To be raging - school holiday camp

[peoniesandpumpkins]

Booked my DC into the holiday camp at our local tennis club. They’ve just turned the age that you can go from but it’s just 3.5 hrs (they do pre school 2 days 9-3 and 3 days 9-1:30 so used to longer days etc.) It’s not all tennis, lots of games.

They have absolutely loved it. Been twice now. My mum picked up last week (she knows a lot of the coaching team) and they mentioned he’d been great, my mum asked about the toilet and they mentioned ‘oh yes they know where the toilet is’ ‘jokingly’ apparently. We took that to mean they’d been going quite a lot, but at least not peed themselves!! Husband picked up on Mon, great time again. Due to go tomorrow, really excited!

Logged onto work email (not personal) tonight to see an email from organiser sent at 8:43PM saying ‘sorry but don’t think peonies child is really ready for 3.5 hrs of tennis (it’s not 3.5 hrs of tennis) they are more interested in going to the toilet and this impacts on the coaching team’

Honestly, I do know that they can be a little bugger for wanting to go off to loo if they think they can go have a nosey/explore and get away with it. I apologised said as much but, said they love it and that messaging at 8:40 odd at night (to my work email (wouldn’t have seen it ordinarily) the night before was really not great, would they please let me have a chat, let them come tomorrow (really left me in the f’ing lurch) and if more of same then I understand.

They emailed back to say it’s a no as a member of staff has to take them to the toilet each time. I am confused about this as they normally have to be told to go toilet (unless opportunity for boggling - which they wouldn’t get if they have to go with an adult), so I’m like well yes I understand that and that is annoying but I am telling you that I am 98% certain that will stop once I’ve had a word and if it doesn’t then yes I’m in agreement. I just think it’s so shitty not to give them a last chance.

Also I don’t think it’s that they don’t want to have take them to the toilet full stop, as there are 2 children doing it who aren’t quite 5 (one not until the new year) who have been allowed as they have older siblings so surely if it’s an age thing they are having to take them to the loo when they need to go?!? DC quite capable of going on own physically iykwim. Can understand they need to be supervised.

If it was that they weren’t coping/joining in or didn’t have the motor ability then I understand but why not mention that then.

All just seems rather mean not to let us have a chat and give them another chance. Not to mention bloody unprofessional, she could have told me on Monday night or Tuesday night!

But there are plenty of five year olds who could easily manage this who would potentially miss out just because a business doesn’t want to have a member of staff ferrying one child to the toilet and back all morning.
They gave him plenty of chances. He continued to repeat the behaviour. They cancelled his attendance at an optional event. The rest of the five year olds can continue to enjoy their activity.

@GrinAndVomit oh you’ve spoken to them have you?? Marvellous! Well that’s more than we know, interesting to know that they were given plenty of chances then so thanks for that 🙄😂. What are all these absolutely ridiculous stretches!

What’s the stretch?

I can see why they want communication with you to be in written form. You’re incredibly hostile.

Yes to this. At 5 you can use it as a learning tool. I know you enjoyed it but they can't have you back because you kept wandering off. Maybe that will put a stop to it in other situations

Op I'd let it slide, accept he's too young, not engaged but you know what in a year or 2 time he might be more ready for it.

@GrinAndVomit they have never ever met me?!? Never even spoken to me on the phone I have been clear about that soooooooo many times, again so many stretches, I’ve got you saying I’m hostile and that’s why they don’t phone and @PinkStarAtNight telling me I’m the problem as I’m too busy to speak to them. Which is it??

Possibly both. Perhaps they have a blanket policy on written correspondence with parents for such events. It ensures nothing can be misconstrued or misreported. The fact you’re “raging” about this backs their decision up.

They have him the full session. It didn’t work out. He’s costing them a member of staff just to supervise one child.

It’s an activity not a childcare provider.

You have never had a job which included communicating with parents, did you?

They can be absolute nightmares (or pretend they didn't understand/never received the message). Writing everything is the way to go.

The email is what OP gave as an emergency contact, that is what they used.

@EarringsandLipstick yes thank you, number blocks this morning whilst I was on a call and my Dad/Pops this afternoon/eve. The latter was always the plan.

Have found something else which is not activity based just called a holiday club, takes age 3-8, however it is 20-25 mins away so not really sure it’s an option. But looking to see if there are any good remote working hubs, I’m on the phone a lot so not sure whether they would work.

@GrinAndVomit oh behave how could you ever know someone was hostile without speaking them, just because some of you have worked in childcare too long and quite clearly very bitter. And I understand you’ve probably had to deal with some nightmares but you can’t then treat everyone like a potential nightmare or use the fact that they might be a potential nightmare to be a bit of dick then put up the ‘that parent’ narrative when someone has the audacity to question why you’re being a bit of a dick with no good reason.

OFSTED doesn't exist in Scotland, where OP is.

Op you could call up some of your local nurseries and see if they have space over the summer.

Yanbu!! Don't have a camp for that age group if you can't handle normal behaviours of that age. Mine all love a wee wander to the toilet in a new place. Emailing your work email was crappy too and I agree with previous post saying you should have ignored it

@Sugarfree23 I don’t go on a lot but from the last time I went on the fb groups some parents were asking about that for 3/4 yo but hadn’t had much luck. Couple of months ago though so good reminder to ask again, will check.

They have to have some sort of age guidance and a lowest limit, there still needs to be discretion about whether the kids are ready. 5 would not be ‘newly Potty trained’ in the day in the vast amount of cases. Loo break every 10 mins, wandering off alone etc, this kid is just not ready whilst other 5 year olds would be. Perhaps their experience jn the past has been 5yo is fine to cope with the session. Perhaps they’ll put 5 and going into year 1 next year

Oh and we just emailed back to say thanks but staying today won’t work for either of us with work.

left it at that.

Spoke to Mum and she reiterated nothing negative was said at all apart from jokey comment about the loo - if something was such an issue why joke. DM just said to that ‘well yes the organiser is a very up and down person’ and that whilst she gives them a bit of berth on that account she’s surprised she’s been quite so unprofessional in how she’s let us know.

They might not have long term spaces but they might have a slot in the preschool room until August.

Thanks @Sugarfree23 honestly I’ll be remembering this thread when I see a thread calling Mums scroungers and morally defunct, someone their children will have no respect for etc. etc. if they dare to be a SAHMP (and there a re enough on a regular enough basis) honestly you wonder whether it is worth when you see some of the comments on here re not using things for childcare, can’t win. Certainly isn’t worth it for the part time wage 😂.

Grandparents an option of course but you’re not allowed to use them for childcare either are you 🤣

There's no 'year 1' in Scotland. If you meant P1, then that's exactly the stage the Op's wee boy is.
Or did you mean P2? In which case, the clubs would say age 6+ and that would be no use to the Op.

That still doesn't explain why they couldn't both phone and put it in writing.

It's a poorly run business

Compulsory school age in England is 5 - the start of the term after the child's 5th birthday. If you choose to send your child to school early ie before compulsory school age - that's up to you. Many of us know the law, and the current guidance, and don't.

I'm extremely confused by some of the posts here.

What do people think summer/holiday camps are? Of course it is childcare, to help working parents manage through long holidays where there is no school / nursery. Bonus that the kids can learn new skills and activities, make new friends.

My eldest is now 5, just in April, and started going to a tennis camp last year at Easter, so was just 4 by a couple weeks - he went with a bunch of nursery friends.

For the kids they do age appropriate activities, with rackets and more proper tennis like activities being added as they get older.

He started at a different tennis camp over the recent half term that takes from 5, so it doesn't have the very young kids, but they still split up the age / ability groups. His age mostly play games with or without balls, learning key footwork and coordination skills, and then stand at the net doing volleys with a racket for a bit too.

I think cancelling a camp the night before for the stated reason without even having a conversation to trying and problem solve the issue is awful, and unprofessional.

My mum picked up last week (she knows a lot of the coaching team) and they mentioned he’d been great, my mum asked about the toilet

Why is everybody in this tale obsessed with the toilet, so much that your mum specifically asked about it?

@ItsNotRocketSalad because until not very long ago we couldn’t get him to bloody go have an actual pee! When he needed one and he had accidents! This did not happen though.