Keeping kids out of garden stream

[Jumpy Guy]

Clan Jumpy is moving to a house with a stream running through it

Between us, and the extended family, there are lots of infants/toddlers

The women of the clan are very nervous of the stream, so how best to protect the stream/kids?

I've suggested the obvious- razor wire, minefield etc etc

A friend suggested some kind of roll of wire netting designed to lie over the stream, rather than fencing off the whole garden, but I havent been able to find it

As ever, reasonable input appreciated, but not expected..

[GingerWizard]

I think its called deer fencing.

large 6" mesh steel wire.

[RedLeicester]

we have deer netting, or to be more precise, simply post and stock fencing across the garden to keep kids away from the lake. Find a local agri fencer and get them to do it, cheaper than an normal domestic fencing, and has the added bonus that from a distance all you can see is the posts, the netting itself disappears into the background.

Rather a few hundred pounds now than a lifetime of regret.

[bean455]

Fill it with Piranha....................

[condor]

We had a garden stream when I was a child - great fun fishing for eels and sticklebacks and seeing all sorts of weird creatures I say let them play.

[davepoth]

bean455 said:

Fill it with Piranha....................

At least tell them it's full of piranhas. That and buy them swimming lessons.

[Podie]

Tell them not to go in the stream?

Am I missing something?

[TheTardis]

Life jackets for all the kids and women

[Tiggsy]

condor said:

We had a garden stream when I was a child - great fun fishing for eels and sticklebacks and seeing all sorts of weird creatures I say let them play.

Too right, my grandad smoked till 92 as well, by 'em fags, then let in the stream

[condor]

Tiggsy said:

Too right, my grandad smoked till 92 as well, by 'em fags, then let in the stream

That's a daft thing to say.

[Rude Girl]

Is it really just a stream? Older kids will have a ball. Infants and toddlers shouldn't really be out of your sight anyway should they? Construct a fenced deck where they can be contained without turning the garden into a concentration camp, or a death trap for wildlife.

[GingerWizard]

RedLeicester said:

we have deer netting, or to be more precise, simply post and stock fencing across the garden to keep kids away from the lake. Find a local agri fencer and get them to do it, cheaper than an normal domestic fencing, and has the added bonus that from a distance all you can see is the posts, the netting itself disappears into the background.

Rather a few hundred pounds now than a lifetime of regret.

we grew a very pleasing beech hedge against ours....

[Jumpy Guy]

Thanks for the input. Deer fencing sounds like the very dab.

As for "Tell them not to go near it"..

98% of small boys take that as a challenge.

Telling toddlers where to go? It's like herding cats.

[Simpo Two]

You'll be needing to fence off the road too. Or lock them in a padded room and drop organic pre-chewed food in through a sterile airlock.

Sorry but I don't buy into this fear thing. I made it through; so can they.

[Shay HTFC]

Simpo Two said:

You'll be needing to fence off the road too. Or lock them in a padded room and drop organic pre-chewed food in through a sterile airlock.

[Jumpy Guy]

Simpo, you're entirely correct.

I'm off to weld spikes on the inside of their cycle helmets, and strip the insulation from the cables to their toys. That'll learn 'em.

Edited by Jumpy Guy on Sunday 29th May 20:15

[Simpo Two]

To be fair the word we're missing is probably 'adult supervision'. What are these mothers doing while their children fall in the stream and drown?

[Munter]

Take them down to the stream in December and push them in. They'll not want to go back to it.

[iamrcb]

keep it open, just teach them to not die in it!

[Globs]

You could always just put decking over the whole thing.
Use some decent treated 6x2 or 8x2 every 600mm over the stream bolted to 3x3 sharpened posted banged into the ground either side, and then deck it.

Job done.