Recently, a 37-year-old man and his fiancé who are expecting their first baby recently moved into a new neighborhood, which is full of kids around 9 and 10 years old. At first, they were really excited for their baby to have a lot of older friends—but now, they’re not so sure. Here’s the story, which he shared via Reddit.
One of the first things the couple did after moving was put up an above-ground pool. They were so generous that they let the neighborhood kids play in it—they just had one rule: Please don’t bring any dogs. “I told them no dogs were allowed in the pool as the lining was fragile and could break,” he explained.
The couple went away for a bit and let the kids come over and use the pool while they were gone. However, they came back to a not-so-fun surprise.
“I noticed the water level was low and tried to refill it,” the man stated. “I saw a good size tear on the side and got it fixed. The kids came over the next day with a Labrador retriever wanting to use the pool and I told them that the pool was closed.”
Fair, right? They had one rule, and they broke it, so they were no longer allowed pool privileges. However, apparently, the kids were pretty upset and went to the man’s fiancé about it.
“I come home and see a few of the neighbors arguing with my fiancé. I walk over and everyone starts talking about how I hurt their kid’s feelings by not allowing them to use the pool,” the man wrote. “I explained what happened and why I had to close the pool. A few of them start laughing and demand me to reopen the pool. My fiancé thinks that I should open the pool and apologize to the families.”
So what does the world of Reddit think about this situation?
Most people side with the man. “Who are the neighbors to DEMAND that you open the pool?! And I surely hope you strictly enforce the no dog rule. I’m also ASSUMING you require at least one adult be present at the pool at all times!” someone wrote.
Others warn that not only did he do the right thing, but that he’d be in deep trouble if anything ever happened to those kidson his watch.
“Seriously? The entitlement is ridiculous. OP, you should never let them use the pool especially unsupervised. Anything happens, you are liable legally. If patents want their kids in a pool they should buy their own,” someone wrote.
“Your pool is an ‘attractive nuisance,’” another said. “If a kid drowns, or is otherwise inured around or in your pool, you are going to share the liability. You need a fence and some cameras. If you let kids play in the pool, it must be with adult supervision. And hell, talk to a lawyer about liability waivers for the parents to sign. They may not help (talk to a lawyer) but it’s worth checking into.”
Who do you think is right in this situation?