To be irritated by swimming pool parties for 5yo

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

Trend for them at our school. Held in local municipal pool. Ratio 1 adult to 2 kids, so you have to go in with them. I don't want to be in my swimming costume in front of all the school parents. Not only that but the party room where the non swimming parents hang out overlooks pool so all the clothes parents get to see you too.

So the fact that it's a party for a five year-old is actually irrelevant. What you're really asking is 'Am I being unreasonable to turn down the invite on child's behalf because I don't want to be seen in a swimsuit?'

Who gives a shite. Put your cossie on, get in and have fun. Fuck anyone who judges you or what you look like.

Yeah they arnt great if your not keen on donning your cossie!

Can you not ask a parent of DC friends to look after your DC? The you wouldn't have to go in would you? ( maybe say you will
Look after other children I return whilst they swim)

That'd piss me off too. I don't mind the being seen thing, but I would not want to be in the pool with a dozen over excited 5yr old party guests. Age 8 minimum for pool party

i hate my body in a swim suit but would love for DD to go to a party like this. Surely it's not much worse than taking a baby to swimming lessons?

i wouldn't mind going but yanbu to decline invite - or send the child's Dad.

It's okay - they don't stay 5 for long. Go for it 😀

I wouldn't have a problem getting in the pool but is sounds like a ridiculous idea for a 5yo party. Swimming parties are for when kids can actually swim and play on inflatables etc.

I can see the appeal for older children where a lot will be able to swim confidently and independently but so such young children I think it's daft as many won't be able to swim or be confident in the water

Yanbu. Horrible idea for anyone who isn't comfortable in a swimsuit. I'm so relieved ds only had to go to one. I had to juggle leg wax appointments (very hairy) and find a rash vest to cover my self harm scars. Yay what a party .

We went to one of these last weekend and the party parents had arranged for their relatives to go in the pool. They said we didn't need to stay if we didn't want to. We did sit and watch through the window, but I never thought anything about any of them other than being grateful they went in and looked after the kids.

Wonder if your party is at the same place as ours was.

Find someone who has other older children, and a 5-year-old, offer to look after their non-swimming child if they look after your swimming child. Or send dad? Or trustworthy teen of a friend?

Yanbu. I looked at one for Ds around that age and decided against it because we had just got to the drop and run stage for parties and I figured everyone else would hate me if they not only had to stay, but also to swim!

I'm not a fan of these either.

DS1 got invited to one - classmates 5th birthday party - and the mum had actually printed slips saying "sorry for inviting you all to a pool party because they'll need a parent in with them!" and stapled them to the invites.

It sounds like a stupid idea for a 5 year olds party so you are quite sensible to decline the invitation

I endured my first one of these recently. Unfortunately all the kids actually loved it and lots of parents said they would consider having a pool party for the next one so I think I have years of these to come.

It wasn't as bad as I feared actually but YANBU.

YANBU at all.
All of mine had to wait until they were 8 (well, my September born had to wait until she was 9, so all her friends were 8) to have a pool party.
I'm a firm believer that if you host a party, then you host it, and provide all the adults you need to keep the dc safe and having fun. For my middle one's pool party, we needed extra adults in the water, so we found them. I do not expect adults to have to go swimming because my 5 yr old wants to.

Nothing to do with what I look like in a costume - I couldn't give a monkeys about that - but I don't want to spend my Saturday afternoon in a swimming pool, having had to arrange for siblings to be looked after, and then getting changed afterwards in the cold, etc.,etc., Just no.

You could wear a t shirt and shorts in the pool. I always do this when supervising ds as do any support assistants that go in with him.

,,, my twins are 7 in January one on the spectrum. Parties are a nightmare for him as there is so much he won't tolerate - but he loves swimming.

I've pre warned and applogised in advance BUT I'm throwing the party so my children have good memories and fun and if a few parents don't come because they're body conscious there's nothing I can do about that.

Dd was invited to one in a "school pool". Translation - 10m X 5m and all of 70cm deep. No adults needed to go in. (Lucky really as they wouldn't have fitted!) Dh took her as I was taking ds to another party but apparently it was great fun.