Child at the gym

[CosyScentedCandles]

I go to a local leisure centre gym 4-5 times a week. Because it is only a leisure centre, I accept that it has to be available to meet a range of needs and part of that is that they allow kids from 15 to use the gym at specific times. This doesn’t bother me, I generally avoid the teen-gym slots and if I don’t it is usually one harmless 16 year old girl using a cross trainer.

What is really winding me up is that there is a woman who seems to regularly sneak her 10-11yo in with her so that she can work out. She plonks him on a machine or a bench and he proceeds too much about with the equipment, preventing somebody else from using it properly. Apart from the fact he his taking up room in what is a small gym, AIBU to think that some places are simply not appropriate for children and to want some time in an adults only space?

I feel like I want to complain but I don’t know 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes complain. It will be against the terms of their insurance if kids that old aren’t allowed.

I'd complain too , and agree with @KangarooKenny their insurance would be void

Complain. If they get injured the company will be in serious trouble.

I'd complain

Yes complain. This woman will be quick enough to complain if her child hurts himself but she won’t have a leg to stand on.

Great replies to this post - I would also complain.

no way their insurance covers it.

The reason why no one has spoken to her is because of the very modern fear that she will go onto social media with a sad face of her and the DC, complaining about discrimination, how working mothers can never catch a break, how he is good as gold and has been “fully briefed” on how to conduct himself… and even though the gym can reply with common sense and facts, the damage is done.

As I get in to late 50s I'm afraid I'm more irritated by these things. There's a wine bar I like to go to and it's become inundated with families bringing in small kids and sitting there with one drink all night playing board games surrounded by drunk people. I didn't do that as a parent why should I now tolerate it as an older child free person!

I'd complain. She needs to leave him in the cafe/reception area and not bring him into the gym.

I'd wind my neck in personally 🤷🏻‍♀️ if he's on equipment you want to use though, ask him to move.

I’d complain to the management.

I’d also ask him to move, every time I needed something he was on or mucking about with. I’d be telling him to leave the equipment alone and go and sit against the wall over there, for example.

Yes I'd flag it with the gym. I can't believe she actually lets him use/mess about on the machines. I'd turn a blind eye if he was sitting quietly reading or on a tablet with headphones on.

Why complain, just politely ask the child if they would move off the gym equipment you need to use for your workout.
Perhaps this is his mother's only way of working out and maybe the child is unaware that they are in the way unless you let them know.

Our local gym has teen sessions that are for 11-15 year olds. But if you're sure that the rule is 15+ at your gym, then the boy shouldn't be there and you can flag this to the staff.

Probably but I don’t see that her childcare arrangements are my problem?

Absolutely complain. Why do the rules not apply to this woman?

And yeah she'd be the first person to complain if her child got injured. It's not a crèche.

If this is her only time to exercise do it at home. Plenty of good videos for workouts these days.

Did you consider the woman maybe can't get childcare or can't afford it? In which case this is the only way she can work out?
Just leave them be, it's none of your business and just use another machine in the meantime. Not to mention most machines are useless anyways, use barbells if you want to see progress ...

I’d complain. There’s a reason they have a minimum age limit. Surprised they don’t have staff in the gym and haven’t asked him to leave in case he gets hurt.

I'd flag it with the gym. He could easily injure himself by not knowing how to use a machine correctly. There are age restrictions for a reason also for insurance purposes.

You should complain, it's not safe for a child to be in a gym like that even if they're sort of supervised by a parent.

By extension, though, what if all the gymgoers decided they didn't want to pay for childcare while they were at the gym? It would be full of kids. There are plenty of home workouts available for free if she can't afford childcare. It is the OP's business because the child is in the way.

Flag it. It’s an accident waiting to happen - you don’t need to be particularly careless or rowdy to hurt yourself using gym equipment, there’s a reason why adults get an induction when they join a gym.

This being #sadface mum’s only time to work out isn’t an excuse for her to endanger her child, break the gym rules, and annoy actual paying users. She’ll either need to work out another way or wait until child can be left at home.

Is this during school hours?

Of course it's her business - it's affecting her use of the facilities. The woman's possible childcare difficulties are nothing to do with the OP either.

I take my 4 month old (every day) and 6 year old (once a week) when I either CrossFit or Weightlift, no issues but he shouldn't be hogging equipment, my son sits and reads, he knows not to touch anything unless under supervision.

But it's not.

When my kids were little I'd exercise at home. Some weights (cheaper than a gym membership) and a few YouTube tutorials.

It's cheaper and easier than a gym

Fucks sake. Why are people lining up to defend such twattery