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Gymnastics centre manager and my three year old...

12 replies

Moosmum1 · 15/04/2014 20:56

Ok, the background...so I take my 3yo to gymnastics on a Tuesday from 5pm-6pm, she's been going for a while now, it's held in a large gymnastics hall where there are multiple classes going on at the same time (there must be easily 100 children of varying ages in various groups at any one time) there are around 7-10 3yo's in my daughters class, which is taken by two young teenage girls (approx 17yo) though occasionally there is just one girl taking the class if the other is preparing for competitions or something.
So the 'manager' of this gymnastics centre, a middle aged fat man who potters about the place, has recently started saying that parents cannot go into the actual hall to drop off and collect their children, they must wait in the hallway outside, with multiple other parents (of older children), as it invalidates their insurance, Though parents are allowed in the changing rooms, which are located within the hall. The only parents that tend to come into the hall are those with the very young children like myself, but he expects us to wait in the hallway for our children to come out to us. Personally, on a parental level, I think this is absurd, and a little careless when it comes to children so young, I also think that the 'insurance' reason is somewhat exaggerated. But I was just wondering if I actually have an argument here...
I hope this makes sense...

OP posts:
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nonicknameseemsavailable · 15/04/2014 22:34

dancing classes don't tend to allow parents in once they are 3 and I know that when our dance school had 'viewing' classes they were restricted to 1 adult per child or it would be a problem with their licence or insurance or something so I suspect that is the issue. number of people in the room or something. not sure really but if your problem is that you can't go in and watch/be there if there is a problem then I think you would need to find a different club or wait until your child is older but if your problem is that you don't feel the staff taking the class are suitably skilled/qualified/responsible then you need to raise this with the club. A lot of gym coaches are young. I was coaching recreational gym at 18 but I probably looked about 14. We didn't have any parents in the gym at all although we didn't have as many children in there at one time. It was a long time ago, I can't remember numbers but I think generally there were 20-25 kids and 2-4 coaches so sounds similar sort of ratio.

Is the club a British Gymnastics one? you need to check that. If it is then I would be very surprised if they were allowing any classes to go ahead without appropriate supervision.

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nonicknameseemsavailable · 15/04/2014 22:36

at the end of the class I would expect the coach to bring the group out to the hallway and check each child is going to their parent safely before rounding up any who are left without a parent and taking them back into the hall/staff room until parent arrives to collect them, not just opening the door and sending them out.

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iK8AllTheEggs · 15/04/2014 22:40

What is a 'manager' and what does his age, sex and body weight have to do with anything?

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Waggamamma · 15/04/2014 22:41

This happens at my 3yo swimming lessons and it's not an issue. Parents are permitted to stay and watch for the first and last week of the term. Every other lesson the children are dropped and collected by parents in the shower area then escorted to pool side by the class teacher.

What is it that is making you anxious about this?

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Floer1 · 15/04/2014 22:54

I also wondered why you felt the need to mention the manager's being overweight (though I think you were more blunt calling him fat) and middle aged. Does that have some particular bearing on your OP?

And no. I don't think you have an argument here. I wouldn't expect them to 'exaggerate' their insurance

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Catper33 · 15/04/2014 23:11

I own and run a small gymnastic style facility and I do have number restrictions due to my insurance so also exclude/limit non participants being present. I do however have smaller classes for the pre schoolers to take this into account and do allow a parent to be present inside the gym in a designated location. I don't have a lot of classes running concurrently and can see in a bigger facility this flexibility would not be possible. I would agree it is a perfectly genuine and legitimate reason and if this set up doesn't work for you see if there is an alternative facility that works better.

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GoodnessIsThatTheTime · 15/04/2014 23:18

At our gym there were parent-and-toddler classes or standalone classes at 3ish. For the standalone classes no parents could go in, but you could sort of peek through a window and they would bring children out if they were anxious/need the loo.

I think its fairly standard, however I ended up delaying her starting until neaerly 4.

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Moosmum1 · 16/04/2014 09:23

I don't want to go in for the entire class, it's the drop off pick up scenario that I'm uneasy about. The hallway outside the gym is small and packed full of patents at pick up time, so I don't see how one or two girls could possibly safely supervise 8 3yo's to their parents, there is no organisation out there, just children and parents everywhere. And at drop off, were expected to just send the children in, when the coaches are rarely there when we arrive, and there are older children tumbling and flipping everywhere, this seems very unsafe to me. I completely understand why parents aren't allowed in the gym during the class.
With regards to the manager, my apologies if I offended anyone, my point was to show that he does not take any of the classes himself, he does not take direct responsibility for any of the children, he just potters in, tells off the parents, and walks back out to his office, perhaps I went the wrong way in saying this, again, apologies...

OP posts:
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ReallyTired · 21/04/2014 22:51

dd's gym class allows parents to watch from a balcony. Our gym club does not allow parents in the gym because of insurance. I think that is pretty standard.

", so I don't see how one or two girls could possibly safely supervise 8 3yo's to their parents, there is no organisation out there, just children and parents everywhere. "

at dd's gym the gym coaches get the three year olds to form a line with their hands on the shoulders of the child in front as if they were doing the conga. They escort them to next piece of appartus/ parents in this style.

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Mintyy · 21/04/2014 22:53

Sorry, you completely lost me when you wrote off the manager as a middle aged fat man.

Are the middle aged and overweight always in the wrong or something?

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sassysally · 28/04/2014 20:29

I am a gymnastics coach and parents are welcome to watch - we have nothing to hide! Althoough I do wish they would keep their pre-schoolers under control!

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Nishky · 28/04/2014 20:32

I'm with mintyy, not really interested with your attitude.

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