disagreements over paddling pool

Elegran give them cake, or a small treat when their time is up, there should be plenty of adults around to police it.

Like being at school, blow a loud whistle and shout ‘everybody out’ (actually that was Miriam Karlin in The Rag Trade)

If this parent doesn't want their children to be in a garden with other children and a paddling pool, the don't need to come do they.

If it were me nuttylady, I would tell them that there's going to be a paddling pool and if they decide not to come you'll understand.

Put the pool out! 11 GC coming , what a great gesture from you. I agree with the parent who said " if she does ' nt like it she can stay at home "

Lots of policing needed for keeping the right children to the right shifts, Oopssadaisy, and tears from those hauled out of the pool. Several water stations, widely separated, with smaller ones directed to different places from the bigger ones. An adult or two also playing and keeping a bit of order would be useful. Enroll some Dads for that.

Unless it’s a huge pool 11 children would be unsafe, why not split their time into sessions ?

Under 5s for 20 minutes
7-9 for 20 minutes
Over 9’ s for 20 minutes

You could have a hose with the sprinkler on for the ones that aren’t in the pool.

Obviously they all have to be supervised anyway so there shouldn’t be any fights.

Stick to small pool toys, not huge inflatable hammers that they can clout each other with. (saw this recently at a relatives house, 2 children + huge toys =lots of tears).

My home, my rules. Please don’t be bullied.

Do what YOU want and are happy with.

Tell her that 11 children without a way to enjoy themselves would be more of a danger than 11 children with a paddling pool.

Put it out, but near the seat where the objector is sitting. She can keep an eye on her darlings to make sure that no other child comes within an yard of them.

There won't be enough space in it for all 11. Can you put out a whole load of other containers filled with water, like buckets and bowls, with a collection of small plastic jugs, beakers, sieves etc etc, so that some of them can be safely playing there and avoid the mayhem at the pool?

Have plenty of towels available!! And warn everyone to bring spare dry clothes. Have shade, too. Water cools them down so that they don't notice they are getting sunburnt.

Put the paddling pool up to one side of the garden, if there's room, so there's space to play on the lawn as well.
Each parent can decide if their children are allowed to go in the pool or not ?
Have there been issues before with some of the "other" children being "too boisterous" for this parent's liking? ?

If it were me, and the weather warm, I would put the p.pool up. Tell the parent what you plan to do, then the choice is theirs. Why spoil the fun of the remaining children.

Oh dear! Sounds very ungrateful or overprotective on the part of the parents - unless there’s a history?
How about two “sessions” -“under 8’s” and “8 and overs? “
On the other hand, you could pray for rain.

I'd put the paddling pool up if the weather's hot. Why should one adult spoil the summer pleasure of kids splashing around in the water. It might do her kids some good to have a bit of rough and tumble. Provided it's all supervised so that nothing gets out of hand it's all part of summer play and growing up.