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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To HATE taking the kids swimming.

30 replies

ThisOneSeemsNice · 14/02/2016 11:21

What an absolute fucking FAFF. I hate it!!

OP posts:
Shemozzle · 14/02/2016 11:25

Is it to learn to swim or an ongoing thing? I put my dd1 through a term of regular once a week swimming lessons and they were awful. Talk her nothing. Made her worse. Agree it was a faff too. So I left it (for a bit too long) and eventually found intensive courses via an independent swim school. Last summer holidays she went one lesson a day for a week and learnt to swim! Worked out a lot cheaper than a term of lessons too. Next summer she will do the next intensive course to work on strokes. In between we just do leisure swimming.

LizKeen · 14/02/2016 11:33

I used to hate it too. But now I don't mind it so much. Maybe its the fact that they love it so much, don't know.

I don't bother with showers other than a quick rinse, or hair washing, or hair drying. We are all out, big towels, dried, dressed, home and bath later, or the next day.

SmallGreenBouncyBall · 14/02/2016 11:36

the dc want to go swimming every week. I compromised and take them once a month.
but yes, it's a faff and only bearable with a big portion of chips afterwards.

memyselfandaye · 14/02/2016 11:38

Google private hire pools in your area.

We have a lot around here, they cost between £14-£20 an hour, and you get plenty of time to change before and after.

gleekster · 14/02/2016 11:39

YANBU. I hate indoor swimming pools. Never took mine swimming. Luckily their primary school had swimming lessons as part of the curriculum Grin

BlueJug · 14/02/2016 11:47

Me too. Dp always did that. I would do 10 birthday parties and 20 trips to a freezing park in exchange for a swimming trip!

YANBU

ValerieTheHorse · 14/02/2016 11:50

I hate the faff of dressing after mostly, never get properly dry and it's difficult with a toddler. BUT we go for weekly lessons where we both swim together and I must keep doing them or I wouldn't go at all probably and I feel that I'd like to keep it up now or the investment so far would be pointless...

Fourarmsv2 · 14/02/2016 11:53

Swimming at a private gym = more than bearable :)

Private 1-2-1 swimming lessons = more progress in 4 X 1/2 hour sessions than in terms of group lessons.

RoseDeGambrinus · 14/02/2016 11:59

YANBU. SO glad DH does this bit of parenting. Sitting in a chilly toddler pool with DS2 during DS1's lesson feeling mega-jealous of adults on their own who actually get to swim themselves. Not my idea of fun.

formerbabe · 14/02/2016 12:03

I enjoy the actual swimming bit of it but hate the changing part of it. ..That is a complete pain.

Dollymixtureyumyum · 14/02/2016 12:11

Not unreasonable at all hate it, hate it, hate it

allegretto · 14/02/2016 12:14

I never get in with them. I dont mind taking them if I can read my book whilst they are having a lesson!

Artandco · 14/02/2016 12:17

I like it. We all swim 3+ times a week. Kids have one lesson also. We swim in the evening 6.30-7.30pm usually so shower at the pool and kids straight into pjs. Home for dinner no rush.
As babies I just showered them and wrapped them in towels after whilst adults dress, then got them ready after. Now school age they do most themselves.
They sleep well after an hours swim also

andadietcoke · 14/02/2016 12:19

The DTs (2.5) have been twice. I feel incredibly guilty especially now they can walk and follow instructions. Both times they went as babies they hated it and one screamed the whole time. The whole situation feels even worse because my parents have a heated indoor swimming pool, but there's something wrong with the heating and my dad hasn't fixed it, so I have that excuse at the moment. Hopefully when dad's done that I'll be able to hire someone to come in and do 1:1 lessons with them.

CMOTDibbler · 14/02/2016 12:27

I love swimming. We go in the afternoon, or in the evening on weekdays 2 or 3 times a week. We've swum together since he was tiny, and I've got very efficient at the whole getting changed thing.
The secret of getting properly dry is multiple towels - one hair turban (first thing on), then very small towel all over body (I use an old terry nappy square), then wrap myself in a hamman towel and stand on the square. When ds needed me to dress him, I'd have wrapped him in a towel as soon as we were in the cubicle, and then dressed him once I was wrapped. Ds puts on a onesie after, and if we go in the evening, he wears it to and from the pool.

CakeNinja · 14/02/2016 12:43

Hate it but do take them weekly for 'fun'.
We have family gym membership and it's a great pool, spotlessly clean, spacious cubicles and really hot showers not on stupid timers, but the ridiculous rules state that you must have supervision if under 12 (local public pool you can be there unsupervised at 8) so my youngest only really likes the little pools (warmer) but the older 2 are bored in there but can't go in the big (cold) pool without us. Massive PITA.

Because I go weekly and use the spa stuff most days anyway I am at least fuzz free.

Also, the palaver of getting cubicles for everyone as DC are gormlessly traipsing about dragging towels in soggy puddles complaining about being cold, while i sprint between the Locker and the cubicles making sure the DDs haven't got my pants, have actually bought themselves pants, finding a snack to keep Ds quiet for the 37 seconds I allocate myself to get completely dried and dressed in a hurry, then packing bags of soggy stuff to deal with when you get home.
For a 'fun' activity there's a lot of prepping and shit to go with it.

This is just my opinion, I'm not saying it's hard to prepare it all, just that it's a faff and yields very little personal enjoyment against effort. However, the DC love it so I do it.

The older ones do now pack their own stuff, and we shower and rinse but don't bother with hair washing etc.

dreame · 14/02/2016 12:45

I don't love it but now have a dressing gown made from the stuff those micro towels are made from. I put it on as soon as we're out and I then am dry by the time I've got them changed. Also bring theirs too (normal ones). A quick rub with a towel then put them on and nobody is cold or dripping wet (kids are 2 & 4) while the other is getting changed.

ArmfulOfRoses · 14/02/2016 13:00

Our local pool is dire.
It's freezing , both the pool and the changing rooms, and I'm miserable every time we go.

There's two near my mum's that I love taking the dc to.
Both warm, with flumes and play things, one with rapids and a wave machine.

Dh takes them locally and I take them near my mum's Smile

Fourarmsv2 · 14/02/2016 14:37

I got hooded towels made for my two from the biggest beach towel I could find with two flannels for a hood.

I have a hair towel and a massive body towel.

Get out of pool, long shower, wrap up, spin cossie. Loads of talc for feet, dry with tissue. Read Mumsnet for a bit. Moisturise legs. Then I'm almost dry.

The joy of boys - they get changed with their dad now they're too old for the ladies!

Original poster
ThisOneSeemsNice · 14/02/2016 15:57

I have girls and one is a toddler, and i get stuck with all the faff while DP fartarses around in the showers.

We have so much stuff we always need two lockers as well. Then we're only in the pool for 30mins before the little one is blue and knackered so we have to get out and do it in reverse. Or DP stays in with the eldest and I get myself and little one sorted then have to go back and get the oldest sorted. I just hate it. Zero fun for me. Maximum hassle.

I love swimming when it's just me.

OP posts:
Artandco · 14/02/2016 16:15

Take hamman towels, fold tiny. Means everything in one small bag here . X4 towels, swimwear, small hairbrush and shampoo. Done

SmallGreenBouncyBall · 14/02/2016 16:32

we have those microfibre towels. fol really small and dry quickly and are huge big enough to wrap around the child to dry and keep warm.

cuntycowfacemonkey · 14/02/2016 16:36

Hate it with a passion, the only swimming pools we visit are the ones that come with a holiday villa or next to a pool bar.

mudandmayhem01 · 14/02/2016 16:41

I hate swimming pools, a very happy day when my youngest was 8 and I don't have to go in with any more. They are both very strong swimmers, all that time and lessons was worth it now I can just drop them off at the pool. I still swim with them in lakes or in the sea but I don't mind that as there is no evil chlorine turning my hair green.

myusernamewastaken · 14/02/2016 16:49

I hate it aswell....ive never been a fan of swimming....i really dont want to be seen in a swimsuit and the chlorine makes my eyes sting.....my ex husband took all 3 of mine swimming when they were younger whilst i spectated with a good book.....bliss x