To be angry over this or am I just being a bitch !!

[Wannabeyou]

Hi all,

I don't know if I'm complaining over nothing, if I should of said something to the children (because the parents couldn't be fucking bothered !).

I booked 1:1 swimming lessons for a term, for DS. It is expensive ! Due to the pool hire and the security in your slot (time)... the lesson is 20mins.
Keep in mind the pool is small..(think of 3 adults together, with both of their arms stretched out).

Anyway, DS and I come to the pool, it's very busy and I'm assuming they're behind in time (so much for the secure slot , but this happens so not too worried). There are three children, including DS, being taught in the pool. Then there's about 5 children ! Who are not being taught, in the pool playing on the sidelines but they kept obstructing DS lesson, they were loud and being a distraction to DS. Keep in mind the pool is very very small...so literally DS was only using about half or even less of his swimming lane.

A parent notices my discomfort but proceeds to roll her eyes at me. Luckily, one of the swimming instructors recognises this and tells the children to play quietly and not to obstruct the lanes. They didn't listen and continued to do their silliness. I complained to the life guard and to another woman, who manages the booking, that "..they need to tell the parents that their children need to wait outside of the pool, it isn't fair on my DS and to the other children being taught. They are being disruptive, my DS can't focus in the lesson". The lifeguard agreed and replied " I've told them, but the parents won't listen and they are not even watching them".

By the time I've spoken to the lifeguard, DS lesson had already finished and when DS got changed... the mother of one of the kids, disrupting my DS lesson, proceeds to roll her eyes at me again once more. But I couldn't be bothered to retaliate.

AIBU ? I feel like a bitch but I'm paying how much for these sessions ?!!! I expect DS to have a basic standard of good quality lessons. Should I have said something to the parents or the children ?

In the end I told the manager of the booking, that "if the same thing happens again, they either book my DS to a less busy slot or I want my money back".

Oh I see now there was a special lane set aside for lessons, so I agree the kids, their parents and the instructor were partly responsible. However the pool sounds so small that it seems a bad idea to have lessons and public swimming at the same time.

The instructors aren't that good if they are unable to run the lesson as per the contract.

In advance, ask to speak to the manager, explain what happened and say you would like a refund because they did not deliver what you paid for. Ask if it will be a problem in the future or not.

Don't just put up with it or give it one more go. Why should you spend £35 on this crap.

I have to say that the first eyeroll would have prompted me to say "is there a problem?" and the second would have resulted in a stern "instead of behaving like a child perhaps you could behave like a parent and ask your child not to deliberately wreck swimming lessons?"

It's shit service from the pool staff. If parents don't take responsibility for their children, the staff should eject them and ban them.

Any pool that is properly managed would recognise you had not got the service you paid for, and happily refund you or offer another session for free.

The other parents sound like arseholes, but in their defence, they probably feel that their children are as entitled to use the facilities as anyone else. It's the staff/management of the pool that is the problem.

Oour local pool is closed to the general public when swimming lessons are on. Both pools are used its quite clear on their timetable when the pool is closed to public. No parents are allowed at the poolside either (unless with tinies who are just starting off)

TIme the pool staff grew backbones and told the parents that their kids have to wait until its their lesson or the pool is not available to general public during lessons. How on earth are they supposed to teach with kids messing about in the middle of it?

I would be very unhappy to be paying that amount of money and not even getting a proper lesson out of it never mind a 1:1. How on earth is it a 1:1 if instructor has other kids in the class? You need to clarify with pool just what you are paying for and if it isnt what you were told then demand a refund and go elsewhere.

I don't understand why neither the instructors nor the parents told their kids to get out and wait their turn.

Both my DSs go to the same pool for lessons, and when they're in the small pool, which is used for under 5s when no lessons are in progress, then ONLY the children having lessons are allowed in the pool during the lesson. Children for the next session are told to wait, either on the steps or outside the pool. Parents who don't keep an eye on their children are asked to do so.

So this is a failure of the pool management structure, if the instructors are not allowed to keep the pool free for lessons only, or of the instructors if they should have told the children to get out and wait their turn; but very definitely also of the parents if their children were not supposed to be in the pool at that time, and have no manners to stay out of the way of the lesson in progress.

Complain, say it's unacceptable and if they can't guarantee the pool is free of people NOT in a lesson, then yes, demand a refund and go elsewhere.

£35 for 20 mins. That's mega bucks. I'd expect tip top lessons for that. I agree with what Nordic has said. The mothers must be well aware your ds has exclusive use but don't care as their lessons or session will be from x til y time. In which case it is the responsibility of the management to get them out pronto.

If you were in your car drunk and with no car keys - a different matter - you couldnt really be thought to be able to drive (or take control of it). If a police officer can smelt alcohol on you you can be asked to provide a breath test - if you do not provide one - you can be arrested for this failure. If they cannot smell alcohol you cannot be arrested for failing to provide a breathtest. You say that you declined to give a breathtest -that's all they need for that offence to be complete. Your best option is to be honest but ask your defence solicitor to explain the circumstances on your behalf at court -that is what they are paid for.

You hopped onto the wrong thread celtic

This is awful. Both my DDs have swimming lessons and it's not open to the public at these times. If these other children are supposed to be waiting for their lessons, what the hell are their parents thinking of?? The management should evict them if they're totally incapable of following the rules.

That's rubbish, absolutely unacceptable.

Where I swim, anyone venturing into the 'lesson' lane gets very short shrift, whether child or adult.

I hope you get your way OP.

Both my DC's have had swimming lessons, some 1:1 lessons and then group lessons. These have taken place at 3 different pools over the years and there has never been public swimming going on at the same time. The pool has either been all group lessons or all 1:1 lessons. I agree 1:1 lessons are expensive and I don't think you are getting value for money. They need to stop the public swimming when these lessons are taking place. YANBU

OP I'm not sure I would leave it until the next lesson because you are hoping that they will change the system based on what has happened, the chances are they might think "oh, it will be ok next time". I would contact the manager and try and get this sorted before your next lesson.

Agree with what fc301 said - if the children are allowed in, it is difficult to say anything to the parents this is the fault of the swimming pool centre and their timetabling. Although, if my DC was in the pool when a lesson was going on, I would not let them disturb a lesson. The parents were being rude but I suppose they are thinking they have as much right to be in the pool as the children having the lessons. The swimming pool are being greedy - taking money for 1:1 lessons and then letting other children swim in the pool at the same time. It is not on.

Ah, just read your posts OP and these are children waiting for lessons. Parents of those children are being very rude letting their children disturb other lessons. Whenever my DC had swimming lessons either 1:1 or group all children sat on the side until they were due in the pool for their lesson. The management of the pool need to clarify this to these selfish parents. Hope you can get this sorted.

I swim myself and my pet hate is children getting in the lanes. Ok if they fancy swimming laps, and some do, or to collect a ball, but not ok to mess about, as it can be dangerous.
Swimming pools are a large body of water, and a swimming instructor is in charge of children who are learning to swim within it. Therefore it is ESSENTIAL that they have control of what happens in that pool.
At the very least for a private lesson I would expect use of a lane, without interruption.
This is all down to the management I agree but personally, I wouldn't waste time, and money in continuing the lessons there. If possible shop around, and find somewhere more suitable.

Thank you all

Spoke to the manager who has agreed to refund me for that session, she will raise the issue and make sure it doesn't happen again. They have also moved DS slot to a less busy time and the manager herself will be teaching DS (She's very good).

I agree about the price, it is expensive and I don't know if living in Central London is apart of it. But that's roughly what we were paying for DS other swimming classes. Not only that but DS has a difficulty which makes motor planning very difficult for him. Not many swimming instructors knew what to do with him and thus he didn't progress. DS did a swimming course with this company and the instructors took his difficulty with ease... not only that he progressed really well compared to how he did with his previous swimming lessons.

Sounds like a good result. Great!

Yes, excellent outcome. Hope your next session is a better experience.

No problem OP. Just think of it like this - you wouldn't ask someone "Of you said something?", you would obviously say "Have you said something?". It's the same when you're talking about yourself "I should have said something" not "I should of said something."