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?

I don’t think YABU OP.

If the complex is really that big and the children are that young surely there must be times when somebody is late.

I would maybe speak to the staff, they should know/at least recognise you if you are there every week and just let them know that you are going as quickly as you can and you don’t mean to inconvineance them. This would be polite and also may get them to back off a bit and alert them to the fact you feel uncomfortable. I assume you are paying for these lessons so closing or not, you are a customer.

Could you perhaps carry your DD to the door and put her hat and shoes on there to save time on the inside for the rest.

I would prefer at that time of night not to have to ride the bike in the cold only to get home and back in the water too.

Bright side, her lesson time will surely change when she moves up so it won’t be forever :)

Ferrier
This is exactly what they do weekdays when public swimming ends at 22.00 as i have now discovered I don't understand why they think this is reasonable for adults but not for a 4 year old!

Chocolate
This whole closing early thing only began in November and not every week either. Until then it wasnt an issue. At first i thought it was one offs and the first couple of times i didnt even know it was 15 minutes, staff just appeared and started hurrying us. Yesterday they announced 15 minutes at end of class.

Yes and they also have to tidy up and clean the area when you leave if only you really knew what went on after your 15 mins were up.
Best to get another place

After swimming we shower and get into pjs. It takes us 30 minutes. In that time I shower a 3 year old and a 5 year old. Dry then both and pj them. Then we leave. I don't rush in any way. 15 minutes for me would be stressful.

Is it a private hire OP, or are the centre putting on these swimming lessons themselves?
Because I suspect this is a private hire, in which case the issue is with the organisers of the swimming lessons.

Partinor
No, swimming lessons are also run by muncipality

It sounds like the amount of hair you have means a swim hat fits much tighter than is typical. I don't know anybody whose hair stays dry under a cap in my club. It's very much the exception if yours does.

When ds was 7 he managed to cut open his head quite badly a couple of days before our holiday in the sun, during which he would normally spend 80% of waking hours in and out of the pool. He'd had to have his head glued and they said it had to stay dry. Aaagh!
We said he could go in the water if h wore a swimming hat, which he did. He was jumping in and out, diving, swimming with a proper stroke, tumble turning etc, and his hair remained dry throughout. He had a fairly close shaved head at the time.
Son, IME, swimming hats do keep your hair dry. (Also did with my dd who had long hair, but as pp was saying they would only work with long hair - not the case).

I work in the leisure industry and agree with you OP. Customers should be given 30mins to leave the building especially with a swimming pool. Customers are entitled to showers once they have finished their activity and your centre needs to think about what activities they put on before the building closes. After lessons the showers will be crowded and they should allow time for everyone to shower

Buy a swimzi/deck dress for her. Get out the pool, very quick dry, pull it on, go home and then get showered, moisturised and changed. That’s what 90% of the girls in DS’s swimming squad do. They’re swimming 5 sessions a week and some of them finish pretty late. Getting the kids out and home very quickly is a priority at 9pm.

Sounds cold on the back of a bike in January.

In a swimzi? It’s a onesie. You can very quickly get the costume off, a quick dry and put one on and not be cold.

DS often walks home in one (in January).

What about a Swimzi plus

www.regatta.com/printed-splat-ii-overtrousers-navy-floral/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiAg_HhBRDNARIsAGHLV51zr8QSEsFPRy_q5fIKDzJWWkOIPuXnZ6JykDRK0JxU6BecMqaFO6gaAk4OEALw_wcB

Plus wellies. Literally two mins popping them in all in ones.

Ah I saw "dress"...

Start at another swim club if it’s causing you this level of stress- it’s not worth it, and daughter will feel the stress and may be put off swimming at all

Dd used to wait till we got home to shower. She rubbed herself as dry as she could over her swimsuit. Put on a big thick hoody and thick sweatpans, and a pair of uggs, no socks and we went home, straight into a hot shower where she could take her time and condition her long hair. 10 minutes from pool to out the door maximum.

All these people saying “my daughter could do it in five / ten minutes”... was your daughter four?! There are days when my 4yo can’t manage to go for a piss in under 15 minutes she’s such a monumental faffer.

Competitive speediness!! (makes a change from competitive under eating or competitive frugality )

If the pool is closing for the day, then there's a hell of a lot of cleaning/maintenance tasks that have to be done once the place is cleared. I haven't worked in a pool since the 1970s but back then it could take 3 hours or so after the public left before we could leave.

I do see that it's a pita 4u but I can't blame the staff either. They are probably not paid for overtime & however u want to play it people will want to go home and probably have kids and other commitments that they've got to put first. Why not get one of those spray moisturisers (e45 do 1) amd wipe the excess off with a towel? Or say u need to leave the lesson 5 mins' early?

I used to take mine directly from pool to car to home to shower. Our swim centre had 3 poolside communal showers for 30 kids. So every 30mins all 30 kids would exit pool at the same time and another 30 kids would get in (pool roped off into sections so 5 per class).

Half the kids lined up for the 3 showers but you obviously had to keep swimmers on as it was poolside. Every so often some parent would spit it as another parent would be doing a full fair wash with their kid rather than just rinsing them off) and it turned into a popcorn moment for everyone else with their kids in the pool.

The other sensible half just threw something over the kids (towel in summer, trakkies, jacket and beanie in winter), straight to car and home to shower. Seemed to save a lot of drama.

Actually they're really good about enough showers. There's a section for kids/adults with kids with about 18 showers and a separate adult only section with about 12 showers. Never had to queue for a shower (we use the pool a lot at other times too).

And for those worried about the effect on Dd, i don't flap or faff or have a breakdown. I'm a normally functioning adult who doesn't like being put under stress but is able to handle it and not freak out my daughter. At the end of the day, if we're 5 minutes late, nothing happens, just a bit unpleasant (for the adults involved). Dd is happy as larry!

You have a clear and obvious choice - change the shower into a nice leisurely warm bath at home with milk, a story and moisturiser or rush around the swimming pool and take your kid home wet.

You're not flexible enough to do the former which is what makes sense. So instead you want to dictate to the teacher where to end the class ( you realise how annoying you're going to sound to them?).

Look for a different class. You're making the rod for your own back.