How old should children be before we have a garden pond?

Becles

My parents moved house when I was 6 and my brother was 4, and the new house had a garden pond. We're both still alive! They still live in the same house, and my children are still alive too!

When we were younger, my parents put a small fence around the pond. We knew we were allowed to watch from the fence, but were not allowed to lean or climb over it.

On the positive side, we got a lot out of the pond. It's nice watching the fish, but we also learned about the life cycle of frogs and toads. We used to love watching the spawn turn into tadpoles and so on. At the moment my boys go straight out to check on the spawn when they arrive at my parents!

The pond also attracts lots of other wildlife, such as various types of birds who use the pond for drinking and bathing, and numerous types of insects.

Children can learn a lot from the wildlife that visits a pond, and it's a shame to get rid of it, if they can learn to stay safe around it.

quietheart

Becles,
This is my husband's view on it all. There's danger everywhere but I guess their garden should be made as safe as possible.
They're so excited about the tadpoles and frogs and we do get fantastic birds in the garden (especially as we're in the middle of a big city).
Safety first though?

Spendless

rovers wrote: »

but I guess their garden should be made as safe as possible.

Safety first though?

I think so. My mums a hairdresser and many years ago a customer of hers bought a house with a pond. Her neighbours small child got out of the house and the child was found dead in mums customers pond.:(

It's a story that's always stuck with me.

benood

Becles wrote: »

My parents moved house when I was 6 and my brother was 4, and the new house had a garden pond. We're both still alive! They still live in the same house, and my children are still alive too!

The thing is if you'd drowned you wouldn't be able to post advising the OP to get rid of her pond.

Sure it's unlikely that any individual's children will drown in a pond, drowning in ponds kills about 10 children a year - total child deaths from accidents per year is about 1000.

We filled ours in.

quietheart

benood wrote: »

The thing is if you'd drowned you wouldn't be able to post advising the OP to get rid of her pond.

that made me laugh, probably shouldnt've, but did :rotfl:

Becles

benood wrote: »

The thing is if you'd drowned you wouldn't be able to post advising the OP to get rid of her pond.

That's a horrible thing to say, and I'm quite offended by it

I'm entitled to an opinion, and I happen to think that ponds and small children can exist together for the reasons I gave in my post. There is no need to attack me because I have a different opinion to you.

maisy-mai

we made a frame out of wood ,added middle wooden struts that crossed in the middle and then laid galvenised inch square mess over the top , this has been in situ for the past 8 years it was so strong she could have walked on it and only cost £25 to make for our raised pond as soon as our daughter started walking.
we were talking about removing it today as she is a sensible 8 year old .

maisy-mai

dawnybabes

We have a 9' x 11' pond luckily its square and raised - I commissioned an ironmonger 2 years ago to make a fixed cover for it - it will support up to about 5 adults and the gaps are too small for kids to get through. The only downside is that cats sit in the middle and "fish" through it !! It cost us about £400 but better safe than sorry ....

hardpressed

Newts are a protected species so if you're going to fill in the pond and rehome the wildlife it's best to keep quiet about the newts!

benood

Becles wrote: »

That's a horrible thing to say, and I'm quite offended by it

I'm entitled to an opinion, and I happen to think that ponds and small children can exist together for the reasons I gave in my post. There is no need to attack me because I have a different opinion to you.

Pardon? Exactly what was offensive? Certainly wasn't meant to be. :rolleyes:

I am perfectly right to use a quote to illustrate a point. I also gave the stats, which in any case support your view that it probably won't happen to any of us on this thread! However, having seen my son sink like a stone after letting go of a float during a swimming lesson and be pulled out blue after hardly any time makes me nervous of ponds.

As you say: I'm entitled to an opinion. There is no need to attack me because I have a different opinion to you.