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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why I can't put my baby in a carseat at the side of the baby pool whilst I take my 3 year old in...

48 replies

UCM · 14/05/2007 18:11

Not sure if this has been done before but I have just telephoned my local pool to ask if you can do this and a very snotty person, who was totally uninterested in my call informed me that I can't. I said 'wow, I wont ever be able to take them swimming then, thats nice', in a very nice way, she replied with 'ok then' and hung up.

OP posts:
lunavix · 14/05/2007 18:12

You can at our local pool, for swimming lessons anyways

Original poster
UCM · 14/05/2007 18:12

I am fucking furious, mainly because of the way I was spoken to, and also because that is bonkers

OP posts:
cornsilk · 14/05/2007 18:13

Nice customer service there.
There are some private pools that let you do it e.g. gyms and swimming pools.

RubyRioja · 14/05/2007 18:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tortoiseSHELL · 14/05/2007 18:14

We can at our public pool.

alipiggie · 14/05/2007 18:15

I never managed to go swimming in North Lanarkshire after ds2 was born because the Council policy was 1 adult for every child - he ho. Stuffed if you have twins then

funnypeculiar · 14/05/2007 18:15

Our local pool doesn't either. H&S apparently.... Although the other local one up the road does

ChippyMinton · 14/05/2007 18:17

I used to do this. Don't think I ever asked -just left baby on side with the towels and got in the pool. What is the pool's adult:child ratio? Could you take the baby in too?

southeastastra · 14/05/2007 18:19

we have playpens poolside here, but i suppose it depends on how old baby is!

Hulababy · 14/05/2007 18:21

One of the local pools round here does allow this during their mums and preschooler sessions. The prams and car setas are all put at one end of the pool.

I am not sure if you can at the larger local authority run ones though, which are more fun/leisure pool type places. Probably not as safe there though as no one "safe" place to leave baby in car seat.

noonar · 14/05/2007 18:21

i guess that they could argue that you cant safely supervise both at the same time...annoying though.

3andnomore · 14/05/2007 18:23

Hm...I suppose, the possible worry might be, if your Baby would fall in with whilest restraint in a carseat, it would just sink and be harder to rescue, then if it fell into the pool without restraint??????
Just guessing here...!
Obviously no reason for that person on the other end of the line to be rude...

mamazon · 14/05/2007 18:25

maybe they are worried that someone mauy run off with the baby and you couldn't getto him in time?

or that someone may knock the chair into the water and the baby dorwns?

there are probably a thousand improbable scenarios that mean they can't. it doesn't help you thoug.

Hilllary · 14/05/2007 18:27

My neighbour has a pool, a few years back she lost her baby because she left it strapped into a car seat by the side whilst she and her family were swimming and splashing around. Her baby was rocking back and forth in its seat and as we all know they do tend to move with rocking. Anyway the car seat slipped into the water and her baby drowned

lissielou · 14/05/2007 18:28

annoying but cam understand why they wont allow it. its possible that the seat could fall into the pool.

Original poster
UCM · 14/05/2007 18:30

Okay I phoned back and spoke to someone else, I was going to ask to speak to the manager anyway, but a very nice lady told me that they are supposed to be enforcing the rules about 1 adult to every child under 5 but they don't until I heard a lady in the background saying something, I was put on hold for a mo, and the lady said, that yes, I would be stopped if I tried to take 2 childen in.

Okay, I am thinking, if I can get a sitter for DD I can take DS. This is the best bit. The little pool is only available for 1 hour on a thursday as the rest of the time it is used for lessons. I said what, the entire week. Yes she said.

I am now sitting here wondering who to write to regarding basic use of public facilities. When I was a child you could go swimming all of the time!

OP posts:
Original poster
UCM · 14/05/2007 18:32

Hill, I think I may know/see the lady that it happened to

OP posts:
Hilllary · 14/05/2007 18:34

Quite possibly UCM, very very sad

Chirpygirl · 14/05/2007 18:45

My local pool has a creche open for 3 hours in the morning so I can dump DD in there while I have a swim and when the next one comes along they can go in in turns. Apparently it is the only leisure centre that does this in my area and they don't advertise, I just noticed it one day, so might be worth ringing round other pools to see if they do this?

Original poster
UCM · 14/05/2007 18:46

Yes, I don't know her personally but I understand that she is a really really lovely woman, not that that makes any difference. I will amend my thoughts on putting a car seat by the poolside actually. I can see why it's not on.

OP posts:
Original poster
UCM · 14/05/2007 18:47

Thats a good idea Chirpy, is it a private pool or council one.

OP posts:
ScottishThistle · 14/05/2007 18:53

Can you imagine 6/7 Babies crying in car seats by the poolside???

I can't see why any pool would have a 1:1 adult child ratio, that's totally barking!...I'd be writing to the local council about that very impractical rule.

ChippyMinton · 14/05/2007 19:00

ST one of our local pools had that rule for under-eights - it means that we cannot go there as a family of 2 adults 3 children - ridiculous IMO

DarrellRivers · 14/05/2007 19:03

we have a 1:1 ratio rule under 5s.
Totally ridiculous and as a result we never go swimming
not much good for improving children's safety around water

Waswondering · 14/05/2007 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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