Doing a Step class when DD (6) is swimming?

[Rosieeo]

I have no idea if I'm BU or not.

Step class starts at 6pm and lasts for one hour. DD's swimming class starts at 6pm and lasts for 30 minutes. WIBU to ask DD (who is nearly 7) to get changed on her own in a smallish village leisure centre and then come upstairs to where they run the class and watch me get sweaty for the last 15 minutes? I'd get her ready for swimming and see her in.

WIBU?

In the gym where DS goes to swimming lessons, he has to go into the men's changing rooms from the age of 7. AND we are not allowed to stay during lessons.

When i first read your post, I thought 'no way' but actually I suspect my DS would totally be able to deal with that in a year or so's time.

It's not something I would do, even though at this age ds is able to dry and dress himself. I'd worry about them slipping on the wet floor and hurting themselves.

My dd is 8 and during the school holidays my gym runs a summer club. An hours swimming followed by an hour football, basket ball etc.
I leave dd to get changed, however they always have 1 male instructor to go with the boys to get changed and one female for the girls so she isn't alone.
I wouldn't leave her alone, tbh.
I would check with the instructors tbh, as every where I have been children have to be a least 8 before the parent is allowed to leave them during a swim or lesson.

i agree with everlong - i think our pool specifies that the parents have to be on site, and that means in the spectator area. I can see why you woudl want to do this, but i think its too much for him, its really difficult to get dry and dressed in the changing rooms at the best of times, i always find that my clothes refuse to play ball after swimming so i can imagine a 7 year old might struggle. So whilst they would cope really well with dressing themselves when they are dry and at home, not properly dry in a cramped changing room would be too much.

is there an adult area of the pool open when your DD swims? could you maybe swim while she has her lesson? then she can come and join you for the last 15 minutes? half an hour proper swimming will be just as good as a step class in terms of exercise. I do this sometimes when my DD has lessons in the other pool.

It all depends if you're allowed to leave them while they swim or have to be in the spectator area. Also on how small the small leisure centre is and whether you know the staff and if they'd be happy to grab you out of the step class if your DD needed you.

Has she been swimming with the school before - by that age I had and with a ratio of about 1:10 in changing after school swimming kids who have done that will be ok to get changed on their own and it would only be emergencies (accidents or losing items of clothing) you'd have to worry about.

I would do it. Another possibility - could you position your step so you are right near the door, and then explain to the teacher that at 6.30pm you will be nipping out for 10 mins? Have DDs towel and a dress in a bag with you, wrap her in the towel, put dress on her and you'd be back up in no time.

BTW. I think it's very healthy for DDs to see their mums doing things for themselves and being active rather than always waiting at the side of the children's activities, so even if this doesn't work out i'd see if you can fit in a swim while she's in the water or something.

I'd do it with DS just turned 6. He's very sensible and has been going into his own locker to get himself changed on his own for a year or so now in our local leisure centre. I don't think I would let him wander around in our leisure centre but in our local small gym where everyone knows each other I wouldn't have a problem. The only thing that would bother me would be if my doing that made other mothers feel that they had to look after her and it started to grate.

Thanks, lots of points raised here.

Both pools are in use for swimming lessons at this time so no chance of a swim unfortunately.

The changing area is unisex with individual changing rooms. Always very busy with a wide variety of mums and dads with younger children and a group of older ones (9+) on their own getting ready for swimming club which starts at 7pm.

Parents are not allowed on the pool side; we have to go up to the spectators area which is next to the room they do the class in.

It is the kind of small local place where I know the staff and could leave word with them and DDs swimming teacher about my whereabouts if there were a problem.

I'm not sure. I so rarely get the chance to do a class and could only do this one when DH is on the right shift and can look after DS. Maybe it has to wait for a while until they're older, but then DS will be at lessons and I certainly can't go then. Honestly, I'm never going to get back into this exercise malarky and it's all the children's fault!!

My 5 year o0d can get himself changed & put his stuff away. I go out to the shop when it is his swimming lesson although usually stay in the cafe. Doesn't seem like there should be a problem if the staff know you.

I think it depends firstly on whether your leisure centre has any specific rules regarding this, and secondly on whether your daughter is mature enough to cope. You are the only expert here on your daughter, so only you can know whether she would be responsible enough to sort herself out. My son has just turned 8, and he was painfully slow at getting changed by himself a year ago. I think he liked the independence though, and he seems much better now.

With regards to the 'difficulties getting dressed' problem, that's easily solved by making sure you take them to their lesson in baggy clothes, preferably in crocs and no socks!

Can you slip out of the class for 5 minutes to help her get dressed and then bring her to wait at the back for the rest of your class?

No, I wouldn't with my six (nearly 7) year old.

OK to leave whilst in the lesson because they are supervised by the teacher then. As soon as the lesson finishes they are not.

I don't think our leisure centre allows it either.

I take mine and a friend swimming. In the year I've been doing it, once of them has slipped over and had a nose bleed, one of them has backed into a heating pipe and burnt her back, we've had a couple of cuts to feet, they've both dropped their clothes in a puddle and got them soaked, the shower's sometimes too hot when they've got shampoo to rinse off, they've tried a couple of times to sneak back in the pool after the lesson because they didn't want to leave.

Yes they are both capable of getting dressed and walking up a flight of stairs to the gym. But there are too many other variables imv.

I'd agree - if you can pop out and get them changed and take them up to the gym where you can see them, fine.

Could she have one of those towelling poncho things that you use on the beach and come straight up and get dry and dressed at the back of your class? Or you could go and fetch her to do that, you'd only miss a minute or two, and I bet the exercise class room will probably be warm enough for her to just dry off naturally and then dress with you at the end of the class

sausage

I was tinking something similar, a warm toweling robe (with a hood) and flip flops, can be put on at the side of the pool and leave changing until after the class.

If it's only two rooms away you could leave the class for a minuite OP and collect dd.