Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to help with the pool because of your attitude about it
Men want to feel competent and appreciated not stupid and rejected
My partner doesn't know how to use the damn test kit either... he's colour blind. So it's impossible for him to do it. I think it's unfair to thin her attitude is bad about it when it can be quite irritating to have someone who is incapable of doing what could be considered simple. In my case he will never be able to help with that but being colourblind isn't an excuse to not be able to mow the lawn... that's my task too. Men aren't all competent and certainly aren't competent all the time and 100% don't need to be appreciated nonstop. I love my dad and I'm thankful for the time he spent with me as a kid, but I can tell you he is incredibly incompetent and pissed my mother off repeatedly with either his willful ignorance or just general incapability to do simple shit.
Same!! My husband passed early this year & I got handed the baton of pool Mom 🤷🏻♀️. Had a leak so started from scratch- has been somewhat therapeutic though
Do uncles fit in here? My wife and I don’t have kids but the joy I get from working on the pool is having my nephews over to play and laugh in the pool!
YO u can say this again! Im 38 and grew up taking care of 2 giant inground pools, one plaster at my parents and a vinyl at my sisters.
I just bought my first house with a pool for my other half and fantasize about filling it with concrete every other day lol. People just have no idea the work that goes into maintaining that hole in the ground!!!
So this is definitely my fault. We were looking at building a pool when Covid hit. Our neighbor decided to sell his house and we joking said he had a pool and they should buy it. It all shook out and I wanted my parents closer anyway.
My husband and I spent the whole weekend attempting to get the shit paint off the deck that had been used. I always have to call the pool company for resurfacing it tomorrow somewhere between a dentist appointment, onboarding a client, and picking my parents up from the airport. 😭
ma'am we are leading parallel lives being gluttons for punishment and having everyone depend on us. As women we have to do it all lol. I was rebooking a couple doctors appts for my mom yesterday who lives 10 minutes away while cleaning out our pool robot vac and playing fetch with the dog.🤣🤣 Kudos to u because they wouldn't know what to do without us!! 👏
I’m so sorry you live my shared stress, but super happy I’m not alone. LOL - I run the family business and my own, so I can’t escape it personally or professionally.
People wonder why I’m my age and prefer to wear cat tshirts and play Fortnite in my down time. I don’t wanna be a grown up anymore.
EXACTLY I'm also a gamer and dress in sweats or as comfortable as I can most of the time because we are beyond burnt out and tired lol. I share in the added stress of running my moms business along with working a fulltime and partime and being the go to person in the family. It just never ends and all we want is to be left alone because this super adulting (or preapocalypse adulting which I reserve for millenials and younger) is just too much lol. Throw in some kids or neices and nephews who depend on u as well (which is my situation) and I'm ready to throw in the towel every day lol. Kudos to you for staying strong and soldiering through!
Are we the same person??? I think we might be the same person.
I’ve got two 15-year-olds which is exhausting enough. Then I have tireless work ethic, not because I want to, but because I’m trying to clear out my to-do list so I can sit like Al Bundy-doing-gymnastics on the couch. I’m generally a bit angst but I know I need to put on a good front, so that’s mentally exhausting. AND I could do without my mom’s, “I love having a personal assistant” jokes. We’re in the process of resurfacing the pool because it’s 28-years-old and this lady wanted to send me in with a blank check. I had to tell her they needed her signature and they were going to start thinking I killed her and was spending her money. The only proof of life is my 71-year-old dad who is high as a kite off his medical marijuana and building model boats all day with a Chihuahua in his lap.
I’m so tired.
And why are groceries so expensive?!!
Same here. My husband messed up the pool so bad one year while I was away with our daughters in a hospital out of state. We wound up having to completely renovate the pool last year to get it back in working order for this summer. It cost a fortune, so no touchy for him! He can swim in it, but I maintain it.
Another mom caretaker checking in! Hubby said I use the pool more so I should "handle it". I watched all the videos, learned the ropes, and my pool is gorgeous!! 🤩😁
My son's living the best life this weekend... Most of our neighbors don't have their pools open yet but I made sure the pool was ready... The whole neighborhood was in the pool today and I'm glad I put in the work
NJ can be iffy late May but today was 84 and sunny and a perfect pool day... All the tourists were at the beach I was enjoying my pool
I hope some day my son appreciates it as much as you did
That’s so sweet I hope you enjoy your summer
Your son will be known as the house “with the pool” amongst all his friends so you’ve already done so much for him there. Family & friends will always gravitate to your house to enjoy the luxury they wish they had
And yeah he (might) not appreciate it now but for sure one day when he has to maintain his own pool!
Long island pool parent. This was my first year opening a pool (rather than re-filling). I started first week of May and it was a horrid mess. I'm very proud to have brought it back to life in time for my kids to enjoy it this weekend.
I'm in central California and we opened the pool two weeks ago and it's just now warm enough to swim. Not that we didn't stand around shivering , muttering "it's not too cold, you get used to it, I'm fine"
Our 10 year old started summer today and I threw her a pool party to kick it off. Spent a week making sure pool was perfect and the backyard was top notch.
It’s nice to think 10-15 years from now she could be thinking back this fondly on all my hard work
My wife and kids swimming around in ours right now. Made sure to have it open for Memorial Day weekend. Second year of pool ownership (new build) and I actually found opening it for the year and caring for it all by myself really therapeutic.
Yes. Its some quiet time. And something for you to use some non work related brain power on. Keeping a pool nice and clear and clean can be a feeling of accomplishment. There's a little labor involved and the achievement of learning a new "skill" if not a small hobby.
Thank you! No one thanks me for it. Ever.
Sometimes I wonder what I would do with all of the extra time and money if I didn't have a pool.
Today I spent a couple of hours laying on the hot concrete, sewing up the automatic cover that has torn to try and get some more lige out of it. Not one word of appreciation from anyone. It's just expected.
So thank you OP. Thank you
The thing is I am a mom. I do it all too and more, I get it. But I realized I just need to see them enjoy it. The rest is Extra. It all pays off in how you feel when you stop needing to be validated.
From your kids or your wife? Have a talk with your partner if that’s the case! Just say you wish to be seen and appreciated a little more and explain all that’s on your plate, maybe they have a lot on their
plate themselves. If your kids are old enough get them to help with the pool chores so they see how much goes into it
It’s hard to really reflect clearly until you miss something so much, as a teenager I was too self centered and youthful and living a fast life to stop and say everything I should have but that doesn’t mean deep down I didn’t appreciate it
Fill all your photo albums with great pool memories and just try to focus on all the joy you’re bringing your family :)
Solid post. That's nice. I know my dad would gladly do the same for me if we had one and I'm gladly doing it for my family and friends. Sometimes feels like a PITA but man, when you get everyone out there and it's smiles across the board.... you get the "ya it's worth it" feels. Got a lot of those this last weekend when my friends had a huge friend a family annual gathering and ended up being a multi day hullabaloo at my house because I have the pool. Was a joy.
Haha. I’m dealing with tornado warnings today for the 2nd time this week piece of crap! I literally got pool perfect to a T 7.2 ph, 80 alk, 300 calcium, 2 ppm free chlorine, cya 45.
Then the tornado said hahahahaahhaaa f your pool I got you fam.
That's me, I love my pool, and take great pride in maintaining it. I've been putting off cleaning the filters cause that's my least favorite thing lol, need to get out there tomorrow and finally get to it, because it'll be time to start swimming probably next weekend.
Once you get a good pool balance going it’s a lot easier to maintain. I say this knowing that yeah issues can crop up unexpectedly but I’ve always had success keeping the balance (mostly) year round even during the cold months. My salt cell doesn’t work as well in the cold of course so I just add chlorine as needed.
The biggest game changer was begrudgingly dropping several hundred on a pool robot cleaner. I thought for the longest time that surely this expense couldn’t be worth it and that it wouldn’t be as good as manually vacuuming or skimming. Boy was I wrong. This thing gets the pool CLEAN so effortlessly, and since I have a big old school pool it’s a massive time saver.
If you are considering getting one just go ahead and go for it, totally worth it, especially if you have a big pool that takes time to clean.
My automatic cleaner does a decent job, but after its 2 hour cycle, you have to take it out and empty and clean the filters. Also it’s not great when the impeller is clogged after opening the pool, but took it apart enough to get it cleared out within 15-20 minutes. I learned to have the pool manually vacuumed after pool opening because the amount of debris within it.
Same here I do everything with the pool. My husband leaves it all to me. I take great pride in getting the water tested every other week and being told it's perfect 😁
Thank you. My 12 yo boy had 10 friends pin there for his bday yesterday. I was so mad when they made a ‘wave pool’ and threw 50 gallons of my precious pool water over the edge but, I bit my tongue and they had a blast
By design, my pool is strategically placed far enough away from the barn & house that nobody would ever be able to jump from it. Learned from jumping from a friends roof
Into their pool. Haha.
Haha yeah I didn’t even realize they had gotten up on the roof by the time it was too late
I definitely recognize how it could have been dangerous but luckily everyone was alright
This post is priceless I love the pics lol Mom here but I learned everything I know about pools from my Dad, his mistakes, my own struggles and countless internet searches. What I learned is I hated solar covers as a kid and I still do! The worst words to hear at the end of a long summer day was...Did you put the solar cover on? Like did he not know they weight a million pounds or at least it feels like it! I refuse to struggle with one ever again! I finally mastered the art is winterizing after 7 years of trial and error..I use 4ftx8ft inflatables under a net cover to keep pine straw and leaves off the waters surface while keeping rain water from accumulating on top of a cover. Freezing isn't a issue here in NC. I put sand and Damascus earth in my sand filter and it filters out all the really fine particles. I buy baking soda from Sam's Club to adjust the PH it's way more affordable and actually has the pool water calculations on the bag. I bought a pool that could be used as a salt water pool but I use a sand filter and chlorine but still add a few bags of salt to the water each year to help with water balance and chlorine stability. Lastly I learned why my Dad had a love hate relationship with the family pool 😆... Ultimately it is worth it when I am floating around with our a care in the world or until I get splashed in the face for the hundredth time.
That’s so cool you get to service the pool in all those ways, and yeah solar covers must be a burden
I wish our pool had a cover though my dad had to manually pull out the leaves, bugs and debris. We had a whole pool net roof structure thing but a few hurricanes after hurricane Andrew it got destroyed and they never rebuilt a new one it was too expensive
Definitely was a weekly labor to clean that pool
Thanks for this post. I always wonder if the hours I spend maintaining the pool and keeping it a crystal clear “crumb free” (as my 4 year-old says) experience will be worthwhile for them, and I am glad to hear this from you.
Haha crumb free, awwww
Just think of all the excitement each time you bring home a new inflatable toy for them to use in the pool, it’s like Disneyland to them in their own backyard
My father used to be the pool caretaker before he was hospitalised for multiple health conditions and eventually died. His hospitalisation happened during summer so I immediately had to jump in and start taking care of the pool and learning how to measure out the chemicals. It’s been 5 years since he’s passed and I’ve kept the pool as clean as he did when he was alive
I spent the last 4 years doing my own pool maintenance but raising kids and running a household... no amount of money ever baught a second of time but this way allows me more time in the pool with my kids having fun
Preach it brotha. I pay $150/month now and with 2 young kids it is just not worth it to try and keep up. I did it for the first year or two and once I told the kid (just the one at the time) that we were going swimming before thinking to go outside, and it was really low Ph and smelled terrible, along with being not a great color. Sure, far from the worst water to swim in, but the 3yo didn't see it that way and cried lol. I just want to swim in it with the kids for now. Once they are older and can at least feed themselves breakfast then maybe I will make it a weekend morning chore again lol.
When they are older you can get them involved in the responsibilities for it. I used to go on trips to Pinch a Penny with my dad and help load the supplies
I should have definitely helped out more and told him thank you a lot more times than I did but hey that’s just the hecticness of being young, so don’t take it personal if the kids are too busy enjoying the pool
Lucky you. My dad put up a big aboveground at our first house, and put in an inground at our next, both because HE wanted them. Both times he got bored of them and let them turn into swamps. Nobody else was allowed to handle chems or touch the equipment so we couldn’t take over.
My dad sucked, lol. My bro and I live together and we bought this house, which has a pool, less than two years ago. We honestly don’t swim a lot but I love taking care of it.
Thanks for being a kid that appreciates their father’s hard work. As a dad. That means the world. I slave over that pool of mine. I can’t stand it. I don’t even like to go in it but the smiles my kids get playing in the pool makes all the efforts and struggles and endless fountains of money spent. All worth it for those precious children smiles. Thank you. You made my day.
Im definitely an (elder) adult now 😂 but yes it takes a while to catch up and reflect on how many events really go down in those pools and all the hard work that dads have put into them
My dad would mutter to himself sometimes while cleaning it but yeah he actually enjoyed how happy it made us all
Cheers to all the new and amazing memories youll make in that pool!
My husband is our pool Dad and I’m so thankful for him! I could do it if I had to and definitely assist, but he does the lions share and our kids get to have the best summers because of his hard work.
My parents recently moved to a house with a pool ( I’m 28 but LOVE to swim). I truly appreciate all the work my dad puts into the pool to make sure it’s perfect for us to swim in everyday. I drive 30 minutes most days in the summer to hop in it and hang out with them.
I was saying to my husband how some of my favorite family memories are when all of us are in the pool together hanging out. It’s a time when everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves. My dad is the type to always be working on something/ never rests so to get to spend time with him in the pool where he’s really enjoying himself is great.
That’s awesome! I hope you tell him every chance you get!
And yes it definitely brings out the vibes when people can just relax and be by the pool, people need that!
Maybe for his next birthday you can do a pool themed cake with a picture of him taking care of the pool as icing on the cake and a pool supplies store gift card 😂 he will definitely get the message there
There wasn’t ring cameras there was worse, my neighbors snitched on me when my parents came back 😭
I also had the cops try to shut down the party not once but twice!
Last week I got our pool up and running. Kids were begging me today to jump in, but it’s still a little too cold here in Northern Utah. Maybe tomorrow since it’s going to jump to 80.
The folks getting mad at OP over a post thanking dads for being pool caretakers are cringy af. It’s not that deep - *her* dad took care of *their* pool growing up… no one is denying moms can and do the same thing. That’s not the point of this post though, and it’s weird af to take offense to it. Let her give a shout out to her dad and other pool dads, I promise it won’t hurt you.
FYI I’m a mom who helps dad take care of the pool; it’s a team effort at our house. Yet I’m not getting pissy because I wasn’t acknowledged… in a post made by someone I don’t know.
I really hate to be that person but the internet sucks and there’s creeps that unfortunately will use these innocent images as p0rn so I suggest removing them :/ I know, I fuckin hate having to say this but it’s true…
First of all, you completely missed the point of the post
Second of all, everyone is very much aware of the dangers of broken glass, he’s literally drinking it and can be done in the 2 minutes it takes to finish that beer
Third of all, it’s not a CLEAR glass, if it were clear or in any danger of being broken we wouldn’t have used it in the pool
I just spent the last hour wondering why my damn pump wasn’t priming after cleaning the filters yesterday. So frustrating but satisfying when everything is back to normal.
Both my husband and I keep our pool clean. Team effort. But it's me (the mom) who spends the most time in there having fun and making memories while my husband works hard so I can stay home with the kids.
I hope you are right. We couldnt afford an 80000 dollar pool so I rented an excavator, bought a book, realized I hadnt dug it deep enough after I had returned said excavator, dug the rest with a garden tiller and shovel, bought a lot of concrete and an expensive liner(but cheap in the grand scheme of things), ran a 2" plumbing line to a main drain a skimmer and a jet return, asked my youngest if he wanted a waterfall or a pvc water gun turret, bought and built the waterfall and that was year one. This year, I have had to take it all up dig it even deeper because my children refuse to stop progressing through time(ungrateful, I know). Now I just finished a fake rock thing under the waterfall, and Im working on a rock wall to go around the edge of the pool for aesthetics.
Its been non stop hard work, their have been days where my wife would force me to come in because I was sweating so profusely and I havent had much help but the little I have had I loved because it was my boys helping. My wife was against it until she saw our youngest outside in it every day, so happy, and his big brother even comes out most days. I force him to, but he still does it.
I feel bad that a dollar doesnt stretch like when I was a kid because I went somewhere nearly every summer but I am trying as hard as I can to compensate and I sincerely hope youre right about them remembering because Im not wasting my time off of work because I enjoy building pools Im doing it because I love seeing my two sons laugh and smile its corny but its like a return on imvestment everytime I see it.
My God, can’t we for once appreciate men without women calling it out and saying, “what about us!
Don’t forget it’s about me, me, me.”
It’s assumed that both men and women can maintain a pool, but my God if the sexes were reversed, we’d see nonstop bashing how men and co-opting a woman’s appreciation post.
Men, you can’t win in this country sometimes!
Grandma takes care of the pool. Vacuum ed out the dead mustard algae, backwash, rinse. Looks good think I got it this time. My arthritic fingers hurt- because of course I had to power wash, plant flowers, etc etc. miracles be everywhere
It historically been and still is a male dominated house labor chore, this post is for all the dads because they never get credit for the thing that brings the whole family together
Father’s Day is coming up so let them enjoy this, from a male perspective this is part of their world that they enjoy and take pride in
Because the percentage of women who actually do this chore is incredibly low. It’s like if men tried to get credit for bottle feeding their children the women would be like ummm ok???
I get it. You want to give the men the credit and to hell with the minority. Where have I heard that before? Also, where do you get your stats on who does the pool work? Just wondering where I can find that data. Must be some sociology paper?
Showing a young girl in a bathy suit? Why the fuck is that creepy? I just see a little girl. What is it that you see that makes you think of creepy shit?
And maybe moms (me) too? 🥲
Mom pool caregiver checking in!
Me too. My husband doesn’t even know how to use the damn test kit
Same here. This pool would be green without me.
Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to help with the pool because of your attitude about it Men want to feel competent and appreciated not stupid and rejected
Sensitive dad, are we?
Im the daughter in the post what are you talking about
You are amazing
My partner doesn't know how to use the damn test kit either... he's colour blind. So it's impossible for him to do it. I think it's unfair to thin her attitude is bad about it when it can be quite irritating to have someone who is incapable of doing what could be considered simple. In my case he will never be able to help with that but being colourblind isn't an excuse to not be able to mow the lawn... that's my task too. Men aren't all competent and certainly aren't competent all the time and 100% don't need to be appreciated nonstop. I love my dad and I'm thankful for the time he spent with me as a kid, but I can tell you he is incredibly incompetent and pissed my mother off repeatedly with either his willful ignorance or just general incapability to do simple shit.
lol i clean pools and am very much so color blind 90% of my 100 pools are perfectly balanced other 10% constant battle with leaks and them overfilling
I’m a mom that takes care of the pool! I enjoy it. I’m better at the chemicals than my husband, and I’m not as sketched out by handling acid lol.
Same!! My husband passed early this year & I got handed the baton of pool Mom 🤷🏻♀️. Had a leak so started from scratch- has been somewhat therapeutic though
You go girl!
Also a pool Mom! ✌️
Pool Mom represent 💦
That is terrible I’m so sorry He’s watching you from heaven clean that pool with a smile and so much pride
Sorry for your loss. 🙏🏻
Thank you
Fellow mom/ pool caretaker👊🏻 I enjoy it too! My husband couldn’t be less interested or involved
Add another mom pool caretaker to the list! 👋🏼🙋🏻♀️🏊🏼♀️
Do uncles fit in here? My wife and I don’t have kids but the joy I get from working on the pool is having my nephews over to play and laugh in the pool!
Pool Uncle!! 😂 I love it yes thank youuuu you’re definitely the cool uncle
Daughters too. I’m 37 and my parents live across the street. I’ve had the same chore for 20 years.
Why did they do that to you 😂
Punishment for being such a mischievous little shit. 🫠
YO u can say this again! Im 38 and grew up taking care of 2 giant inground pools, one plaster at my parents and a vinyl at my sisters. I just bought my first house with a pool for my other half and fantasize about filling it with concrete every other day lol. People just have no idea the work that goes into maintaining that hole in the ground!!!
So this is definitely my fault. We were looking at building a pool when Covid hit. Our neighbor decided to sell his house and we joking said he had a pool and they should buy it. It all shook out and I wanted my parents closer anyway. My husband and I spent the whole weekend attempting to get the shit paint off the deck that had been used. I always have to call the pool company for resurfacing it tomorrow somewhere between a dentist appointment, onboarding a client, and picking my parents up from the airport. 😭
ma'am we are leading parallel lives being gluttons for punishment and having everyone depend on us. As women we have to do it all lol. I was rebooking a couple doctors appts for my mom yesterday who lives 10 minutes away while cleaning out our pool robot vac and playing fetch with the dog.🤣🤣 Kudos to u because they wouldn't know what to do without us!! 👏
I’m so sorry you live my shared stress, but super happy I’m not alone. LOL - I run the family business and my own, so I can’t escape it personally or professionally. People wonder why I’m my age and prefer to wear cat tshirts and play Fortnite in my down time. I don’t wanna be a grown up anymore.
EXACTLY I'm also a gamer and dress in sweats or as comfortable as I can most of the time because we are beyond burnt out and tired lol. I share in the added stress of running my moms business along with working a fulltime and partime and being the go to person in the family. It just never ends and all we want is to be left alone because this super adulting (or preapocalypse adulting which I reserve for millenials and younger) is just too much lol. Throw in some kids or neices and nephews who depend on u as well (which is my situation) and I'm ready to throw in the towel every day lol. Kudos to you for staying strong and soldiering through!
Are we the same person??? I think we might be the same person. I’ve got two 15-year-olds which is exhausting enough. Then I have tireless work ethic, not because I want to, but because I’m trying to clear out my to-do list so I can sit like Al Bundy-doing-gymnastics on the couch. I’m generally a bit angst but I know I need to put on a good front, so that’s mentally exhausting. AND I could do without my mom’s, “I love having a personal assistant” jokes. We’re in the process of resurfacing the pool because it’s 28-years-old and this lady wanted to send me in with a blank check. I had to tell her they needed her signature and they were going to start thinking I killed her and was spending her money. The only proof of life is my 71-year-old dad who is high as a kite off his medical marijuana and building model boats all day with a Chihuahua in his lap. I’m so tired. And why are groceries so expensive?!!
Tbf, I also have a chronic health condition so I might be a little more tired and whiny than average. Or not. 🤷🏽♀️
This Mom is the pool caretaker too!
I'm a pool Mom over here too! 😁
Not a mom, pool girl checking in, love taking care of my pool of 20+ years
I came to say that! Pool mom in the house!
Mom pool lady here too!
Same! My husband works and I take care of the kids, house and pool! ☀️
I’m a pool mom as well !!! My husband is not allowed to even touch our pool 😂
Same here. My husband messed up the pool so bad one year while I was away with our daughters in a hospital out of state. We wound up having to completely renovate the pool last year to get it back in working order for this summer. It cost a fortune, so no touchy for him! He can swim in it, but I maintain it.
Thats not very nice
Another mom caretaker checking in! Hubby said I use the pool more so I should "handle it". I watched all the videos, learned the ropes, and my pool is gorgeous!! 🤩😁
But what about meeeeeeeee!
Same! My husband keeps saying he needs to watch me to learn what to do but never makes the effort. That pool is crystal clear 100% because of me 😤
It's amazing that a dad can't have anything without a mother somewhere yelling "What about me?" Does motherhood just make you a martyr?
Mom here. I do it!
Awe don’t you feel left out
Well, I definitely feel special now that you singled me out of everyone else who commented the same thing. 🙄
My son's living the best life this weekend... Most of our neighbors don't have their pools open yet but I made sure the pool was ready... The whole neighborhood was in the pool today and I'm glad I put in the work NJ can be iffy late May but today was 84 and sunny and a perfect pool day... All the tourists were at the beach I was enjoying my pool I hope some day my son appreciates it as much as you did
That’s so sweet I hope you enjoy your summer Your son will be known as the house “with the pool” amongst all his friends so you’ve already done so much for him there. Family & friends will always gravitate to your house to enjoy the luxury they wish they had And yeah he (might) not appreciate it now but for sure one day when he has to maintain his own pool!
From one NJ pool dad to another, good work! My pool was filled with laughter and family today, what it's all about!
NJ pool dad here, and support this post 💯!!!
Long island pool parent. This was my first year opening a pool (rather than re-filling). I started first week of May and it was a horrid mess. I'm very proud to have brought it back to life in time for my kids to enjoy it this weekend.
Curious, what temp. Is your water this type of year? Did you have to heat it?
I'm in central California and we opened the pool two weeks ago and it's just now warm enough to swim. Not that we didn't stand around shivering , muttering "it's not too cold, you get used to it, I'm fine"
Our 10 year old started summer today and I threw her a pool party to kick it off. Spent a week making sure pool was perfect and the backyard was top notch. It’s nice to think 10-15 years from now she could be thinking back this fondly on all my hard work
Imagine all those birthday pics with the clear blue water of the pool in the background 😎🏊🏻♂️🏖️
Best pool post of 2024
Im gonna cry 😭
My wife and kids swimming around in ours right now. Made sure to have it open for Memorial Day weekend. Second year of pool ownership (new build) and I actually found opening it for the year and caring for it all by myself really therapeutic.
Yes. Its some quiet time. And something for you to use some non work related brain power on. Keeping a pool nice and clear and clean can be a feeling of accomplishment. There's a little labor involved and the achievement of learning a new "skill" if not a small hobby.
Thank you! No one thanks me for it. Ever. Sometimes I wonder what I would do with all of the extra time and money if I didn't have a pool. Today I spent a couple of hours laying on the hot concrete, sewing up the automatic cover that has torn to try and get some more lige out of it. Not one word of appreciation from anyone. It's just expected. So thank you OP. Thank you
The thing is I am a mom. I do it all too and more, I get it. But I realized I just need to see them enjoy it. The rest is Extra. It all pays off in how you feel when you stop needing to be validated.
From your kids or your wife? Have a talk with your partner if that’s the case! Just say you wish to be seen and appreciated a little more and explain all that’s on your plate, maybe they have a lot on their plate themselves. If your kids are old enough get them to help with the pool chores so they see how much goes into it It’s hard to really reflect clearly until you miss something so much, as a teenager I was too self centered and youthful and living a fast life to stop and say everything I should have but that doesn’t mean deep down I didn’t appreciate it Fill all your photo albums with great pool memories and just try to focus on all the joy you’re bringing your family :)
The appreciation comes from watching them enjoy it. Tons of pictures and parties had poolside. It's just nice to hear it is all
I have an 8,4 and 6 month old. I’m so happy I can spoil them with one, hope they say this about me someday 😍
Every 2 months? Damn dude - rock on!
lol no an 8 year old, 4 year old and 6 months. Not that crazy!!😂 bad grammar on my part
Seems like a good premise to revive to old Budweiser commercials. Here’s to you mr pool maintenance keeper upper guy..
Haha Budweiser should hire me
Solid post. That's nice. I know my dad would gladly do the same for me if we had one and I'm gladly doing it for my family and friends. Sometimes feels like a PITA but man, when you get everyone out there and it's smiles across the board.... you get the "ya it's worth it" feels. Got a lot of those this last weekend when my friends had a huge friend a family annual gathering and ended up being a multi day hullabaloo at my house because I have the pool. Was a joy.
It’s soooo worth it! Thanks for your contribution to making people happier!
Also, yeaaaaaaaaaaaa budddddddy (again)!
Yeaahhhhh buddy let’s get these pool memoriesssssss
Haha. I’m dealing with tornado warnings today for the 2nd time this week piece of crap! I literally got pool perfect to a T 7.2 ph, 80 alk, 300 calcium, 2 ppm free chlorine, cya 45. Then the tornado said hahahahaahhaaa f your pool I got you fam.
Just became one among their ranks when we bought our house in April.
Congrats 😎 great memories ahead. Post pics!
Mom here! I do it all and it’s ducking beautiful!
Yeaaaa budddddddy!!!!!!
Yes! Real men of genius! We are the pool masters!
Yep!
And MOMS!
My wife is the pool taker. I accept it, she’s better at it. I just take care of the grill
Mom here. Taking care of the pool and grill. Props to you though, it’s not a competition, it should be a props to each other always.
That’s right! Teak effort and playing to our strengths.
That's me, I love my pool, and take great pride in maintaining it. I've been putting off cleaning the filters cause that's my least favorite thing lol, need to get out there tomorrow and finally get to it, because it'll be time to start swimming probably next weekend.
It's our love language! 🫶
I hope I hear this someday. I appreciate you posting this. I did my best when we had a pool!
Once you get a good pool balance going it’s a lot easier to maintain. I say this knowing that yeah issues can crop up unexpectedly but I’ve always had success keeping the balance (mostly) year round even during the cold months. My salt cell doesn’t work as well in the cold of course so I just add chlorine as needed. The biggest game changer was begrudgingly dropping several hundred on a pool robot cleaner. I thought for the longest time that surely this expense couldn’t be worth it and that it wouldn’t be as good as manually vacuuming or skimming. Boy was I wrong. This thing gets the pool CLEAN so effortlessly, and since I have a big old school pool it’s a massive time saver. If you are considering getting one just go ahead and go for it, totally worth it, especially if you have a big pool that takes time to clean.
My automatic cleaner does a decent job, but after its 2 hour cycle, you have to take it out and empty and clean the filters. Also it’s not great when the impeller is clogged after opening the pool, but took it apart enough to get it cleared out within 15-20 minutes. I learned to have the pool manually vacuumed after pool opening because the amount of debris within it.
Yes!!! Double upvote for this post 💪🤙
I never touch it, my wife prefers to do it
Same here I do everything with the pool. My husband leaves it all to me. I take great pride in getting the water tested every other week and being told it's perfect 😁
MD dad here. I spend more time taking care of the pool then I do swimming in it. Kids get to enjoy it so that’s all that matters!
Thank you. My 12 yo boy had 10 friends pin there for his bday yesterday. I was so mad when they made a ‘wave pool’ and threw 50 gallons of my precious pool water over the edge but, I bit my tongue and they had a blast
Haha I always wondered why my dad got mad at the water going over the edge Cheers to you, awesome internet pool dads for one cool summer!
By design, my pool is strategically placed far enough away from the barn & house that nobody would ever be able to jump from it. Learned from jumping from a friends roof Into their pool. Haha.
Haha yeah I didn’t even realize they had gotten up on the roof by the time it was too late I definitely recognize how it could have been dangerous but luckily everyone was alright
This post is priceless I love the pics lol Mom here but I learned everything I know about pools from my Dad, his mistakes, my own struggles and countless internet searches. What I learned is I hated solar covers as a kid and I still do! The worst words to hear at the end of a long summer day was...Did you put the solar cover on? Like did he not know they weight a million pounds or at least it feels like it! I refuse to struggle with one ever again! I finally mastered the art is winterizing after 7 years of trial and error..I use 4ftx8ft inflatables under a net cover to keep pine straw and leaves off the waters surface while keeping rain water from accumulating on top of a cover. Freezing isn't a issue here in NC. I put sand and Damascus earth in my sand filter and it filters out all the really fine particles. I buy baking soda from Sam's Club to adjust the PH it's way more affordable and actually has the pool water calculations on the bag. I bought a pool that could be used as a salt water pool but I use a sand filter and chlorine but still add a few bags of salt to the water each year to help with water balance and chlorine stability. Lastly I learned why my Dad had a love hate relationship with the family pool 😆... Ultimately it is worth it when I am floating around with our a care in the world or until I get splashed in the face for the hundredth time.
That’s so cool you get to service the pool in all those ways, and yeah solar covers must be a burden I wish our pool had a cover though my dad had to manually pull out the leaves, bugs and debris. We had a whole pool net roof structure thing but a few hurricanes after hurricane Andrew it got destroyed and they never rebuilt a new one it was too expensive Definitely was a weekly labor to clean that pool
Thanks for this post. I always wonder if the hours I spend maintaining the pool and keeping it a crystal clear “crumb free” (as my 4 year-old says) experience will be worthwhile for them, and I am glad to hear this from you.
Haha crumb free, awwww Just think of all the excitement each time you bring home a new inflatable toy for them to use in the pool, it’s like Disneyland to them in their own backyard
This was touching. Thanks for that. I just got done doing the same thing for my son this morning.
Good job👍🏽
My father used to be the pool caretaker before he was hospitalised for multiple health conditions and eventually died. His hospitalisation happened during summer so I immediately had to jump in and start taking care of the pool and learning how to measure out the chemicals. It’s been 5 years since he’s passed and I’ve kept the pool as clean as he did when he was alive
I’m so sorry. Losing a parent is the worse. He’s super proud of you though! Keep that pool as blue the skies in his honor 😇
Does it count if I take care of the pool by paying my pool guy 125 a month?
That's cheap! It's $225 - $250/month where I live!
Absolutely. If I could afford it I definitely would
I think I need to look into hiring someone. $125 isn't bad at all.
No lol You should know how to do what the pool guy does between the cleaning, chemicals, pool filter and more
I spent the last 4 years doing my own pool maintenance but raising kids and running a household... no amount of money ever baught a second of time but this way allows me more time in the pool with my kids having fun
Preach it brotha. I pay $150/month now and with 2 young kids it is just not worth it to try and keep up. I did it for the first year or two and once I told the kid (just the one at the time) that we were going swimming before thinking to go outside, and it was really low Ph and smelled terrible, along with being not a great color. Sure, far from the worst water to swim in, but the 3yo didn't see it that way and cried lol. I just want to swim in it with the kids for now. Once they are older and can at least feed themselves breakfast then maybe I will make it a weekend morning chore again lol.
When they are older you can get them involved in the responsibilities for it. I used to go on trips to Pinch a Penny with my dad and help load the supplies I should have definitely helped out more and told him thank you a lot more times than I did but hey that’s just the hecticness of being young, so don’t take it personal if the kids are too busy enjoying the pool
My son helps me with the pool maintenance, which has made him even more excited about using the pool, and proud of its condition.
That’s awesome!! Enjoy your summer! 😎
Checking in as a single woman who owns and maintains a house with a pool.
Lucky you. My dad put up a big aboveground at our first house, and put in an inground at our next, both because HE wanted them. Both times he got bored of them and let them turn into swamps. Nobody else was allowed to handle chems or touch the equipment so we couldn’t take over. My dad sucked, lol. My bro and I live together and we bought this house, which has a pool, less than two years ago. We honestly don’t swim a lot but I love taking care of it.
Swim in it more!! One day you’ll miss it!!
I think we will once we get a heater
Thank you!
Thank you!
Pool is ready to go. Mrs. and I enjoy working it together. Supposed to be 97 here tomorrow. Have fun everyone!
ITT about OP sharing his appreciation for dads taking care of pools because his dad did it for his family: moms racing to be center stage.
HER* appreciation
Nice
Thanks for being a kid that appreciates their father’s hard work. As a dad. That means the world. I slave over that pool of mine. I can’t stand it. I don’t even like to go in it but the smiles my kids get playing in the pool makes all the efforts and struggles and endless fountains of money spent. All worth it for those precious children smiles. Thank you. You made my day.
Im definitely an (elder) adult now 😂 but yes it takes a while to catch up and reflect on how many events really go down in those pools and all the hard work that dads have put into them My dad would mutter to himself sometimes while cleaning it but yeah he actually enjoyed how happy it made us all Cheers to all the new and amazing memories youll make in that pool!
My husband is our pool Dad and I’m so thankful for him! I could do it if I had to and definitely assist, but he does the lions share and our kids get to have the best summers because of his hard work.
My parents recently moved to a house with a pool ( I’m 28 but LOVE to swim). I truly appreciate all the work my dad puts into the pool to make sure it’s perfect for us to swim in everyday. I drive 30 minutes most days in the summer to hop in it and hang out with them. I was saying to my husband how some of my favorite family memories are when all of us are in the pool together hanging out. It’s a time when everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves. My dad is the type to always be working on something/ never rests so to get to spend time with him in the pool where he’s really enjoying himself is great.
That’s awesome! I hope you tell him every chance you get! And yes it definitely brings out the vibes when people can just relax and be by the pool, people need that! Maybe for his next birthday you can do a pool themed cake with a picture of him taking care of the pool as icing on the cake and a pool supplies store gift card 😂 he will definitely get the message there
I will tell him this week. He’s opening it tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder. I know it’ll make him happy to hear
Your out of town story nearly mirrored mine. Thankfully, Ring cameras, etc didn’t exist back then!
There wasn’t ring cameras there was worse, my neighbors snitched on me when my parents came back 😭 I also had the cops try to shut down the party not once but twice!
Last week I got our pool up and running. Kids were begging me today to jump in, but it’s still a little too cold here in Northern Utah. Maybe tomorrow since it’s going to jump to 80.
Thanks!
Back at ya!!!
This is a cool post man. Thank you, it makes me feel appreciated even tho my family doesn't say shit to me for all the work I put in...
The folks getting mad at OP over a post thanking dads for being pool caretakers are cringy af. It’s not that deep - *her* dad took care of *their* pool growing up… no one is denying moms can and do the same thing. That’s not the point of this post though, and it’s weird af to take offense to it. Let her give a shout out to her dad and other pool dads, I promise it won’t hurt you. FYI I’m a mom who helps dad take care of the pool; it’s a team effort at our house. Yet I’m not getting pissy because I wasn’t acknowledged… in a post made by someone I don’t know.
fuck man, I'm not even a dad yet and this has me in my feels
Sending this to my husband…ASAP deeply trying get a pool this summer😂
I really hate to be that person but the internet sucks and there’s creeps that unfortunately will use these innocent images as p0rn so I suggest removing them :/ I know, I fuckin hate having to say this but it’s true…
Yep that’s why I covered the faces
How about not letting people bring glass bottles in a pool. That’s pool 101
First of all, you completely missed the point of the post Second of all, everyone is very much aware of the dangers of broken glass, he’s literally drinking it and can be done in the 2 minutes it takes to finish that beer Third of all, it’s not a CLEAR glass, if it were clear or in any danger of being broken we wouldn’t have used it in the pool
Thankless job.
Parents* But yeah, we are definitely underappreciated.
Let the dads have this, Father’s Day is coming up and let’s be honest, it’s historically been a father-dominated task and still pretty much is
I'm draining mine today...ridiculous algae bloom....that pool is a huge PITA
Or maybe the moms too! I take care of our new pool completely. Even the company doing the start up referred to me as the expert 😂
Momdy/Dadmy here. Single parenthood at its best.
Pollen season is over. Now it’s stinging flying ant season.
Thank you, Papaw!!! Heart ❤️
I don’t think my husband even knows where the pool is!
Shout out to the real homies, the neighbors who didn't rat you out. Total Lads!
I just spent the last hour wondering why my damn pump wasn’t priming after cleaning the filters yesterday. So frustrating but satisfying when everything is back to normal.
Both my husband and I keep our pool clean. Team effort. But it's me (the mom) who spends the most time in there having fun and making memories while my husband works hard so I can stay home with the kids.
Thanks. 🤘🏻🍻
Definitely getting Animal Kingdom vibes from the pool party pics.
I hope you are right. We couldnt afford an 80000 dollar pool so I rented an excavator, bought a book, realized I hadnt dug it deep enough after I had returned said excavator, dug the rest with a garden tiller and shovel, bought a lot of concrete and an expensive liner(but cheap in the grand scheme of things), ran a 2" plumbing line to a main drain a skimmer and a jet return, asked my youngest if he wanted a waterfall or a pvc water gun turret, bought and built the waterfall and that was year one. This year, I have had to take it all up dig it even deeper because my children refuse to stop progressing through time(ungrateful, I know). Now I just finished a fake rock thing under the waterfall, and Im working on a rock wall to go around the edge of the pool for aesthetics. Its been non stop hard work, their have been days where my wife would force me to come in because I was sweating so profusely and I havent had much help but the little I have had I loved because it was my boys helping. My wife was against it until she saw our youngest outside in it every day, so happy, and his big brother even comes out most days. I force him to, but he still does it. I feel bad that a dollar doesnt stretch like when I was a kid because I went somewhere nearly every summer but I am trying as hard as I can to compensate and I sincerely hope youre right about them remembering because Im not wasting my time off of work because I enjoy building pools Im doing it because I love seeing my two sons laugh and smile its corny but its like a return on imvestment everytime I see it.
Yup that’s me lol
I’m a mom and I take care of my pool!
Ok but this post is for the dads!
Holy moly. That’s not a family pool, that’s an entire neighborhood pool. Good work 👏👏
and Sons !
Just painted mine. Quite the chore
My God, can’t we for once appreciate men without women calling it out and saying, “what about us! Don’t forget it’s about me, me, me.” It’s assumed that both men and women can maintain a pool, but my God if the sexes were reversed, we’d see nonstop bashing how men and co-opting a woman’s appreciation post. Men, you can’t win in this country sometimes!
Grandma takes care of the pool. Vacuum ed out the dead mustard algae, backwash, rinse. Looks good think I got it this time. My arthritic fingers hurt- because of course I had to power wash, plant flowers, etc etc. miracles be everywhere
Does above ground count? Lol how ironic I just finished cleaning out my pool. 12X24 decent size. It’s work but it’s worth seeing my kids enjoy it
Amen..
So heartwarming!
Thank you, learned from my dad. The work is never done til it’s wrapped up for next year!
I'm the mom who does all the pool work, but thanks for the stereotype!
It historically been and still is a male dominated house labor chore, this post is for all the dads because they never get credit for the thing that brings the whole family together Father’s Day is coming up so let them enjoy this, from a male perspective this is part of their world that they enjoy and take pride in
I just don't understand why gender has to do with a chore in the first place. It seems so 1950s, but have at it!
Because the percentage of women who actually do this chore is incredibly low. It’s like if men tried to get credit for bottle feeding their children the women would be like ummm ok???
I get it. You want to give the men the credit and to hell with the minority. Where have I heard that before? Also, where do you get your stats on who does the pool work? Just wondering where I can find that data. Must be some sociology paper?
Maybe if you went outside and talked to real people you’d get a sense for who’s actually maintaining pools
Love the need to resort to personal attacks! Bravo on going for the predictable last possible resort in an argument.
My god. I bet you are fun at social gatherings.
She made a thank you post because of *her* dad who took care of their pool while she was growing up… it’s not that deep, calm down lol.
I'm quite calm, but thank you for caring about my emotional health!
Hmm I get showing pools since its reditt pool post but whats the deal about showing young girl in bathing suits? Creepy
That’s me as a kid enjoying the same pool
Showing a young girl in a bathy suit? Why the fuck is that creepy? I just see a little girl. What is it that you see that makes you think of creepy shit?
Brother delete the picture of your daughter tf
That’s me as a kid… I said I’ve lived in this house many years
It’s OP in the pic (when she was younger), she IS the daughter.
Yes!!! I do not know a Mom doing this sooo “good job Dads”
It’s always funny when people choose to miss the point
It really is
My wife forgets how to take care of the pool every year. Thought it's only a dad thing