Swimming lessons - go home wet?

[Chickenitalia]

Trying to make sense of how swimming lessons might work come September, which is when my DCs club is hoping to go back. They’ve sent guidance to parents and I’m not sure how it might work.

Most is fine, parents to stay out of the building, no instructors in the pool (so no beginner lessons for now), reduced class sizes, kids to arrive in swimwear and not allowed in the changing rooms, but then to put clothes back on over swimwear and go home wet. How is this going to then work with a 30 min drive home? My car isn’t big enough for a child to get changed in after and other than putting plastic bags on the seats, I can’t see what else could work to stop everything being soggy.

What am I missing? My DC love swimming and have really missed it, but I’m not sure we will be able to manage this sensibly. At the moment it’s all theoretical I know, I just want to have a plan in place should the opportunity arise.

Will the changing rooms be closed to all pool users or just children?

@Smallsteps88 I don’t know, mine use a pool attached to a private school that rents to the swim school in the evenings. So it’s only kids swimming there, no adults other than the instructors to be allowed in the building. Haven’t heard anything about public pools, sorry.

I know it’s not in the spirit of their guidance, but could you not just let her get changed in a toilet cubicle? They would have to re-open the toilets and if she was quick and there was more then one cubicle I don’t think it’s outrageous behaviour.

I’ve been contacted by my sons swimming teacher, I want him to go back to lessons.

Hes five, we’re going to try sending him in a towelling dressing gown with trunks underneath and crocs. When he comes out trucks down (while dressing gown is still on), sweat pants on, dressing gown off and top put on.

@Gogogadgetarms

I know it’s not in the spirit of their guidance, but could you not just let her get changed in a toilet cubicle? They would have to re-open the toilets and if she was quick and there was more then one cubicle I don’t think it’s outrageous behaviour.

You can bet your life everyone's going to try that.

The toilet queue will be a very long one.

It's a ball ache OP but at least you have a car I suppose so that's something. I doubt the kids whose parents walk them to and from, or use public transport will be able to go back.

I was thinking public transport won't be much fun in wet costume

The government still have not made an announcement about swimming pools have they?

The guidelines mentioned are those being suggested by Swim England, there are also some slightly different suggested guidelines from the STA I believe. But until the government announces when pools can open and which guidelines they will be using, it’s just a waiting game still at the moment

A fleece or sweatshirt material onesie would be my choice. We're also 30 minutes along rural roads from the pool my DD has (had) lessons in. We're usually pretty quick on the way out - no faffing with showers etc. so I'd have no problem with this set-up. It won't be forever (hopefully) and if it means lessons can go ahead, I'd happily try and make it work.

brought up by the seaside. we had a changing towel which is an old knee length towel sewn into a kind of tent that you pull over your head, as I recall there was elastic round the neckline. You then remove the costume, dry yourself off on it and put clothes on beneath it. Interesting contortions but you are covered from neck down, and kept warm while changing.

please do NOT tell them to get changed in toilet cubicles, let them faff around outside.

I would put poncho on then take costume off under that, straight into wet bag. Then slip on tracksuit bottoms. Once in car switch wet poncho for dry hoodie. You can get toweling hoodies and tracksuit bottoms too but fleecy ones will be warmer.

As above, dry robe or onesie - they'll still be able to have a quick towel down poolside before leaving. Swimzi's fleece bobble hats are great for wet hair

Worraliberty I was thinking this too! I walk to the pool usually. Might have to start running back which sounds far too sporty and fit for my liking. I wonder if I could pull off a hooded towel or a flannel onesie. ...

get a small adults towelling poncho, they will offer more space to get the suit off underneath. put a pair of pants on, and either put the hood up or get a towel hat like this to put on their head link. then crocs on feet, or flip flops.

Seriously? Just whip your swimsuit off outside the car and pull something loose on. Loads of options. Like outdoor swimmers do all the time!

@Alanna1 not everyone will have a car to get to a swimming pool. Maybe it will become common seeing people changing outside swimming pools in the same way people change at the beach

I'll be really fed up if this is the plan at my kids' club. DD8 could manage although would probably come out with only half her clothes/ missing goggles etc. But DS5 is too small. It won't just be us as the youngest kids swimming are just 3. It's a secondary school pool so big heavy doors to go through to access changing rooms. The floor gets v wet and slippery, kids need help so they don't go flying. Plus we don't drive there as it's an easy scoot from school and then home afterwards, they can't do that in winter if they're not warm and dry. They've both been swimming since they were six months old so I'm loath to give up but I just can't see how it would work. And I don't fancy standing outside in the winter weather for half an hour while they have their lessons.

I'll be really fed up if this is the plan at my kids' club. DD8 could manage although would probably come out with only half her clothes/ missing goggles etc. But DS5 is too small. It won't just be us as the youngest kids swimming are just 3. It's a secondary school pool so big heavy doors to go through to access changing rooms. The floor gets v wet and slippery, kids need help so they don't go flying. Plus we don't drive there as it's an easy scoot from school and then home afterwards, they can't do that in winter if they're not warm and dry. They've both been swimming since they were six months old so I'm loath to give up but I just can't see how it would work. And I don't fancy standing outside in the winter weather for half an hour while they have their lessons.

@smogsville it's inconvenient but the priority is now allowing seasons to take place whilst keeping people safe, rather than the previous priority of people's convenience.

I'm hoping enough people are prepared to do things differently to get things moving again, rather than expecting things to go straight back to 'how they used to be'.

It's completely ridiculous. I used to swim 3 times a week and I miss it but I'm not fucking about with dressing gowns or plastic bags or putting clothes over a wet costume and won't go back till I get changed as normal.

The lessons will only be for level 3 and up, hence the no adults in the building and no helpers in the pool, only instructors poolside. The swim school only takes children once they start school so unlikely to be any under 6 at this level I guess. Other places may do things differently but I think the owner was setting the scene for parents so if it won’t work for them, or they aren’t happy, they don’t have to go back. Numbers will be limited anyway.

Regarding the toilets idea, wouldn’t work (and I wouldn’t want to do that anyway) as the only access to the toilets is from the pool, the changing room will be locked, and they have already said only 1 person to use the toilet at a time during the lesson, on request only. Rarely do any kids use it tbh.

I just needed to get other ideas around how to manage the wet swimsuits and getting changed outside in the dark, in winter, in a gravel car park. I can see some options so thank you for the help. I know I am lucky to have a car and agree that some people will still not be able to join in at all. Much like my kids haven’t been to school since March when it seems everyone around us has had something. Finally an activity might work for us.

I’m hopeful things will continue to ease tbh, baby steps and all that. And the swim school owners can get some income again.

I doubt I'd send my just 7yo daughter back in these circumstances. She wants me by the pool. The normal rules are parents at pool side under 8 years..

Our club is doing a good job of keeping the parents informed, surveying them as to whether anyone will not be returning or will have particular issues with the new rules eg those with disabilities, they are doing their absolute best to get the swimmers back but have to follow Swim England guidance and the rules of the hosting pools otherwise their insurance is at risk.

Totally get them arriving in swimwear under their clothes, mine do, but they'll get cold going out in the wet after being in a sauna like swimming pool!! Can they not stagger letting them out of the pool so they are not all in the changing room at once?

Our lessons are currently timetabled at 4 pm and 5:30 pm although both DCs were already waiting for their next stages (5 & 3) for a while before lockdown due to congestion in the system. I would deeply love for them to be on close time slots!

We're 30 minutes from home so not practical to drive off and turn around and go back and there's nowhere warm and dry to go to avoid hypothermia as the nights draw in.

Normally we use the disabled room because of DS1's (9) ASD and dyspraxia. By that time of the day he's tired and needs some support and he's now too old to do that in single sex communal changing and I can't fit all of us into the other cubicles. He benefits from the reliability and quieter environment of the disabled room.

Changing outside while inconvenient is permissible for this time of year, but downright dangerous in the winter if you're not able to drive straight home. DS2 tends to come out shivering anyway.

Sitting in the car idling the engine for two hours to keep it warm and avoid hypothermia is outrageous from an environmental point of view.

I'm outdoor swimming and EVERYONE now has a dryrobe or towelling poncho. I drive home in mine (A MoonWrap slightly cheaper than a dryrobe) sitting on a plastic bag (dh handily kept the plastic seat cover left over from when the garage did the mot.).