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.

I was SO glad when my youngest learnt to swim and we didn't have to do any more lessons . There's a six year age difference between my oldest and youngest so we did it for years!

I would make sure they wore a swimming hat for starters. Then a quick towel dry, put on an oversized towelling robe with coat over and thick socks/ wellies to go to the car. Not so easy though if you walk/ cycle.

I can’t see it working for the younger ones. At my pool they all come out looking freezing, are desperate for a wee or often need a wee during classes etc, have a teacher in the pool. I think the guidance might be a way of getting older children and/or competitive swimming back but it’ll be really hard for my 4yo to return under some of the suggestions I’ve seen.

And also there is the sibling issue. In my case, I’ll have a toddler to entertain but for many others they have children with concurrent lessons. If the rules are too cumbersome, there won’t be the demand and swimming schools will go under. I am desperate to get back to lessons but I wouldn’t do it under some of the current guidance.

@Chaotic45 naturally those who are able to use pools and have their lessons according to the new guidelines will be free to do so and I wouldn't dream of suggesting that they shouldn't. I just can't see it working for us, for the reasons I outlined and I think I'm entitled to feel a bit cross about it. I imagine there might be others on this thread with similarly aged young children who might be in the same boat. That's all.

I'd whip off costume and travel home in a nice big bathrobe. Even our beginner classes don't have instructors in the pool so that wouldn't change

We walk or get the bus to the swimming pool (no car park), so not sure how we will manage, if these are the rules. Might get some odd looks boarding a bus in a wet swimming costume !

I imagine there will be lots of changing in corridors and foyers.

I completely agree with regards to kids getting changed in cramped changing rooms when using school pools etc as they will never keep apart but can't see too much issue with getting changed quickly in a cubicle. If it's cold we'll just find a space in a corridor to stealthily get changed, same would apply if we were getting the bus home.

Well, that will be fun in the winter. It's at least 30mins walk, they hate walking to and from swimming anyway, so I will be walking them there which is fine, hanging around outside while they swim (nowhere to go as it is at a university pool and the university buildings are not open to the public on Saturday mornings) then walking them home soaking wet.

Lots of Kids in pool & bad access to public toilets will be height of stupidity.

I was planning to get a wetsuit for my cycle ride home at ~5 degrees in winter, with clothes pulled on over the wetsuit & a thick fleecy neckbuff to help keep warmth up. Assuming I really couldn't change. I have few hopes of the pool actually being open before 2021, though.

Swimming pools can now open, outdoor ones to start with, but indoor ones soon

@lljkk you've just reminded me of when we turned up for kids' classes to find the pool was closed because a child hadn't got to the loo in time in an all too obvious way

The Swim England guidelines say that changing facilities and showers can and should be available.

"To mitigate the effect of this, facilities may want to consider a ‘beach style turn up and swim’ option to minimise time spent in the changing rooms or allow access straight to poolside.
What is ‘beach style turn up and swim’?
 Come ready changed (costume under clothing) – cubicles or individual changing
rooms will be available.
 We encourage swimmers to shower directly before leaving home. Showers will be available at the pool.
 Whilst taking account of safeguarding, operators may wish to consider additional designated changing areas with temporary screening.
What will ‘beach style turn up and swim’ mean?
 Less time spent in changing areas and more time to swim.
 Showers will be available for a post swim shower.
In changing areas operators should:
 provide washing facilities and hand sanitiser
 consider hygiene arrangements to limit surface contamination in cubicles, lockers and toilets
 consider floor stickers/markings indicating 2 metre distancing in open plan single sex changing rooms, locker and shower areas
 establish occupancy levels to assist social distancing arrangements
 implement effective cleaning regimes, paying particular attention to touch points."

[quote smogsville]@lljkk you've just reminded me of when we turned up for kids' classes to find the pool was closed because a child hadn't got to the loo in time in an all too obvious way [/quote]
In 9 years of swimming with babies/ children/ lessons, I think I'm glad to report only one such incidence... DS1 had food allergies through the baby/ toddler years and I'm so glad that he never disrupted whe swimming pool.

Great news that pool openings are on the horizon. Lets hope that guidence is practical and family friendly...

DD2 swims (or did) in an outdoor pool year round. All the kids have swim parkas & just throw them on and hop in the car after. Expensive but I just got a massive one & hope she won’t grow out of it.

If you have boys they can just wriggle out of their bottoms in the car & girls could either have a 2 piece or pull the shoulder straps off before putting on the parka then wriggle out. Then just be naked under the parka. Annoying but god are you lucky to have swimming back. Am in the US & it doesn’t look like ours will open in the fall. DD2 climbing the walls here.