool or not.

Can Your Kids Bath Themselves?

One surefire deal-breaker when it comes to the decision of whether or not to install an outdoor pool is understanding if your children are capable of being in the water by themselves. If your kids regularly bath themselves, then they can be trusted in water. While this isn’t the only indication that you’ll need to look for, it’s a great start.

Can Your Kids Swim?

It’s important to ensure that your children are capable of swimming before ever considering purchasing a pool. If your kids have successfully completed swimming lessons at a community pool or during their time in school, then they’ll likely be successful at swimming in the new pool at your home. If your children have never really been at a place where they have gotten the opportunity to learn to swim, you should look into getting them lessons before purchasing a pool for your family.

Can Your Kids Understand the Dangers?

Apart from the water, there are various other dangers that a pool can bring. The stairs can be slippery and cause them to be injured and walking on the cover can cause them to suffocate if they fall in. Discussing these instances with your children is a must so that you can be assured they understand what they need to do to minimize their risk of danger with the pool.

Are Your Kids Responsible?

The last indicator of whether or not your family is ready for an at-home pool is determining the responsibility level of your children. You know your children the best of anyone. You need to determine whether or not you trust their decision making when it comes to being safe around the pool. If your child typically makes intelligent decisions and is very keen on asking for help or alerting you when something is wrong, then you can consider them responsible enough to have an at-home pool. You may also want to consider whether or not your children will be able to help you with pool care. For example, will they be able to help you clean it and let you know if there is something wrong with the pool, like the pool pump needs work or if the chemical levels seem off?

Deciding to install a pool at your home is a big decision. Apart from the financial concerns, you need to determine whether or not your children are ready for an at-home pool. Hopefully, the above information will help you to determine whether or not your children are ready.