Dads using female communal changing room

I swam a lot as a kid. Started at 3 left the swim club at 14. Tuesday nights. Tended to be younger kids earlier but there were kids of all ages in the changing rooms.

in those days if a dad had dared go into the girls changing area I am not sure he would have survived!

3-11 ,is an extremely normal range for swimming lessons! Swim England Stage 1-7 for example.

@Rosealea completely misses the point. It's nothing to do with accusing the men of everything and all about protecting female spaces for females. Of course many females would feel uncomfortable about a man appearing in a female space, especially before/after swimming when they may well be changing outside cubicles. It's v simple. The child uses the changing room based on the sex of the parent. Once they are old enough to manage independently, usually 8 or 9, they change in the correct one for their sex. The OP's pool also has the benefit of private cubicles which these men could have chosen if they didn't want to use the relevant changing room, for whatever reason.

Absolutely not okay for a man to be in a female changing room. He either changes his child in the male changing room or waits for a private cubicle.

My pool,not in uk, has male and female changing rooms with cubicles and separate toilets and showers and in between, there are two separate areas for mothers and children and fathers and children. Ideal for everybody and boys over 8 are not supposed to be in the women’s changing rooms.

The phrase 'in front of' is pejorative. We're talking of kids who are too young to be able to dry and dress themselves after a swimming lesson without help of a parent or other responsible adult.

My daughter, now 33, was (just about) OK left to do the dry/dress routine herself at seven so she did that in Female area while I was sorting her five year old brother in the Males.

Ages reversed what's right?

Absolutely not.

The statistics on this shows that they are a magnet for voeuyerism and assaults.

Male and female and then have a third space for the hard of thinking.

100% agree

any man entering a space where teenage and younger girls are getting changed is wrong and they need to be kicked out and embarrassed so they never dare to do it again.

its so painful to see little girls entering puberty awkwardly changing - even in front of other women. They don’t need a male audience, they need protection by the adult women in that situation. We need to speak up and stop this. Insist on signage and adherence to rules everytime we see this happen.

This happened to me too. The first time I directly asked him to leave / he made some noises about being on his way out and left. None of the other mums spoke up - shocking! Next week he came back - I had to raise my voice - he called me crazy! Luckily 2 other women joined and and clarified to him that he was the crazy one and to get out.
I wrote angry but factual complaints to the swim school and premises. It took a bit of back and forth and notices went up that the sex of the adult determines which room they use and not that of the child, and the above 8 rule.

it can be done - persevere with your complaint and quote the rule from the swim England website if you are challenged.

That was in reply to poster who thinks Dads should be allowed in girls changing rooms, seemingly missing the fact that older girls are changing not just younger ones requiring help.

Surely the age they have to get changed in front of men is the age where they can't be left alone to do it?

What's the alternative - ban children from events with communal changing?

My co-ed primary age kids classes get changed for PE together in the same classroom so it's literally impossible to ensure an adult of the same sex as all the kids is available. It's probably not ideal but what's the alternative?

Exactly what age do you deem it acceptable for a girl to have to change in front of men?

8, which is considered standard, when they need supervision?
9/10, when puberty starts?
11/12, when they go to secondary school?
16, the age of consent?
18, when they are legally adults

That.

Exactly.

The reason to exclude men from areas where women and girls are changing is to prevent voyeurism and sexual assault

There are no women or men getting changed and men aren't excluded for areas where girls are changing because the children are randomly distributed between the two changing rooms. We're talking about keeping the fully clothed adults apart.

Usually boys under 8 are allowed in the ladies with a parent. Older than 8 he should be in the men’s.

The reason to exclude men from areas where women and girls are changing is to prevent voyeurism and sexual assault. Statistically those are crimes men commit. You going into the men’s with your son may make men uncomfortable but you are not a danger to them, some men going into the ladies will be a danger and we don’t know which are so all should keep out.

My local pool has a completely different policy in lesson times compared to normal opening.
During lessons the changing rooms are designated according to swimming level, 1-4 in one 5-7 in the other. This splits the number of people in each one more evenly but does mean that it is mixed sex in both. There are some cubicles but not enough, so I have shielded my DD with her towel to get changed when needed.
This policy is very clearly signed so everyone is aware.
I'd check what your pools policy is then raise it with the pool if necessary.

Also though,

So sorry to hear that. As a bloke, I think it is just so wrong that some blokes feel that they should be allowed to go into women's changing facilities where women/young girls are getting changed, it is bang out of order and I would suggest that these blokes are fully aware of what they are doing.

A man should never be in a female changing room, take " your " daughter into a " closed" mens cubicle