Are your kids allowed to play with the garden hose?

[ChetMC]

Is playing with the garden hose an acceptable backyard activity at your house?

[Alyantavid]

Sure. As long as they don't spray someone who doesn't want to be sprayed.

[HappilyEvrAfter]

Yep...as long as I don't get sprayed while clothed!

...and it's a bonus if the car gets sprayed down too! Lol.

[Drummer's Wife]

Sure. They spray the patio, clean off their bikes, and soak each other with the hose. It gets really hot here, but in the afternoon the deck is in the shade and 20 minutes playing with water gets some of their energy out and cools them off. They don't drink out of the hose, though.

[mizzoh]

yes! the hose is the best thing for putting out "fires"

i do however insist that there is a shower head on the hose as i think it leads to less wasting of water

[nextcommercial]

Ya.. as long as they don't drag it inside.. They can play with it whenever they want. My friend's sons (who were nine and eleven) purposely opened all the kitchen windows so they could flood the kitchen because they wanted to "water ski". I think the let them live... but, I honestly haven't seen them around lately... hmm.

[Amanda L]

Yes! But since my son is only 17 months old and can't work the nozzle I guess technically I am the one playing!

[laohaire]

My sole issue is water waste, otherwise it would be a perfectly acceptable toy for DD. I do have a few basic rules - don't spray the clothes drying on the line, for example - but she obeys them. Stuff like "don't spray into the open window" doesn't even have to be a rule cause she gets that

So I let her water the garden and I turn on the spray at fairly low pressure so she gets maximum time and fun from it. She'll get herself totally wet and it's great, I'll just strip her on the back porch and throw the wet clothes in the wash.

[babymommy2]

NO because they play, get distracted and leave it on.

[mamazee]

Yes. Water, mud, great fun.

[Mama Mko]

Sure!

[MusicianDad]

Yup, so long as they are in bathing suits and no one that doesn't want to get spray gets sprayed.

[bubbamummy]

yes, it's one of DS's favourite activities

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by nextcommercial

Ya.. as long as they don't drag it inside..

Like this?


http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...1671&ref=album


DS can play with the hose - I think it ends up using less water than the sprinkler. But I'm out there with him. The one rule is you don't.spray.mommy.

[One_Girl]

If it is on then my dd can use it to water things and spray herself, but we don't just leave it on endlessly or bring it up to the tile porch because that much water isn't good for our garden or the tile. I let her run through the sprinkler when we water a couple times a week and stay in the shower as long as she wants to and that seems to satisfy her need to play with water at home.

[SeekingJoy]

Yes. Ours is frequently connected to our rain barrels, and they love to water the garden, the patio, our chairs, their sandbox, etc. We are working toward having them come ask me before turning it on just so I can get the clothes off the line.

[ShadowMoon]

Sure!

[reezley]

We only have the sprinkler hooked up to the hose now, so it's not an issue anymore (yes, they can go through the sprinkler!)
But - otherwise, no. I outlawed it earlier this year when ds1 (5) and neighbor played with the hose/water and it just created a big puddle and wasted water (and money for us to pay for it), in my opinion. We're renting and I felt like it was destroying the grass in the backyard. I used to let ds1 water the grass when we needed it, and he loved that. It just got out of hand.

[emaye_to_2]

Yep.

[Jenivere]

Yes but they have to ask. Our small town has the highest utility rate in the area and watering a yard and garden costs a lot of money. Plus I live in a drought area so I'm not ok with them turning it on whenever they want and for as long as they want because of waste and cost. But on the really hot days we do turn the sprinkler on to cool off and they can play when I water the garden. No spraying anyone who doesn't want to get wet.