Socks in the pool cut down on slipping and scrapes

Tracy Hengst, originator of many fantastic hacks, sends this one for those of you fantacising about warm afternoons spent at the swimming pool:

We were at a local hotel with a group of people.  There were several kids running around in socks as they got in and out of the pool.  I asked the parents, why the socks?  They said that it cuts down on the slippery floor and also helps with the sharp pebble floor in and out of the pool.  What a brilliant hack!

They sell water shoes for this purpose; waterproof slippers with grippy rubber soles that are great in a pool or on the beach. But I love hearing that regular socks could work, too.

Related: Have kids soap up at the pool shower

Comments

[Nicole]

My 9 month old was enjoying the water table on our porch this weekend with his older brother but my husband was freaking out about how cut up his feet would be from crawling on the concrete. I went in the house and got a pair of long socks I don't like for him that would go up to his knees. The socks were black (I was doing our spring sweeping while they played) and soaked when he was done but his legs and feet were protected!

[K.C.]

Wondering how the socks don't slide off in the water?

[monster beats studio]

I'm in two! I liked the one in my the town where I grew up (about 90 minutes away) so much that I started another one in my hometown!

I just went yesterday, and I ended up with beef for tostadas, some sort of chicken/vegetable/rice soup, a beef roast, marinated chicken, shepherd's pie... We had four participants and we each made two meals, so I came away with 8 dinners.

The trick is remembering to get something out the night before and thaw it!

We use a Google spreadsheet to figure out a cost per meal for each entree, then we figure out what the total of the meals cost (so the average cost of one of each meal added together). Then we subtract what we spent from that amount, and end up with the amount owed to the group or owed to the individual. One person plays "banker" and writes checks to the others (or takes their checks). That way if someone makes something vegetarian (cheap) and someone else makes filet mignon, no one gets cheated - everyone pays the same amount by the time the groceries they bought for their meals and the checks are all sorted out.

I'm planning a post about the specifics of how our group works. When I get around to writing it, I'll link back to it.