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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Shower after swimming

73 replies

thewomaninme · 11/05/2023 21:48

DD who is 4yrs old has recently started her swimming classes. It's been a month since she joined the classes. As soon as she is out of the pool she's literally shivering. I take her to the changing room and just dry her with a towel and she puts on her dress. I see other moms there giving their kids a nice wash with shampoo and soap. Some even use hair dryer. Am I doing it wrong but not cleaning her with fresh water?. But I don't think DD can handle the shower in the changing room as she's already shivering. But I do get her home straight and give her a wash top to toe. For those who ask don't you know the basics of swimming and after care? I'm completely new to this and I don't know how to swim. Sorry for sounding daft.

OP posts:
Phos · 11/05/2023 22:07

We live 5 mins drive from the pool, I'd rather get her into her onesie and give her a shower at home. She doesn't get cold as the pool and the building are super warm.

JandalsAlways · 11/05/2023 22:09

I think you should give a quick rinse because of the chlorine, my DC is the same and shiverering but the shower warms us as it's much hotter than the pool, then we go home for a proper shower

Panda89 · 11/05/2023 22:09

We never shower after swimming, the showers at the pool are super busy and also really grim!!
We do rinse off at the poolside showers after we get out. Some people have a full on hair wash in the poolside showers which I always find a bit odd.

I just chuck DD in a onesie and we have a shower/bath at home.

JandalsAlways · 11/05/2023 22:10

In saying that, obviously you've been in the chorine anyway so 10 or so more minutes isn't going to do any harm

Fillyfrog · 11/05/2023 22:11

I just give them a bath/shower as normal at home. There's only 3 showers

JandalsAlways · 11/05/2023 22:12

Panda89 · 11/05/2023 22:09

We never shower after swimming, the showers at the pool are super busy and also really grim!!
We do rinse off at the poolside showers after we get out. Some people have a full on hair wash in the poolside showers which I always find a bit odd.

I just chuck DD in a onesie and we have a shower/bath at home.

Yes, we just use the poolside ones too for a quick rinse, so no faff

MrsMiddleMother · 11/05/2023 22:12

My 4 year old refuses to shower at swimming so always straight in the bath once home. He agreed once, hated it and both me and my 1 year old got soaked too so never again

DysmalRadius · 11/05/2023 22:13

I want mine to get properly clean (not easy with a swimsuit on!} and give their hair a thorough conditioning, comb it through etc - it would be selfish to have the kind of wash they really need at the pool as it would take ages! Not to mention that nobody will even consider leaving the pool until they are on the brink of starving to death, and hangry showering is even less fun!

{And don't even get me started on the horror of clothes that have touched the changing room floor - I want them off as soon as we get in and all traces of contamination washed away!!}

Firawla · 11/05/2023 22:14

Same as you, I dry my dd and get out of there asap then she has a bath at home

thelengthspeoplegoto · 11/05/2023 22:16

Mine goes in the shower for a rinse. I don't feel it's a proper wash with swim top and shorts. My child has eczema so once home give them a bath with emollient.

sunsetssky · 11/05/2023 22:18

If I take dc to a swim session and I swim then we shower after as I'm in there too.

At lessons there's no way I can shower them without getting soaked and they're too young to go alone.

I dry/ dress them as quickly as I can and wrap up and home then straight in shower/ bath before anything. It adds a lot of time to the morning lesson but there is no other way.

JRsandCoffee · 11/05/2023 22:21

I’m a no! What would you wrestle with a squirmy shivery small person at the pool when you can lob them in the bath later at home??? Particularly if it’s a lesson and you aren’t in the pool too, meh, you always end up half soaked too. If you are away on holiday they wander about all day in and out of the pool and you don’t wash them down after each swim so don’t buy the urgency! I “may” however have firmly planted the idea that if you don’t wash your hair really carefully at some point before the end of the day the pool chlorine will turn it green 😂.

WhineWhineWhineWINE · 11/05/2023 22:21

I hated the changing room chaos after lessons and so did the DCs. Cozzie off, onesie on and straight home for a bath.

Bimbom · 11/05/2023 22:23

Poolside shower with a swimsuit on is hardly a proper wash imo. I always got her dressed and home into the bath.

pasbeaucoupdegendarme · 11/05/2023 22:26

No, we’re both in the pool (baby swimming still) and no way am I dealing with showering too. My older dc just change and wash properly at home too.

The only time we’ve done full showers after swimming is when we’ve had early morning lessons.

Gymmum82 · 11/05/2023 22:27

No I shower them at home. You’d understand if you saw the showers at my local pool 🤮

WonderingWanda · 11/05/2023 22:27

I don't think it matters if you do it at the pool or at home but you should wash the chlorine off. Personally I can be faffed with getting them dry twice so just wash and get pj's on at the pool.

Malarandras · 11/05/2023 22:29

I always take my 2 home then shower them. There aren’t enough showers at the pool we use for their lessons, and those that are there are pretty grim. Always shower as soon as they get home, never had any issues.

Ellie1015 · 11/05/2023 22:30

Shower at the pool is very much a quick wash.

If we are not going home then shower is essential but if going home then proper shower/bath is my preference.

Hmmmm2018 · 11/05/2023 22:32

Eczema family here so we rinse off the chlorine water quickly also showers are nice and warm so warm you up after the cool pool.

ZenNudist · 11/05/2023 22:33

It's fine to go home and shower. I used to shower at home. Gets me so much cleaner and the pool showers are grim. Then I started wearing flip flops and having a proper shower in the pool showers. Despite using more doap and shampoo than at home I still smell a bit of chlorine but it saves time.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 11/05/2023 22:33

I always have showered DD at the pool but she gets eczema so I want the chlorine off her skin straight away, she uses a 2in1 shampoo so in and out quickly, then I use leave in conditioner once her hair has been towel dried.

WhatWeDoInTheShadow · 11/05/2023 22:36

We do showers and hair wash then into towel zip up dressing gowns. It warms them up. Occasionally there is a bit of a queue but my DCs would rather wait and have a shower than just go home

Redlarge · 11/05/2023 22:39

I always took mine home and straight in shower or bath

Yvetty · 11/05/2023 22:39

Such bloody judgement! I take mine straight home and they shower in the comfort of their own bathroom. Just do whatever works best for you OP and studs what everyone else does - let this be a life lesson for you!