Pool barriers-fence v. net

I don't think it sends the wrong message about children and pools. I think you need to talk with the children to let them know what the expectations are and the need for the net and or fence or any other barrier.

We have friends who use the net on their pool. It works really good, but I wouldn't feel comfortable using it unless my littlest one was bigger and could swim. When our friends first got one, the Mom said it can be alot of work and you have to be able to always put it back on when not in use.

KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.

I also have a friend that loves her pool net. She does admit, however, that is a lot of work. Our home had a fenced in pool when we bought it, so I never had to make the decision. But I am completely relaxed having my kids play back there (supervised, of course!) because I know the pool is secure.

Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

I think you make an exellent point about the message it sends. We have a few friends who have the nets and love them, too. It sounds like your instincts are to avoid them, though, and I would go with that. The Arizona sun can be so very harsh and with all warranties/disclaimers aside, I personally would always worry about whether or not the net was sun damaged and might break.

I am also a very hands-on person and I think (in my mind) seeing a fence provides a stronger safety barrier.

I don't know if Consumer Reports has ever done a work up on them. (If not, it would be a great suggestion.)

Mouse_tales is a discussion leader in the East Valley for arizonamoms.com. She is a business owner, community volunteer, and aspiring runner (whew!), who most enjoys her roles as wife & mom. Her children range in age from 4 to 13.