1. Your safety is our main concern.

Your children are precious. We understand that. They are made in the image of God and you are doing the best you can to train them up in the way they should go. We want to do the same. Rules are in place to keep them save and prevent accidents, not to be mean and make the kids feel like they are not allowed to have fun.

2. Counselors are a big deal.

If you have a camper from your cabin in the pool, be there with them! Not all kids can open the gate, close the gate, put sunscreen on themselves, make sure they are drinking water, listen to the lifeguards (although they really should, that is what we are there for) and leave the pool feeling safe and like they had fun! The lifeguards do not discipline the children for bad behavior at the pool. That would make us the bad guys, and that is the exact opposite of what we want. We want for the counselors and staff to maintain the behavior of the campers. That is not the lifeguard's job.

3. Don't pee in the pool!

If a kid is complaining about their eyes burning or turning red, it is because someone has peed in the pool! The combination of the chlorine with the urine causes the eyes to burn and turn red, because that chlorine is working overtime to kill all the germs that is in that gross yellow stuff. If a kid has to pee, take them to the bathroom! Chances are that the bathroom is just a few steps away from the pool.

4. Everybody who is in the pool absolutely has to drink water.

Even though you are in water, you are still sweating! You have to drink water when you are at the pool otherwise you will become dehydrated or fall ill to heat stroke. This takes the lifeguard's attention away from the pool because they have to take care of someone who is sick and they cannot help monitor the pool, which is what they are there for.

5. Food and drinks at the pool make us extremely nervous.

Please, please, please try to enjoy your snacks and drinks outside the pool fence! When you spill, and it is bound to happen, it will either be in the pool or on the deck, and the lifeguards will have to clean up the mess that you just made. Enjoying a soda or a tray of nachos outside of the pool fence is a much better option. It will take five minutes and I promise you that that five minutes is much better than 20 minutes of trying to clean up a spilled mess.

6. TAKE ALL OF YOUR BELONGINGS WITH YOU!!!!!!!!

The lost and found overflows as it is but if every child that visits the pool leaves their shirt, there will be a pile of shirts next to the box along with all the wet socks, goggles, and name tags that have also been left at the pool. Most kids do not look in the box and it grows larger and larger every day. There is an easy solution to this problem and that would be to take your belongings with you!