Mail Bag

Since I took an unscheduled vacation, my mail box and email are full of questions, so I picked one to share today...

Dear OurLife,

My kids (ages 2.75 and 1.5) love the water and love the water park.  They are fine in the shallow pool(s) and the kiddie slide.  Can the go in the lazy river, it seems pretty harmless?

Thanks for the help,
Waterlogged

Dear Waterlogged,

The water park is a great place to spend a day or an afternoon.  My kids love it and always have a blast.  However, you have to be careful with the seemingly calm lazy river.  The rules say you have to be in a tube and it seems like and easy enough task to get in a tube and start floating.  I would recommend having someone hold your child/children while you get into and situated in your tube.  Why, you ask?  Tubes sometimes don't want you sitting on them and like a bucking bronco will flip you out in about .2 seconds (forget about an 8 second ride) and if you have your child in your arms while getting in the tube, you now have successfully flipped out of the tube and taken your child under the water with you (you might want to let him/her go so the life jacket they have on will allow them to float while you flop in the water like a fish on land trying to stand up).  Not sure about your kids but mine haven't grown their water gills quite yet and don't like going under the water for an extended period of time.  Get a friend, grandparent, spouse, uncle, aunt, stranger, anybody to hold your child, get in your tube, take your child, get comfortable and go for a "relaxing float" while trying to keep them in your lap in your tube.

Remember this tip and you and your children should be fine....be safe and have fun on the lazy river!

Good Luck!