Boats and LOs

LaurelBee · June 2013

Do you/would you allow your LO on a boat? Obviously with a life jacket.

Eta I will not be bringing Dd on the boat, but I'm wondering about Ds.

LaceFace14 · June 2013

Yes. With life jackets of course. DS was just 1 last year on them and DD was 4. In a couple of weeks DD2 will have her first ride. She's 6 months on Friday.

barnwife · June 2013

This is an honest question from a lurker on this board: If the LO has a life jacket, and there is adult supervision that you trust, why wouldn't you?

stally11 · June 2013

We are boaters, my parents have a pontoon and a houseboat. DS has been boating with us since he was 4 months. (he is now 2) Heading down for our first trip this year on Friday. DS is very excited, this is the first year I'm taking him out on the jet ski! We began taking him as a newborn because we go several times a summer. I was raised with a respect for the water and boats, always wearing a life jacket (until the appropriate age), and water safety. We do have him wear his life jacket in the pool periodically and at the Y during the winter, so he is continually used to it. He never fusses about having to wear i

NotSharknado · June 2013

I read this as Boats And Hos.

Mrs.V · June 2013

Yes! Sailing is a big part of DHs life and therefore ours. The boys have been on boats since they were babies. We raced with DH yesterday for Father's Day.

saraboston · June 2013

I'll be honest, it's probably fine, but it completely freaks me out. I can't do it.

kcisthebombdotcom · June 2013

Both of my kids have been out on boats as young as six months old.

LaurelBee · June 2013

shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.

ha! Love it!

I guess my main concern is my Fil will be driving the boat. He is well, incapable of accepting he is wrong in any capacity. He isn't allowed to babysit bc we do not trust him to make decisions that is best for our kids and/or the choice Dh and I would make. So I'm trying to decide if I trust him to captain a speed boat with my son on board. I'm not comfortable bringing Dd on any boat just yet... Dh thinks Ds should be allowed to go on the boat as long as he or I are on the boat too.

New question- do you insist your LO wear a life vest on the pier/dock? Even if he's not getting on the boat?

stally11 · June 2013

Yes. the marina we stay at require all kids under 9 to wear a like jacket on the docks.

ilovemygirls · June 2013

LaurelBee:
shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.
ha! Love it!
I guess my main concern is my Fil will be driving the boat. He is well, incapable of accepting he is wrong in any capacity. He isn't allowed to babysit bc we do not trust him to make decisions that is best for our kids and/or the choice Dh and I would make. So I'm trying to decide if I trust him to captain a speed boat with my son on board. I'm not comfortable bringing Dd on any boat just yet... Dh thinks Ds should be allowed to go on the boat as long as he or I are on the boat too.
New question- do you insist your LO wear a life vest on the pier/dock? Even if he's not getting on the boat?

First off, we are boaters & my kids have been on the boat since they were 6mos old & 6 weeks old, respectively. I get that not everyone is so comfortable with it. But yes, my kids must wear their life jackets on the dock & at all times on/near the water. I guess I'm still a little confused as to what he could do that would be so bad? Now, if he's going to drink alcohol & drive the boat- no way. But if he's an experienced boat driver & knows the body of water he'll be on, I'm not sure what the issue is? And for sure, if you won't let him babysit then I'd make sure you or your DH is with your LO to ensure proper life jacket wearing & such- but as long as one of you is there, let him go! And boats make babies sleep- that nice rocking motion...my infants took many a nap on the boat so...I'd bring the baby too!

btw, my kids surfed behind the boat w/my DH starting when they were 2 & loved it so much. They're learning to wakeboard now, my youngest started trying when she was about 4- it's a process One of my favorite things is when a kiddo who doesn't get a chance to do it much gets to come out on the boat- they get so excited!

nanabanana06 · June 2013

I keep reading this thread as "Boats and Ho's". That is all.

ETA I wasn't the only one that thought this. Shoulda read the comments first.

BoatsNHoes · June 2013

shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.

Ya boiiiiii

LaurelBee · June 2013

ilovemygirls:
LaurelBee:
shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.
ha! Love it!
I guess my main concern is my Fil will be driving the boat. He is well, incapable of accepting he is wrong in any capacity. He isn't allowed to babysit bc we do not trust him to make decisions that is best for our kids and/or the choice Dh and I would make. So I'm trying to decide if I trust him to captain a speed boat with my son on board. I'm not comfortable bringing Dd on any boat just yet... Dh thinks Ds should be allowed to go on the boat as long as he or I are on the boat too.
New question- do you insist your LO wear a life vest on the pier/dock? Even if he's not getting on the boat?
First off, we are boaters & my kids have been on the boat since they were 6mos old & 6 weeks old, respectively. I get that not everyone is so comfortable with it. But yes, my kids must wear their life jackets on the dock & at all times on/near the water. I guess I'm still a little confused as to what he could do that would be so bad? Now, if he's going to drink alcohol & drive the boat- no way. But if he's an experienced boat driver & knows the body of water he'll be on, I'm not sure what the issue is? And for sure, if you won't let him babysit then I'd make sure you or your DH is with your LO to ensure proper life jacket wearing & such- but as long as one of you is there, let him go! And boats make babies sleep- that nice rocking motion...my infants took many a nap on the boat so...I'd bring the baby too!
btw, my kids surfed behind the boat w/my DH starting when they were 2 & loved it so much. They're learning to wakeboard now, my youngest started trying when she was about 4- it's a process One of my favorite things is when a kiddo who doesn't get a chance to do it much gets to come out on the boat- they get so excited!

The last timeI was on the boat with Fil driving, he got us stuck on a sand bar! It wasn't a big deal Bc we were going really slow (no wake zone) but instead of admitting he hit a sand bar, he tried to blame the boat malfunctioning! Dh was like Dad, we can clearly see the sand under the boat. But Fil refused he did anything "wrong." Dh and I laughed later about how ridiculous it was! But that was 5 years ago.

LaurelBee · June 2013

I'll also add that my uncle and two cousins were in a bad boating accident when they were young. My uncle drowned saving my cousins' lives. So I guess that is where my boating fears come from??

RayRay007 · June 2013

DD has been on my parents' boat a few times since her first summer, so like 4-5 months old with a life jacket, and we were driving slow up the coast to another beach, very little traffic. Last summer she went on a few times, same sort of circumstances. I wouldn't take LO on the boat if we were pulling someone though. Too fast and too much going on.

colliebabe · June 2013

shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.

Me too. It's part of the reason I opened this thread.

But yes, our friends have a pontoon boat and we brought her out on it last summer. Our friends have a daughter that is DD's age.

jlw2505 · June 2013

My girls, now 5 and 7 years old, have been on boats. My SIL has a cabin on the lake so we go a few times a summer. My SIL bought child size life jackets in a variety of sizes so any child (infant on up) can safely go and they have them on at all times, even if we are stopped and swimming off the boat.

jlw2505 · June 2013

LaurelBee:
shanado:
I read this as Boats And Hos.
ha! Love it!
I guess my main concern is my Fil will be driving the boat. He is well, incapable of accepting he is wrong in any capacity. He isn't allowed to babysit bc we do not trust him to make decisions that is best for our kids and/or the choice Dh and I would make. So I'm trying to decide if I trust him to captain a speed boat with my son on board. I'm not comfortable bringing Dd on any boat just yet... Dh thinks Ds should be allowed to go on the boat as long as he or I are on the boat too.
New question- do you insist your LO wear a life vest on the pier/dock? Even if he's not getting on the boat?

My kids are able to go on my SIL's boat if DH and I or my SIL/BIL are with them. If say, my IL's were baby sitting and wanted to take them to the cabin and out on the boat - no way would my kids be able to go. I trust my kids but I don't trust that my ILs would watch them close enough (FIL would but he would be driving the boat so MIL watching my girls would not happen).

As far as the dock question, my kids are now 5 and 7 and can swim and the beach area at the cabin is not that deep so yes but we are always on the dock or in the water or they are not allowed on the dock. If they were younger, they would have on life jackets on the dock.

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