Too many children in homes with swimming pools drown every single year. Toddlers find ways to open doors and wander to the pretty water and then lean into it and fall. For whatever occurs in each incident, the reports are usually to the negative. A death occurs and a family lives with that agony.

I was an avid swimmer and wanted my "babies" to learn. Off, I went to the nearby college pool with two young ones in tow, along with "grandma". She held one child and I held the other, as we listened to the enthusiastic older teacher pounce of the safety issues.

Dunk! One went under! Dunk! The second one went under. I thought "no problem, I can make this happen"! Even without a swimming pool in the neighborhood anywhere around us, I wanted my little ones to have the thrill of the water and to be safe.

One pouted..one smiled. Dunk! In the car, on the way home...one trembled...and then violently threw up. The other one "smiled". I did not want my children to have a bad experience associated with the "thrill" of the water. So, we never went back.

But, I do agree with the idea that for any parent with a pool in the back of the house, some safety measures are more important than anything else to be considered. If, you have to have that swimming pool right now...then by all means figure out how to protect your child.