Water park anxiety

It does get better as my kids age...I'm talking about my water park anxiety. All parents have a certain amount of fear I guess taking more than one kid to a large crowded water park, and likely they fear drowning or separation. However, when your kids can't hear even simple instruction from lifeguards like when to slide down, or even a whistle blowing in their ear when they exit off incorrectly, you have added concerns for safety. Here is last year's story. And no we do not water proof our ci's yet, Brook's are out of warranty so if anything happens....we can't afford the risk. But some people do it all the time. And my kids prefer to leave them in the car and use them only when we get our lunch cooler and eat, then back in the glove box (otter boxes) they go.

A lot of pre-planning went into our adventure. I reminded the kids to be sure and tell the lifeguards at the top of the slides that they can't hear and please use a thumbs up or other hand signal when it is okay to go down (I had to wait at the bottom to catch them).

I guess my only two issues was the parking area and one lifeguard who doesn't have a clue.  I was a little uneasy with so many people and cars in and out of a grassy parking area. I had to run and knock them with a water noodle gently tap the kids to remind them to walk with ME before they got ran over because they were not even paying attention. And most of the lifeguards were fabulous and used hand gestures and I noticed they continued using them after my kids left their area, I guess just in case! **grin** Except for one (tsk tsk)...I saw her using her whistle to communicate as to when people should slide down AND when people stepped off incorrectly so as my child sat up top, awaiting her cue, I quickly said, "Now that little girl is deaf, you'll need to motion for her to come down instead." She looked at me as if I were speaking Russian and said, "Ok" and then she blew her whistle and Brook sat there...**smile** So I did what any good mother would do and I stepped in front of this lifeguard and held my hand up and motioned for my child to come down...didn't have any more problems!

Again this year we ran into school friends and took cousin Kendall along for B to play with. They had a ball!! Everyone got along for the 6 hours we were there, or I would have never even stayed that long. And Kendall and the other kids are more than happy to help out if needed, as far as relaying messages and communicating unheard instructions. One of the little boys Gage was playing with has a Deaf grandmother so he's really used to it and did a great job looking at Gage when speaking! I noticed. Had a great time and since everyone did so well, I may just buy passes next year and go more often! Almost anxiety free!