Pool: Then vs Now

[@annadaugherty3867]

From someone in the toddler stage, I love this. I hear so many "enjoy them now" and "oh just wait till they're teens" doom and gloom comments. But there are good things in that stage too! Because as fun as endless splash games are, I also look forward to my book reading era!! (And for those saying this is 90s parents vs today, no, this is about littles at the pool. Even 80s parents watched their 3-year-olds at the pool or else that would have been the end of the line for humanity...)

[@powerpointpaladin6911]

it definitely gets better! no more binkies! no more diapers! no more wiping noses and faces! Ill take teens over toddlers any day.

[@kristinanoall]

This is exactly what I came to say-all the “you’ll always wish for these precious days back! These are the best days, when they’re little!!” people drive me nuts. My boys are now 15, 12, 8, and 2, and I love it! I don’t wish they were all little again. Those days are precious, but HARD.

[@sammymullins2014]

yes this

[@MomtoaFullHouse]

I had 5 kids in 10 years. My "then" was crazy times trying to keep an eye on all of them! "Now," my youngest IS the lifeguard! All of the time and hard work you put in when they are little pays off when they are big!

[@claudiamiller7730]

When my son was about six years old, we started going to the health club pool for Friday night family swims. Imagine my joy and surprise when I found out my son had to enter the pool through the MEN’S shower room… And dad had to be the one in charge of the whole pool prep routine - even if it was just for about 10 minutes. That brief moment of not being Pool Mom was absolutely the best part of the swimming adventures I had my family family.💕

[@rieaweer7459]

My brother makes me take my nieces to the pool so does my sister lol they use it as a rest day

[@Sitharos]

I remember the 90’s mom. “You are too wound up today, get on your bike, go into town and swim for a while!” 😄

[@courtneytirak7014]

Our home day care provider used to take about 8 of us in the station wagon AND DROP US OFF at the city pool and then come back for us 3hrs later. Yes, our parents were paying for her to watch us and yes, they were ok w it!?!?!

[@courtneytirak7014]

I'm talking 8-10 year olds

[@katiegillette7562]

My mom will just show up at the pool when we’re out running errands and I’m grumpy or bouncy!

[@Preussfam]

Once my training wheel popped off on the cross town trek home from the pool. My sister, who was 3 years older, and I had to just deal with it. 🤷‍♀️😆

[@ccudmore]

Update from a recent empty nester: it gets even better

[@lf4061]

Not really. Too many parents of young kids do not watch or care for them. My family now wants to sit further back from the pool area so I do not get too anxious over seeing the dangerous things going on with other people’s children.

[@barbkandel777]

The empty nest is like a second honeymoon! I definitely recommend it! ❤

[@ccudmore]

@@lf4061 I let other parents worry (or not worry) about their own kids.

[@SRose-vp6ew]

If you are sincerely concerned, then befriend them and offered to help. Otherwise it’s not anything that should concern you.

[@borntoteachw4028]

Ha ha !!!! Lol !!!

[@zaynamoore]

We have a pool and when the kids were growing up it was A LOT of work and very stressful, I was always on guard despite my kids being excellent swimmers. Now that they're grown my backyard pool is my summer haven, until I get grandkids I guess, then it'll start all over. So, I'm savouring every second.

[@johnnyv9024]

My parents removed their pool a couple years ago because of our kids. They just didn't want to take the risk

[@zaynamoore]

@@johnnyv9024 Wow, really? I know pools can be dangerous, particularly for toddlers, but it has never once occurred to me to get rid of mine. The cost alone, it's an in-ground, would require a second mortgage. Besides, we're very diligent (and strict) and over the last 25 years countless numbers of kids have learned to swim in our pool with nary an incident.

[@cookiemama4]

I was watching my 3year old stand at the edge of the pool just looking at the water. All of a sudden, she turned her back to the pool and yelled, "Jump!" She jumped in and hit her chin on the edge of the pool, splitting it wide open! Hospital and stitches! I child not belieeeve she did that! On the deep end too! I had "eyes on" and she still got hurt.. 😭

[@johnnyv9024]

@@zaynamoore yup! It was above ground though, so easier to remove. My parents are older, the kids are about 5 years old and very speedy/sneaky. They preferred to be safe and remove the major risk. I was surprised at first, but after a few moments of reflection I agreed with them. They still have a little hot tub with locking lid for water days :)

[@trinaq]

I love this comparison, once your kids get older, you're more laid back when it comes to pool visits.

[@toddzientko5786]

I was thinking the same thing but their kids are older now.

[@susanrussell8195]

This is a comparison between 80’s-90’s moms and moms today. Whoops! Just saw the ending. Teenagers vs Littles.

[@CassieCarnage]

The more your kids get older, the more you relax in general lol

[@powerpointpaladin6911]

could also have been a first child vs. every subsequent child comparison.

[@de_fishy]

"I dont even know where my kids are" lmaaoooooooo

[@askew9976]

Remember….There was a reminder on tv in the 80’s-90’s about knowing where your kids were???

[@hanshi3831]

Love hearing nice things about older kids and teenagers 😊

[@anelizeboshoff8179]

I'm in the " then" fase... looking forward to your "now". But I have to say playing with the little ones is extremely fun, but exhausting! Like a roller-coaster.

[@lynnhawkins952]

I'm not gonna lie. I had a large age gap between my older two (boys) and my youngest (now 16 y/o girl). I watch her like a mama hawk!

[@Blazingbeard]

Kim you are giving me so much hope right now. Thank you so much 😭😭😭. Im looking forward to that aspect of teenage kids.

[@AlanaClimber]

My toddler runs up to people and begs for their snacks. I can’t wait until she’s a bit older. Even the “then” seems less stressful than following a 2 year old.

[@burnyizland]

Hang in there Mama. :)

[@missnaomi613]

Running after toddlers is definitely an intense time! My 3 kids are all in their 20s now. We made it, and so will you!

[@Rhian370]

LOL unless you're like me who's 26 year old turns into a 12 year old in the pool and still wants me to "watch his tricks" lol..

[@susansmith3096]

This is my then and now for weekends at the lakehouse! 🤣. It’s so nice to relax with my coffee while they head to the water at 9am!

[@jenniferbates2811]

Yes! My kids are 23,24,25 now, and we still go to water parks, and it's incredible time!

[@jaykayzed5213]

Waaiiiitttt..... you went to the pool WITH your kids? My childhood was waking up to an empty house, made breakfast, put on my trunks and then rode my bike 2 miles to the town public pool. My parents only knew that I was PROBABLY at the pool.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Yep ! As a boomer , pools , ponds & the lake were our " summer homes " as kids . Also , we horse crazy little girls spent our days riding everywhere & then a swim in the nearby pond , w/ or w/out our horses ! 😎💛

[@julieharden2433]

A bus used to come pick us up at 12:40 everyday and takes us to the pool. Both parents at work. We got ourselves on the bus, and had to make sure we were on it when left the pool.

[@lynnhawkins952]

Hello, fellow Gen X kid!

[@courtneytirak7014]

Same!

[@katherinew1538]

Omg the don’t pee part is so real for us right now! 😂 Soooo happy to see that someday going to the pool (and the beach hopefully?!) will be relaxing again.

[@lynnhawkins952]

They all pee in the pool at that age. Embrace the moment as "I choose to pee in the pool". Consider it the giant potty training experiment!

[@laurawhite8563]

"You drank 12 Capri Suns!?"

[@2WhiteAndNerdy]

It's tough when they're little, but WORTH IT so they can become confident, strong swimmers and you can finally relax. Nothing worse than also being scared for them when they're older because you never gave them that when they were little.

[@megangrelle]

Mom of 4 under 5 years old and accurate 😆😂 I'm the one with the party wagon coming in with a grip of kids and floaties. I actually go in the early morning when no other neighbors are there and the littles can do all the cannonballs they want

[@alyssafinch6853]

Oh my lord the ‘Give. It. Back.’ 😂 I feel it in my souls 😭

[@gwynwellliver4489]

So thankful I could take our kids to 2 family lake houses for the summer. Once they were older, chores all morning, before 11 am swim time. No extra bags of anything, just family and nature. Sure miss those days. Now I have a job where I only get one week at each place. It's too long until retirement.

[@amyw.3619]

Definitely in the pack mule season of my life carrying all of the bags and trying to keep tabs on my 5 year old. It is exhausting and overwhelming sometimes.

[@Kath-Erina]

Its so nice to hear as a mom that it does in fact actually get better for once 😂❤❤ cant wait for better pool years!

[@bygraceonly182]

Oh I can’t wait. Thanks for the encouraging pep talk❤😂

[@cheapdad2813]

I always found that about the age they were allowed to go to the pool by themselves (12 or 13 in most neighborhoods with actively guarded pools), they no longer wanted to go. Maybe due to age or maybe because all the neighborhood pools in NC are only 5ft deep, so it's no fun anymore.

[@jennalampe6558]

Thank you for the encouragement and something to look forward to. Currently going to the pool once a week with my 5 yr old, 3 yr old and 7 month old. Husband said, “why don’t you go more often?” SMH. It’s so much work! But love it!

[@julienelson3448]

We used to dropped off as a group of 4 when we were around 10 years old in the early 2000s. No phone. Just a towel and a few dollars.

[@marywilson1948]

I’m 63. Such TRUTH IN THIS😂😂😂. Love it!!!

[@joogle3328]

Oh. I thought this was the difference between 1970’s parents and today’s parents. Lol

[@shoshanaeri8035]

me too haha

[@askew9976]

“No lifeguard on duty.” 😂😂😂

[@katiellis1830]

I can relate to the “you drank all of the capri suns, that was an entire box”. 😂

[@TTaddicted]

When my four kids were all under the age of 7, it stessed me out just THINKING about going to the pool if it was just me and them. Now, they all can swim in the deep end and I dont even need to be in the pool with them! It is so true, pool days get so much easier as they are older.

[@suef6901]

Hahaha you remind me so much of myself when I was young. I was just a little over attentive. It wasn't easy being me. 😅😂🤣😂

[@LynnCooks]

YUP! My kids are now 18 & 19 with their own cars. They met me at our water park. Let me float in the lazy river with a friend for HOURS... glorious! 🏖🌊🌞

[@melrox8809]

I love you guys 😅 happy summer ☀️

[@karladunning4731]

I feel like this is travel in general as the kids get older! So much less complicated!

[@marissawestec3871]

Loved both stages: playing in the pool with my daughter for hours from age 2-14 for hours…and relaxing and gossiping with my 16 year old at the pool now.

[@cosmo828]

Yes! Mine will be 10 and 12 this summer, so I'm almost there! 😎

[@phillylilmermaid7802]

I'm right in between both right now. I love that the book is your own copy of "ADHD is Awesome".

[@l_7376]

As a mom to littles, I feel seen LOL

[@ladykbc9499]

The captions on this are hilarious!

[@manisteerocks7092]

i just think u wanted to be pushed around on the raft in the pool for a few...and just loaf...u aint foolin' nobody..lol

[@saraharyckitalley4101]

Went to the beach with the 17 and 16 year old...oh my gosh!! Not only did I get driven there! I could read and relax for the first time.

[@Zooblox51]

Hello! I just bought your book! We are on the chapter one. I LOVE IT!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@tommyedodson2412]

True enough. But tell me, you still watch all the little kids in the pool as your 'adulting lifeguard mode' never turns off

[@MewsView]

Haven't even quite hit the "then" phase fully yet. Two year old and a newborn at the start of summer. It's all going to depend on how brave I feel. And if hubby will come with.

[@TheClumsyJedi]

Same! 😂 I have to wait until my baby is 6 months old to even take him in the pool...if i can find a safe enough 'boat' for him!

[@TrevorFitzgerald]

The caption "(blonde haired person snoring)" 🤣🤣🤣

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

I was a teen in the 80s, and once she got over the initial shock that comes with giving the child she raised the freedom from direct oversight (because she had an 80 page litany of all the ridiculous crap I did when undersupervised as a kid, and that was just the stuff she knew about cos I was a sneaky brat) she was ready (mostly) to embrace (mostly) having me be out of her hair and having fun with my friends at the pool. I had to smooth the rough edges of this off for the benefit of my little sister (who I still think never appreciated the efforts I made to smooth her teen years 😛) and I did a lot of that, but pool time for me was certainly the cheat code for her to be able to relax (mostly). 😀

[@melissasinclair9303]

I was THAT mom with the sunscreen and rash guards (hello? I have two red heads?). When I was a kid? We WALKED ourselves to the pool from several blocks away. We brought no food. No sunscreen. We had towels. AND we walked there BAREFOOT!!! (and we barefoot outside - PERIOD) all summer long! When we got hungry, we, we had to walk home for a meal. I was the oldest of 4. I was walking my siblings to the pool and "watching" them from the time I was like 8? Imagine doing ANY of that today! Oh... and if we had anything it was suntan oil! I don't want to know how many sunburns I had as a kid!

[@Sara-pb6lj]

This was me yesterday at an amusement park lol. My teenagers scattered as soon as we got in and my girlfriend and I found a shady spot to catch up/eat all the junk food 😂 Our teenagers checked in with us a couple times throughout the day but otherwise they did their thing and us moms did our own thing. Having teenagers is glorious!

[@t.j.7574]

My teenager still eats all the food lol. But I don’t have to watch his every move.

[@sarah-phillips]

Funnily enough, this felt like swimming today vs kids in the 80's/90's. Although, my mom definitely brought sunscreen, towels and snacks but we were on our own, having a blast swimming all summer. Now my kids have friends who all have pools so they go over there during the summer.

[@sophiacrockett6115]

I understand completely and now my kids are in their 20's and i relax just like this😂

[@brandybarnett9953]

The book she was reading is awesome

[@wendycleven6154]

loving that big paisley bag!

[@denisegulledgewahl6494]

I was just talking about this with friends. I don’t even go with my kids sometimes. 100% the best now that they are teenagers.

[@heidij7374]

I loved the teenager stage too! The only thing wrong with it is that they grow up and go away to college soon after 😢 But we had so much fun while they were here! I'm glad you're enjoying it too ❤

[@stephmatswife]

I’m cracking up. We have a 14 year old and 10 year old. Last year was waaay different than this year. We are foster parents and our baby is 16 months. I look forward to the book reading again someday soon.

[@dendostar5436]

Happy Kim is best Kim.

[@monicaalvarez5696]

I live in FL and we have a pool in the backyard, my tween and teen BARELY go in so it’s mom and dad pool time all summer 👌 only when their friends come over are they all for pool time, which is 100% fine with us! Lol

[@booklover3341]

Loved swimming. Hated the ear infections I always got. So now I just usually dip my feet in the pool and socialize with people.

[@ccmoose1]

My kids are 3, 6, and 8. Pool time is the most exhausting thing we do these days :D

[@mskelisej]

I feel so seen! Aw thanks Kim!

[@walkingwithmellow5955]

Well done! Thank you!

[@lucidbubblesgaming6559]

Awesome video. Also love the fact that the book you are reading is ADHAD is Awesome- great way to do a plug for your book

[@Scarlettraventaqua1]

I love the french fry floaty

[@happiestplace3754]

I get it's probably, when the kids were young versus now their grown, but it literally gives my 2 sister-in-law's different parenting style with their kids the same age. 😂

[@sophiebrazzell8876]

This gives me hope. 🥴 Momming two who can’t swim but love the water 😅

[@louisesouthgate5231]

Haha its even better when they no longer come at all! My husband and I have just had a relaxing two weeks in Sardinia... wonderful. Mind you coming back to all their washing and a messy house isn't so good!! 😂

[@christygirard8085]

100% true!

[@amanda.c.ice.]

In the thick of it currently with a 2 & 3 yr old 😅 I love them but omg the freaking pool, or literally anything is such a big deal with them! 😂 Glad to hear it gets easier!

[@johnwollenbecker1500]

Be back by dinner. Or dark. I’ll be out front at 4. Don’t be late or you’re walking home. Child of the 70s.

[@marjoriecook7556]

Yup. Best thing ever…

[@natashaw401]

Great comparison

[@amandagale922]

I LOVE raising 4 teenagers!!! It's been great!!

[@nathalieknight8374]

Wait til they move out!! Having the best time!

[@BarbaraMelanson-e4y]

We weren't teenagers and we went to the pool by ourselves. Ma put us and out neighbor friends into the station wagon and dropped us off at the MDC public pool. A peanut butter sandwich, a brownie or cookies and a tonic wrapped in tin foil because we thought it stayed cold and just a towel. Be ready at 4 to be picked up. No phone to call anyone. It was at least a two mile walk home if not ready. Ahhhh!! The 60's and 70's were the best!!

[@sarahlandry826]

This gives me hope. lol

[@yellowladybug4010]

I just got home from the pool with my littles. Looking forward to teenagers. :)

[@susanoakeshauf]

Seriously the best. I agree. 🎉

[@AkS143joyful]

Cannot wait!!!!

[@billybellfan]

So true! Girl, deets please on the stressed Mom swim set!!

[@vzmkitty]

You’re just showing off now. 😂

[@Draelos]

Oh wow, I didn't realize until the end that I watched this whole video backwards/wrong. I thought they were both moms with young kids, but the chill mom was "then" back in the 1980's and 90's, while the nervous mom was "now" (2020s). I mean, when we went to the pool as young kids, our parents left us alone to run around like maniacs while they just hung out at the tables and bar. Nowadays, people seem to fuss over their kids wayyyy more than we ever did, no matter the age.

[@icedog1123]

I need to to the lake in Chicago

[@brucewallace3860]

Better yet: Your daughter grows up, w/her husband buys house w/pool - you go swim when grandkids are busy/in bed/in timeout.

[@shoshanaeri8035]

in timeout 🤣

[@valentinanavar5173]

2:54 I have the same bathing suit 😅

[@michellemarchant8013]

I have teens and middles and a toddler. It is definitely easier with only 1 tiny person who can't swim than with a few!

[@TheHnbcomet]

Awesome…we have littles…glad it gets easier Kim!

[@crystalbehm4258]

Oh…..I am SOO in stage one. 😅

[@teslawhincop4658]

We were LUCKY to even have sunscreen

[@deborahdipaulo4636]

Right ❤

[@jerryjanik480]

Oh my God this reminds me of the community pool in my neighborhood

[@hemaccabe4292]

Kim, you’re gorgeous! Enjoy.

[@dawnmullen4348]

facts!

[@kenziedayne4234]

It really does get easier as they get older. I can now send my adult son to the grocery store while the other one does the laundry.

[@JJRuby-ry2bt]

What an awesome way to rate having teens!

[@deemont5715]

I love that my "children" are now young adults.😄

[@md-crab7379]

Pool at home , kids in and out all day, gonna need a new door