keeping kids out of ur holes

[troutking90]

Anyone have any solutions to keeping younger kids from falling into ur holes my son fell into mine twice last year and IM in shearch of a solution?

[appleye]

Plywood hole covers. Bright colors

[FISHFORPIKE]

Teach him to to be attentive, and look where he is going.  He will need to learn that at some point in his life.  Option 2: leave him home.  If it's not your hole(s) he steps in it will be someone elses.  You won't be able to cover them all.  Maybe they are too young?

[potatomansoup]

Fish with a smaller auger, plus everything everyone else said, I use a 4.5 inch nils, kids still manage to step in...
But at least there is nowhere to go

[jiggenfrogs]

I have not had to deal with it yet, but plan on teaching them and keeping a close eye on them.  Building barricades around holes in shanty, it will be interesting.  Out side up here not as big a deal.  Only allowed two lines and holes freeze up rather quickly.  My kiddo will be two in Feb and plan on taking her for a night in the shack later this winter/spring.  I plan on keeping any thing and everything out of reach, so I don't find it at the bottom of my hole

[prchslyr]

My boys and I had to learn these same lessons the hard way.
If your boy has already done it twice. You may not need to teach him further. Both of my kids did it 2 or 3 times before they learned. I think it took me about 10 times when I was a kid.
Some preventative tips for you though.
At a certain age. It is inevitable, but almost a rite of passage.  It's up to me to make sure it doesn't ruin the day. One day ruined takes a long time to recover and get them back into it. I had a hard time getting my oldest back into it after his last leg bath. I've got him back and as nutty about it as the rest of us.
 I'd keep extra boots and socks for him out on the ice with your gear. I once had to jog 2 miles on the ice back to my truck with my oldest on the jet sled to get his dry boots and socks. (Sounds like an old man story. True as it gets) The oldest is 12 now. His extra boots stay in the car. If I'm a long ways from the vehicle. I have to have extra boots on hand for my clumsy youngest (9).
ONE 4.5" hole in the corner of my shanty. The 8" is just for tipups and I keep a good distance between my base camp and tipup holes that we're working.
I really hate having a mound of snow around a tipup hole. It's a necessity when you have kids out there. Leave the mound your auger makes after cutting. It's worth dealing with for a little peace of mind out there.
 

[troutking90]

Thanks IM glad IM not the only one that has had to take a long jog to the truck For dry clothes for kids

[gaspumper]

Easy. Leave them home.

[d4ng3r3ux]

The mound of snow works but it cant prevent everything.
Bring along a yellow nylon rope and make a perimeter around your holes and try to teach them not to step over the line.

Had my youngest ruin a few trips. Arrived at my spot started drilling my holes 1st one done, go to the second i look back at the first and in he was. It was my shortest trip

[NYSporty]

My boys and I had to learn these same lessons the hard way.
If your boy has already done it twice. You may not need to teach him further. Both of my kids did it 2 or 3 times before they learned. I think it took me about 10 times when I was a kid.
Some preventative tips for you though.
At a certain age. It is inevitable, but almost a rite of passage.  It's up to me to make sure it doesn't ruin the day. One day ruined takes a long time to recover and get them back into it. I had a hard time getting my oldest back into it after his last leg bath. I've got him back and as nutty about it as the rest of us.
 I'd keep extra boots and socks for him out on the ice with your gear. I once had to jog 2 miles on the ice back to my truck with my oldest on the jet sled to get his dry boots and socks. (Sounds like an old man story. True as it gets) The oldest is 12 now. His extra boots stay in the car. If I'm a long ways from the vehicle. I have to have extra boots on hand for my clumsy youngest (9).
ONE 4.5" hole in the corner of my shanty. The 8" is just for tipups and I keep a good distance between my base camp and tipup holes that we're working.
I really hate having a mound of snow around a tipup hole. It's a necessity when you have kids out there. Leave the mound your auger makes after cutting. It's worth dealing with for a little peace of mind out there.
 

2X I clear half of the slush and jig the clear side. On hot holes I mark them with red food coloring and water on the half mound maybe you could do that to all the holes. I bring the food coloring with me in my pocket and put one drop in a cup or can fill it with lake water and mark the holes.

[SnoHam13]

Anyone have any solutions to keeping younger kids from falling into ur holes my son fell into mine twice last year and IM in shearch of a solution?

its a rite of passage [kinda like gutting your first deer]
one suggestion is use 5 gallon pail lids and cover the hole
we use to take cub scouts out ice fishing and at least 1 would get wet
my biggest fear was un marked spearing holes,had 1 go in up to his waist
just took him to the main hut with the heater,got him warmed up and dry clothing on
as long as you don't over react[and scare the kid] it will be ok

SnoHam13

[ice_engineer]

First thing do not leave them at home, its part of growing up.  My son has had a leg bath once this year already (he is 5), luckily we were getting ready to go.  Now he is very careful to make sure where the holes are. 

[rags]

make them wear snow shoes 

[Terasec]

Dont take your eyes off the kids
Took my 3 yr old out,
Didnt let him get much further than arms length
And when he moved out of vision like when i was drilling our talking to someone stopped and made sure he moved/stayed in front of me where i could see him
Takes alot of work /attention to fish with kids, when doing so its all about them not you but worth it

[jiggenfrogs]

I took my daughter out and she is just under two.  She loves the four wheeler, so we broke up the time she was wondering around on the ice by riding and just letting her sit on the wheeler.  We are only allowed two lines, so it was not hard keeping her out of them, but we never took out eyes off her and the trips become much shorter.  Well worth the extra effort looking after the little one and getting the family out on the ice.  They will learn soon enough, it is our jobs as parents to teach them and look after them and as a result they may keep us out of holes latter on

[rabbittrapper]

I used to do it when I was young. I eventually learned to watch were I stepped.

[wyotoach]

Dry boots, socks, pants and GLOVES.... even if they don't step in the hole you need extra gloves. Short breaks to read a quick book while watching a rod and little treats and you'll have them hooked. Lost a big eye with the three year old on my lap last week. She thought it was pretty cool though. Still talking about it.

[JonPerry]

explain to them it's not good to get wet when it's cold out, have a change of clothes & hope for the best. if they do it once, they most likely will pay more attention to it next time. kids are kids.

[PerchFace]

theres just no teaching kids. last year I went knee deep in a hole 3 times. don't think my dad could do anything to stop it. maybe take the whisky away. oh by the way in 33

[FISHFORPIKE]

theres just no teaching kids. last year I went knee deep in a hole 3 times. don't think my dad could do anything to stop it. maybe take the whisky away. oh by the way in 33

I'd rephrase that - theres just no teaching SOME kids.  I guess! 

[kasilofchrisn]

For me it is more about just paying attention to the kids and what they are doing.
If they are prone to stepping in holes then concentrate on the kids fishing and don't fish yourself.
If I had young kids I would take them on some trips and leave them home for some others.
After awhile they should learn not to step in holes and things will get better.
My stepson is 14 and we don't really worry about him stepping in holes anymore.
Certainly do not leave the kids at home all the time. You want them to enjoy fishing with you.

[UFCreel]

I have one daughter who has always stepped into the holes. At 17  still does or did last year. My other daughter 3 years younger has never stepped into a hole.