CF swimming lesson mum

[Auntiedotty]

My ds attends group swimming lessons and has done for around 6 months. Lovely small friendly group, good teacher and a nice group of parents. New little boy started at the beginning of this term. I have already had to complain about his entourage (mother plus various combinations of grandparents, aunts and other family) of supporters taking photos and videos of the lesson from the side of the pool (with all of the other dcs in the shots too) despite the pool having a no cameras rule. The swim school assured me they would have a word with this childs mum and ask her not to 1. Bring so many supporters to crowd the poolside and 2. Under no circumstances was she allowed to photograph or video the lesson. Fine...
This weeks swimming lesson rolls around and CF parent drops ds off to swimming lessons wearing her own swimsuit and decides to use the sauna and hydrotherapy pool facilities for herself! She then comes back at the end of the lesson bragging about her "me time" and how all of the other parents should do the same. She says the swimming lessons are expensive so should entitle her to use of the facilities whilst her son is swimming!
Aibu to think she is a total CF and report her to the gym for using
using the facilities without a membership?

You sound VERY controlling OP
As for the photos....Our son was in swimschool from 3-8. I longed to have a picture of him. But thanks to the fucking pervs out there we are all now tarred with the same brush. On his final day I asked if I could take his picture in the pool. Yes, so long as no-one else was in. That's the only picture I have of him. Needless when we went abroad I bought a underwater camera and now have amazing photos and videos of him underwater. This year we've booked a villa with a private pool so I can take as many pictures as I want.

Thing is, you can't go back...once the moments gone...its gone!
I would love to have had pictures of him when he first started swimschool.

Why are they taking numerous pics of a kid during a swimming lesson? I can understand in the pool for a family holiday or something, but doing swimming lessons down the local gym? Very peculiar. It wouldn't even occur to me to take photos of my child during a swimming lesson.

Leave it. While she is in the sauna she's not taking pictures. Just enjoy the peace and quiet.

Anyway surely if she's in the sauna then she's not out there bugging you so I'd just leave her to it

At least if she’s in the pool she’s not sitting with you !

Taking photos / videos of children during the class most likely contravenes the child protection policies and distracting the child makes life difficult for the teacher and hinders the child’s progress.

I’d be breathing a big sigh of relief if this mum is off doing something else instead.

If you are a member why have you not been in the sauna and jacuzzi every time your son has a swimming lesson?!

Can I take a guess? You don't think she's good enough for your exclusive swimming lessons at the expensive private club. She breached the etiquette and now you want rid. Tell me I'm wrong OP.

Yanbu about the entourage and the photographs
Yabu about today's incident. Some clubs discourage parents being at pool side. Swimming lessons are a great opportunity for parents to have "me" time imo

@JasonBrun, it certainly sounds like quite a clique
Lovely small friendly group, good teacher and a nice group of parents

You don't think she's good enough for your exclusive swimming lessons at the expensive private club.

projecting much? WHERE did you get that from the OP?

Jesus, get off the woman's back

I couldn't even get excited about the photos/videos tbh. Your DD will be in tonnes of them if she's ever been to the park/beach/on holiday.

I understand the pool have a rule against the photos/videos so fair enough you decided to complain.

But honestly, the rest is just petty shit.

Yes OP, do use the facilities during the lesson.

Absolutely report her, if she wants to use them too, she should pay. If she already is, then it's all well and good.

When can you start leaving them at lessons? My daughter is 3 and we still have to be on hand for toilet trips 😖
I would love half an hour to go to the gym.

actually pay an (expensive) membership to this gym every month

Like here? @JustInCaseCakeHappens

Also as the poster above you noted.

Also calling someone loud is usually what nice MC ladies say when they don't want to call someone common.

Defensive much @JustInCaseCakeHappens?

Mumsnet problems... thank your lucky stars you don't live in the real world DarlingOriginalPoster.

I am just laughing that you change being annoyed about a CF not paying to being snobby about it.

It's hardly believable that anyone would shrug having to pay for expensive train ticket/membership tickets but shrug at a CF gatecrashing for free.

If the aspiring photographer IS a member, then no harm done to mention her to the staff, they won't charge her twice...

Apart from the fact that your child might be in her photos, none of the rest is your business. You don’t like it, but it’s not your problem.

I can’t understand why you’re not using the facilities while DS is having a swimming lesson. Surely that’s the perfect opportunity! You would be surprised what a difference 30 minutes makes: my two have split time swimming lessons now and I am so missing my half hour swim.

I only asked as I sometimes take a photo of my ds when he’s in with his dad but I always zoom in to make sure there are no other dc in it. That’s good they’ve stopped then as I wouldn’t be happy with that either.

If you're photographing at a public leisure centre (or usually even a private gym or health centre) they'll almost certainly have a "no photos in the pool area" rule, so you shouldn't be taking any photos at all.

@SallyLovesCheese We go to a private pool so this isn’t an issue. We also know all of the dc and parents there.

It’s really odd where some people’s moral compass lies. Go and shoplift, you’d get your arse handed to you on here. But swanning into a facility and using the services for free... go for it apparently.

YANBU about the photography and entourage.

You don't know enough details to make a valid complaint about the spa.

My DCs lessons are 90 mins apart. There is a public session over the first 60 mins so DS1 and I go and swim lengths until DS2 comes out then we have another 30 mins together. I pay my fee and swipe the DCs in on entry. Much nicer than feeling cramped by the training pool with the other parents!
Last time, DS1 wasn't fussed about the lengths and being old enough and newly competant enough to swim by himself, he sent me off on my own to do some lengths. Bliss

try and communicate with the child during his lesson, for example cheering. Oh goodness how awful! Cheering a child on! How dare they! Photos obviously aren't ok but other stuff is petty. Leave the staff to sort the mum, it isn't her fault you don't get any time to yourself and jealousy is never a good look.

Mamato2gorgeousboys I really would strongly advise you not to take any photos when by the pool. Other parent's have no ides if their child is in the photo. I don't even have my phone out when I watch my son's swimming lessons in case anyone thinks I'm taking photos