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Close the pool. That sounds easy enough. But leave it to kids to find the gray in that black and white statement. "The pool is closed" means no one goes in the water. Imagine Mary the Pool Safety Mom’s surprise looking out on the “closed pool” to find her honor roll Girl Scout floating leisurely on a blow up raft catching a few rays. On confronting her with the boundary rule to not go in the pool or in the water, the response was -- are you ready for this? -- “I wasn’t in the water, I was on the raft!”

The moral of the story is that it is up to the Mean Pool Safety Mom (and dad) to truly close the pool. Use layers that completely block access to the water. Install a fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate, or a safety cover that meets American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Use alarms on doors leading to the pool, around the perimeter of the pool, in the pool, or on the kids. Remember how fast, imaginative, and adventurous they are.

Third, create a safety plan for the open pool and stick to it, even when that makes you a “mean mom.” That’s your job! The plan must include:

• Water watcher duty. Designate an adult to oversee the pool at all times. That means eyes on the water -- not on the grill, but on the water and on each person in or near the water. The watcher needs to be able to perform a rescue if necessary, which rules out great grandpa who would need to shuffle to poolside with his walker. The designated water watcher is the lifeguard. Hey, great idea for the next pool party: Hire a lifeguard.
• Know the swimming ability of each person. If you ask a kid if he can swim, what will his answer be? Of course it will be "yes." Know what their skills really are. Then, if you see the poor swimmer getting into deep water you can respond before they get into trouble.
• Set rules based on ages/abilities of the swimmers that will protect them from themselves (remember the developmental levels in the first step). But remember to pick your battles. No need to break up every splashfest, but prevent behavior that could cause injury.
• Use life jackets rather than the cute little arm swimmies that are likely to float away without the little swimmer.
• Have the proper equipment, know how to use it and reach it immediately. A rescue/life hook is a great $20 idea for every pool. Let’s face it: you may become the lifeguard in a crisis!
• The pool must be safe and the water must be clear. Ask your pool expert to check the drain covers. This is a critical safety issue and must be routinely checked to prevent tragic injuries and drowning caused by entrapment or suction.
• Have an emergency plan. We don’t want to believe that it can happen, but we know that in fact it can. Nearly 50 California toddlers drown each year. Parents should know CPR and first aid. Be sure someone at the pool can perform CPR. Know who would call 911 if necessary, and use the house phone so that the 911 operator can track the location of the call.