... to think children should not be allowed in the main pool?

[littleemma1]

So, I have recently taken up swimming in the past couple of weeks (which I am really enjoying and finding I'm getting fitter already!) but I've noticed something that's really bugging me already... children being allowed to mess around in the main pool when it's full of people actually trying to swim.
Now I know the MN jury will most likely SLATE me for this as I will openly admit I do not have children yet (notice the YET, actively trying, that's a different thread!) so I probably come across as biased.
I hasten to add that there are 3 other children's pools at said swimming centre. Admittedly the biggest of the three is closed at the times I've been going for private swimming lessons but that's still leaves another 2!
So, why do the parents stand there letting their beloved children splash around, swimming right across other people's paths, and say/do nothing?! Surely they should have some consideration for other swimmers who are there to SWIM (yes swim, in a swimming pool) but it would seem not.
I honestly think the pool could/should bring in a policy for adults only in the main pool during peak times for example first thing in the morning (for the people who need to go to work, like me) or last thing in the evening when most children would be in bed?
There are other things that annoy me about pool etiquette like people who refuse to swim around you and think they have the almighty right to swim in a straight line, people who get in the pool and then don't swim, just standing at the sides, I could go on forever but I won't.

So, after that rant, AIBU?

I swim at 6 am every morning. It's total bliss. I'm normally one of two in the pool and it feels like I'm in my own little world. Totally recommended.

I don't think it should be a no children zone ever. However to clarify this I do think that there should be lane only swim times like my pool does which basically means people going to actually swim lanes for fitness as I know plenty of children that do simply swim up and down the lanes quite happily without messing around (not that I don't know some kids that mess around also). I deliberately put a "holiday" on my membership for august because the school holidays are always packed with kids and it becomes less of a swimming session and more like dodgems. Anyway hopefully your local pool will have some adjustments to the schedule after the summer holidays. My pool usually has lanes on until 11am-3pm the free swim which has 3 lanes for slow medium and fast and then the rest of the pool open for any use. Then 3-6pm is usually closed for lessons 6-7.30pm is free swim with the 3 lanes again and then 7.30-9pm is lanes only. This seems to be a nice mixture for everyone. There is also a children's pool but it is tiny and closed more often than not for either lessons or just because there aren't lifeguards on duty to watch it. I think you're being a bit unreasonable considering it's the summer holidays. If after the summer holidays it's exactly the same then I would make polite suggestions to your local pool for lanes.

The problem is the management of the pool. Firstly, the lifeguards aren't doing their job if they're allowing kids to jump in without heeding other swimmers unchecked. Secondly, in every pool I've used, lane swimming is pre-9am and post 6.30pm, so that workers can do their lanes. There's also usually a swim lane even in family swim times.

So I would address them , rather than parents who are, it sounds, using the pool with their kids perfectly legitimately.

I'm with you on this.

Please don't judge those people standing at the sides. I do that because I can't swim but getting lessons. I do that to build my confidence and get used to thelp movement of the water.

Agree about the kids though.

They should rope off an area for the ones who want to only swim up and down the lanes .. our local pool offered floats out during the school holidays in the big main pool 10 -12pm & 2-4pm
this was well advertised but still had to put up with complants by mainly middle aged / elderly swimmers who said we were ruining their swim time as they had to keep stopping till we got out the way

Go when it's lane swimming only. As an ex club swimmer I know very well you can't expect people to accomodate you. I even struggle with lanes as many people's definition of 'fast' doesn't match up with mine.

Probably best to go after 8, most pools them do lane swimming and no children

I just wanted to say I had my first experience of Man Butterfly (mentioned upthread). Dedicated ploughing up and down the half of the pool which was not sectioned off for lessons.

There was a boy and girl doing lengths as well, so it is not the case that only adults do lengths. Butterfly Man alternated with backstroke, which everyone just had to get out of the way of. Sorry, but I would rather the pool was full of children. At least I know I need to swim round them.

Most pools run lane swimming or adult sessions. It's unfortunate if your local pool doesn't, unless you're going in the general swim sessions. Splashing about got my daughter swimming but it took time. Don't blame the kids, blame the pool.

We belonged to a GREAT pool, except every once in a while a (usually stone faced man) person decided to swim laps. All of us were required to get our children out of the way while they swanned up and down amongst us. It was difficult and annoying.

Go swim laps at the inside pool. Please

It's all part of life in a public pool. It is realIy annoying but I think you just need to suck it up, or find a quieter time to go. You have (not meaning to be presumptious) the luxury of more free time than many of us given that you dont have children yet. Early and late hours would probably be much quieter. Happy swimming.

YABU. Encountered such a rule some years ago at a leisure / sports centre we had an expensive membership of. Cancelled the same day - because such a rule would not work for us. Maybe this is the route for you if you want a child-free pool - check out rulesat clubs with pools

My DD is 11. Technically she is a child and yes, she loves jumping in, playing and splashing around, loves diving for dive sticks and going on the big water slides.

But she is also a phenomenal swimmer and will lane swim too. She out swims me by a long way. She did a two mile swim pool swim last year and is aiming to get to three miles this year. She is also upping her sea swimming and the intention is to be good enough to do the pier to pier swim by the time she is 14.

So don't think all kids are just going to sit in a baby pool or a kids pool. Some kids actually can swim better than you can

@iamyourequal, not just public, ours was a private pool.

I hear you, it is annoying but then I think if you don't want children to cross your path when you swim but are annoyed at others who expect to swim in a straight line and not go round you then you're being a little unreasonable. That said, I feel exactly the same and I am a little unreasonable too :-)

To be fair the problem is likely too many people relying on a dwindling resource - we used to have 4 different public pools/ leisure centres in a readonable distance - they each had their own type if use. You went to one for the more fitness orientated swim, another for leisure use, another for diving etc. The LA in common with many had reduced this to one pool so eveyone is crammed in the one which is trying to be multi use - the LA also insist all school lessons are given priority in this pool as this was half their case for shutting the others - so unless your a school kid on a school lesson or your happy to share with inflatables, kids and divers you can't use our pool which doesn't open before 9 am and closes at 18:00 as it costs lots to staff it and council employees have homes to go to etc. etc. Private pools are the way to go here in hotels and gyms - they open early and late - most days the though they also "rent out" sessions to schools and after school clubs, scouts etc. Our local members pressured them into having a couple of after work sessions a day that are for members fitness swimming only.

God this puts me off swimming.

Are people deliberately ignoring the part where OP said that there are 2 children's pools open at the centre? If the children in the big pool were swimming lengths rather than just having a splashing session there wouldn't be a problem, but they aren't. So why aren't they using their pools instead? It's not as though adult swimmers have the choice, they can hardly go in the kids' pools for exercise. Or if the kids do use the adult pool the parents should bloody well supervise them properly and have some consideration for swimmers (who have just as much right to be there).

YANBU OP, but so many parents seem to think the world has to revolve around their brats, which means they irritate the hell out of other people. I mean what sort of parent lets their kid jump in a pool just as a swimmer is approaching?! Dickheads. Perhaps if more parents were better parents there wouldn't be an "anti-child" backlash.

What next flights for adults only?
Hell yeah, that's a great idea. Or any children that can't sit still and quiet will be anaesthatised. No screaming, crying, kicking the back of my seat.

Yabu. As you are new to swimming op why don't you go in the shallower childrens pools if you can't just go to lane swimming? Funnily enough my teen dd and her friends don't go to open swim sessions to play in shallow water or play dodge the misery who takes themselves too seriously.

Whataload. Many of us have explained many times why our children are not using the children's pools. They are not deep enough for older children. They are aimed at preschoolers. My 9 year old is 5 ft, do you really expect to to use a pool where the water reaches his waist? The main pool is exigencies for everybody, not just adults. While my son does swim seriously he also enjoys diving, jumping in and playing, at an open session he is perfectly entitled to do so. The main pool is just that, it is not an adult only pool.

Whataload. Many of us have explained many times why our children are not using the children's pools

We have no idea what depth the children's pools are though. There are 3 of them so surely they would be different depths. Be a bit silly if they were all identical. And provided you are supervising your DS in the big pool you don't have anything to get offended by in what I wrote.

Do you realise that over 8s are perfectly entitled to go swimming without an adult? They are entitled to use the main regardless of how many children's pools there are. Now you do. It's the lifeguards job to ensure everyone us using the pool safely. Also regardless of how many kids pools there are do you really expect a 5 ft 9 year old to use a kids pool?

Whataload As others have pointed out, generally 'Children's pools' are for little children. No, I don't know about the OP's pool, same as you, but my dc were swimming at an early age, and like to jump into deep water, or to dive and pick things up off the bottom, etc.,etc. - you can't do that in shallow water, and they are as entitled to be in the deep water as the next person. I presume anyone swimming in the deep end would be capable of swimming up and down the centre of the pool, where of course people can't reach if they are jumping in. Not sure how dc are therefore jumping in right into her swim space unless they are Greg Rutherford-esq long-jumpers.
Oh yes, and parents may well not be there as dc can go swimming on their own from the age of 8.

No. That would be stupid. Like all adults, not all kids are the same. A friends sister was competing in competitions from an early age and needed to train in an olympic size pool each day before and after school.

Are people deliberately ignoring the part where OP said that there are 2 children's pools open at the centre?

No - that's why a lot of posts have said this is a pool management issue.