After swim class tips with toddler?!

[AnotherOne83]

Taking my 19 month old ds to water babies in a week. He is very very energetic and curious and when we've been to the pool before he has ended up running around the changing room unless I pin him down and don't get properly changed myself!

Does anyone have any hacks for successfully getting changed (even showered) with a runaway toddler after swimming lessons? They don't have a family changing room I can lock us in unfortunately.

I find it so hard actually makes me not want to go but I do lol. The way I do it is I take his dressing gown wrap him in that and sit him on a towel with a toy and a snack get myself ready no shower just loose clothes then I get him ready he's fighting laying down with a vengeance at the mo so have started using pull ups instead of nappies and a vest and all in one something quick and easy. Then I shower him before he naps when we get home and then sort myself out x

I wrap them in a towel and pop them clipped into the buggy while I shower and dress, then I sort them out.

I get dd sorted then all the kids play in the lockers basically while the parents get dressed. We're not allpwed food or drink in the changing rooms, and no space for pushchairs. I wouldn't bother with shower, i put dd in a onesie so its quick to get her dressed

@Shouldhavebutdidnt

I do it the opposite way to commented above - I wrap toddler up in towel & give her a lot of snacks whilst I get dressed then get her dressed. It means I have sorted the post swim hunger & I’m dressed!

2 kids in and this is definitely the way to go.

Also no clothes on kids- just a onesie. Both kids I dry off eldest 4 wears fleecy onesie, little one a nappy and a onesie. Soooooo much easier!!

We would shower together, I’d wash them first and then me, often holding them, sometimes I’d shower sitting down/kneeling down as easier. Hooded towels. Me dressed first, because I’m fast. Toddler after. Then we’d go and do hair, under the hairdryers and with the hairbrushes.

We didn’t take a pushchair, too much stuff weighing us down as it was with wet towels etc and nowhere to leave it anyway

We didn’t do snacks in the changing room, they weren’t allowed. DC was often hungry after swimming so would either go to a cafe straight after or have a substantial snack ready for DC to eat on the bus home. It used to take us about an hour and twenty minutes to get home after a swim so if DC had to wait that long we’d have a proper hangry meltdown.

Box.of.raisins.

A towel poncho thing for you. Total game changer when I got one. It meant I could shove a towel dress on my toddler to keep her warm and one on me so Is dry off while changing her without worrying about a normal towel falling down.

Hello, I'm thinking of bringing my 3 year old to the swimming pool for the first time soon. What all do I need to bring with me, for me and my wee girl???

@paulirwin see comments above!