In article , Pia pia.a.reynold
writes
Hi all

I warn in advance that this is a rather long post.

We have quite a nice pond in the garden,

'quite a nice'? You therefore like it.

which holds two enormous ghost koi
(all inherited from previous owner of the house).

Who are at home in it?

However, we also have an
18 month old highly active and inquisitive baby.

All 18 month olds are highly active and inquisitive, and they don't get
any better.

So we have decided that
the pond will have to go.

Why? You have already said it is attractive, and by the sounds of things
the fish are happy.

If it is because of the 18 month old I say no. And that is from someone
who has rescued a child from a garden pond, not breathing, and
resuscitating her.

We have had 4 children grow up in the vicinity of rivers, the sea and
garden ponds, and a Grandson with a pond just outside the back door.

1) Make sure the child cannot get into the pond. Someone suggested a
thick mesh 1 inch below the surface. No, the child I rescued was in
nothing more than an overgrown garden puddle, but face down it needs
very little water. Build the wall up a bit, don't forget that children
grow and climb.

2) As soon as possible teach the child not to go near the water. Do that
by taking the child there 'with someone' and showing it the water. "Do
you want to go and see the fish with Mummy/Daddy" No good 'banning' the
area, it will only be more 'interesting'

3) As a parent you should have eyes in the back of your head :-((

4) A stair gate can be used at the door which leads to the garden and/or
could be fitted to the walls around the pond if you build them higher.
This 'Wall' could be in the form of an attractive fence until the child
grows up.


It's a kidney shaped pond (something like 2m long by 1.5m wide at the widest
point or perhaps a shade bigger) with nice low growing conifers (all sorts
of different ones) and heathers all around it, and it is just to one side of
the patio. It gets good sun most of the day.

IF, the pond has to go for the sake of the child. Get rid of the fish
and then board it over until the child is old enough to understand
without teaching and training.

My 2d worth which won't go down very well I expect :-((

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Bringing up teenagers is like trying to nail jelly to a tree

(and you thinkyou have problems with an 18 MONTH old)