Swimming pool closing on us

[Gushpanka]

My Dd is 4 and has a swimming lesson 17.30-18.00 at our local pool. It's the last lesson of the day and public swimming ends quite a bit earlier.

They expect us out by 18.15 and staff will stand over us, hurrying us up if we go over. I find it quite stressful and, try as I might, I can't be be out within 15 minutes (unless we skip showering which I don't want to do).

First of all, lesson ends and then have to get kids out the pool. The complex is big so we have to go up a flight of stairs to the showers, along a long corridor and down two flights to the team changing room and then up a flight of stairs to the exit.

I have to shower DD and wash her hair (just a quick wash, no conditioning etc). Then down to changing room (wrapped in towel of course). Then quick moisturize (can't skip as she has dry skin but literally dry her and slather it on as quick as possible), then get her dressed. Obviously no time for hair drying so I bring a balaclava for her (we bike so I would much rather dry her hair). Then coats, boots, winter gear etc.

I never manage in 15 mins. Some of the others do but DD is the youngest in the class and, well, I guess we're just not as fast as others.

But AIBU to think 15 minutes to be out the door after a swimming lesson is too little time? I annoys me that they don't seem to leave enough time but maybe we're just too slow?

Do all the other parents and children get out in 15 minutes?

At secondary school we had 15 mins to get ready and leave the swimming pool.

The whole set up about traipsing up and down stairs and along corridors sounds ridiculous.
Why not just ask to see a Manager, and nicely and calmly explain that it is really difficult to be out the building 15mins after the lesson finishes and it is causing issues as obviously you don't want to be keeping staff late but you can't get your child along all the distance, through the showers and dried and dressed for inclement weather in just that time. It genuinely won't have occurred to them. Just TALK to people - I know it is rarely the cone thing on MN, but, in my world, I find that if I approach someone, with a smile, and saying there is a bit of an issue, how can we resolve it, I ALWAYS get a much better solution than all this formal protesting people so often advocate.

I get you OP, about how the odd minute here and there add up - the fact you can't physically be finishing the lesson a X o'clock, and also be dressing them at X o'clock - it takes a while to get 6 individuals out of the pool for example - I presume there is only one set of steps. Then the ludicrous distance to the changing rooms is bizarre. So mention all this to the Manager and - if possible, suggest solutions, such as using the different changing area.
If they really can't resolve it, then you start mentioning about them changing the conditions after making the contract with you and taking your money.

Seeing as you’ve updated with further details, OP, I would say that for a class specifically for children with communication issues, YANBU to expect longer than 15 minutes to get changed.
I do still think the whole post-swim process would be far nicer and far less stressful if you just showered at home though.
For a class with communication difficulties, it would be far better if the instructor finished the class at the poolside closest to the parents rather than letting them all float about whilst their parents try to coax them back towards them. That would just do my head in. To be honest, I think I’d be asking for a refund and finding somewhere else to go (if possible)

Not everyone is telling the op she is bu
I don't think you are op. I have dry skin and eczema and I wouldn't be able to swim without a shower afterwards.
15 minutes isn't long if you are trailing about to changing rooms. If the changing room is just by the pool then perhaps it's more reasonable but not in your circumstances

I would complain. 15 minutes isn’t enough. I would just let staff stand over me whilst I completed the tasks in hand.

Write a letter? Wtaf, go in and speak to them.

YANBU. That would be not enough time to get my kids dry and dressed without stressing. I think if

Are you the only one in the club changing room? Did you not wonder where all the other parents were after the lesson if they are using the showers by the pool? Use the pool showers. If there is an objection, point out its poolside showers and leave on time or walk up and down stairs, leave late. At least then you're giving them the option?

I have a 6 yo who Js the simile shift except our cut off is either collecting someone from a train or child from another club or we can’t be late
Swimmer wears hat so hair stays dry (this is compulsory anyway), run into shower for rinse and dress in quick and easy to put if clothes (generally onesie)
9 minutes (yes I am that tight I have to know!)

I wonder how many of the people saying you're entitled are driving home? It's just I've noticed on here that people with cars don't seem to realise sometimes that they get a bit more leeway/ time as opposed to when you don't have one, you have to be 100% ready before you leave somewhere- so everything packed property, especially in winter all the gear back on and zipped up and everything, plus you generally will have more stuff to contend with from the start as you have nowhere to leave it.

Ha ha, that's what i was thinking too. Mumsnet at its best, twas always thus.

I misread twas and thought “yeah, they are being twats on mumsnet today”!

Yanbu. 30 minutes would be reasonable. Going up and down the stairs when wet sounds unwise, although I suppose people do it for waterslides. I’d just use the neighbouring changing room. Don’t ask for permission, just do it.

Considering your update, it sounds like its just sometimes. Not an official thing? Id complain that it isnt enough time. They chose the time. They could stay open an extra 15 mins if theybwerevstayimg open lster onky recently

they don't let you use public washrooms but tell you to use staff washrooms? That's weird. Tell them that there is a reason for having public washrooms and you will make a complaint if they don't let you use them.

so i'm sure they can afford to pay two staff to stay for 10 minutes to accommodate the last class on the occasion that they close early.

But you said all the other parents manage to do it, so you really are expecting them to pay staff overtime so that you can undertake your overly complicated post swimming routine.

I take students swimming each week during two terms each year. If I can hustle a class of 30 easily distracted 7 year olds out of the change rooms in under 15 minutes, you can manage to get one 4 year old out in that time.

They are saying you should use the club changing rooms.
Are you sure this swimming session is actually organised by the leisure centre? It sounds much more like a private hire arrangement. And if it is, the issue should be raised with whoever runs the swimming sessions.

For starters, the time of the lesson doesn’t seem to suit you. It’s a bit late for a 4yo isn’t it ?
I don’t think you’ll get far complaining tbh. They close at that time and expect you out.
I always dried the kids (swimming hat = dry hair) clothes on and home.
Your dd probably finds it a bloody nightmare too, I can imagine you dragging her up and down stairs, quick shower, moisturise, dressed, cycle home, all the time you flapping away. All sounds rather stressful

Can you find a different place for swimming lessons?

If they are scheduling classes at that time then they should be more reasonable in the time they allow for the students in the class to get showered and changed.

Most people would think it normal to get out of the pool, go to the toilet, shower (including washing hair) and get dried and dressed before leaving the pool.

Nothing you are doing is unreasonable IMO, the pool staffing and closing time is the issue here.

I'm not sure what bright spark decided to make parents use the team changing rooms, which involves walking through a building soaking wet.

I also don't think 15 minutes is long enough. And I've been that person waiting to lock up a pool and I've always been paid 30 mins after the pool shuts. It might be that the staff are paid this, they just want to go home earlier? I'd at least check with management what time you actually have to be out the building.

I would also use the public changing rooms, I'd be too worried about my 4 year old getting cold!

partnoir - the leisure centre might well be owned by the council, but by charging for lessons they are running a business, a public service would be free.

Even more so if this is a private hire arrangement with a swim school, if they are taking the money from a private hire, they do need to provide adequate services.

If they hire the pool until 6pm, they need to staff until 6:30pm. Or they need to reduce their income by only hiring the pool until 5:45.

Being council owned (and many leisure centres aren't directly council run anymore) doesn't make it ok to charge or services you aren't going to provide.

Being able to shower and change after swimming is part of what the op is paying for.

Do other parents seem to be ok with it. If you all of you went to management to ask for 30 mins to get changed, they might stop hassling you

Out of interest, i timed us yesterday evening.

• swim hat, so hair was dry. hairwash not necessary
• shower: under 2 minutes
• toweling poncho, costume taken iff immediately after shower. so pretty much dry once reached changing rooms .
• moisturising - 1 minute
• underwaers on, onesie on top, boots on, balaclava, coat: 2 minutes

out if pool and out if door in under 10 minutes.

I don't think you're being unreasonable. It takes me 10 mins to get my 4 year old ready from the moment the lesson finishes to leaving, the changing rooms are right next to the pool and she doesn't shower (there's always a queue) or need moisturising. In fact we are normally the first out so anyone that does need to do reasonable extras will easily be over 15mins!

Tut - swim hats don't actually keep hair dry if you're swimming