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!

I guess logic and reasonable thought can be considered "unkind" by a select few.

I will say these "camps" need to be more clear on what they are providing. Is it childcare or an activity camp for those who wish to learn? The two don't necessarily mix well.

Oh, I have. But hey, you do you! FFS

😂 ok! What an odd reply - you appeared to have no awareness of the OP's posts in your posts, hence my post.

I will indeed 'do me' whatever that means in this context! So odd.

I guess logic and reasonable thought can be considered "unkind" by a select few.

Is this 'logic & reasonable thought'?

there will be a child or two that is too disruptive to be able to continue in the club.

OP clarified that this wasn't the case, and no such feedback had been given by the camp organisers at previous drop off or collection.

No, I don't think that's ok. I was saying the idea that people in critical roles have access to secret suppliers of rock solid back up contingency childcare is untrue. Which may result in cancelled operations. The PP was saying that surgeons must have some sort of back up. There isn't a magic childcare supply back up anywhere for surgeons.

I still don't understand what "contingency childcare" people expect parents to have.

There isn't really anything other than emergency time off work which is obvious

It's rooted in misogyny. Women who stay at home are lazy, scroungers, there's no reason not to work once the kids are at school. Women who work are terrible, clubs and schools aren't childcare you know, they must be there for their children at a moment's notice.

Yes, in some families the dads drop stuff, too, or stay at home. But the anger in this thread is misogyny.

Just ignore them, OP. You get these wind ups on every thread who 'help' by making out the OP is a neurotic mess. I'd be raging too. If a holiday camp advertises that they'll look after my 5-year-old child while I'm at work I expect them to do that - including taking them to the loo. If I had another childcare option I would use that.

I hope they gave your money back at least? And I wouldn't use it as a 'learning opportunity'. You're kid doesn't need to learn at 5 years old that he was excluded from a camp for asking to go the loo! That ki d of thing sticks with you for life.

This.

You'd probably be using a registered day camp, not a 3.5 hours sports session

And probably would have back up, because surgery as a specialty does not fit neatly round any other arrangements at all.

He was being disruptive enough that they’re stopping him from attending. Nancy made no further judgements on him or said anything other than this basic fact.
If they’re willing, on day 1, to forfeit his attendance, he must have been pretty disruptive to the session.

Agree. It’s not childcare. It’s a sports club.

Surgeons are normal people. They use what's around. If there's a day long club, they'll use that. If not, they'll use what's there, and cobble together something around it. There's no "surgeons only" secret childcare supply. Those of us in professions that affect other people's lives, we have to put our kids first if there's no childcare- this will result in cancellations. We use the same clubs and mishmash of options as everyone else, there's no special childcare available that never lets you down, or sits in reserve just in case. It's emergency leave, and cancellations.

What is a registered day camp vs a part day drop off sports club that only runs during holidays? Who are also always called holiday camps... My word.

We Iike to use the part day camps as we have a part time nanny that covers school pick-up. During holidays they can start earlier with the kids.

Also, we have proper "emergency" childcare (funded) through my wife's work. They don't cover sick kids, and they need like a couple days notice, which makes the emergency part a bit laughable.

This is the best and most sensible reply on here. The club spat the dummy (as the Aussies say) over having to do something perfectly normal. I strongly suspect they are a bit understaffed and they are definitely not properly prepared for the age group they advertise for.

Surgeons are normal people. They use what's around. If there's a day long club, they'll use that. If not, they'll use what's there, and cobble together something around it. There's no "surgeons only" secret childcare supply. Those of us in professions that affect other people's lives, we have to put our kids first if there's no childcare- this will result in cancellations. We use the same clubs and mishmash of options as everyone else, there's no special childcare available that never lets you down, or sits in reserve just in case. It's emergency leave, and cancellations

Of course they're normal people, no-one's saying any different. And if their contingency plan in an emergency is to have to take leave, then so be it. Not ideal of course, but that's life. My point is that if you have a job where you just CANNOT leave it, you need to have a contingency plan in place. What if you were cabin crew/pilot? They're normal people too, but they physically can't just leave. They need to have alternative emergency plans in place. It's not the activity providers job to provide this, and activities can and do sometimes get cancelled at short notice, for any number of reasons.

Yes too young. Also of course young children have a habit of wanting to go if another does.

Agreed, someone who needs childcare would probably have a private nursery set-up and keep them in nursery until the end of summer. I'm assuming Op has been using council run pre-school which is term time only.

It is harsh what's happened but at the same time the club have to meet the needs of all the children.

BUT it's really not worth her falling out with them because in a year or two time she might really need them and her children will be a little more grown up and more engaged with it.

If a holiday camp advertises that they'll look after my 5-year-old child while I'm at work I expect them to do that - including taking them to the loo

Did they advertise themselves as that though? Or did they advertise themselves as an activity for children to do in the school holidays? We don't know as the OP hasn't said. Either way, they are entitled to cancel a child's place if they are too disruptive. Although I agree the short notice and lack of communication is pretty poor.

If the child is within the age limit the company accepts then how are they "too young"? ! Sounds like the company have minimum staff to maximise profit!

Possibly friends? I’ve been emergency childcare for a couple of friends this summer and I’m really happy to do it. I’d always prefer a friend asked me than had a stress about not being able to get to work.

If the child is within the age limit the company accepts then how are they "too young"? ! Sounds like the company have minimum staff to maximise profit!

Or they want to take children from 5, because some 5 year olds will have the interest and engagement to take part in a particular activity, and some won’t. Should they exclude all 5 year olds because some won’t be mature enough yet? They probably would also ask older kids who are distracted/disruptive to leave, if they’re not engaged, or are taking up too much of the staffs time

OP also said they had her personal email she had used for the initial booking. I didn't see any comment that she actually had missed phone calls (possibly wouldn't have tennis club number saved)? If they were trying to contact her during the day to notify her the child couldn't come back they could have told whoever picked the child up. The problem is the lateness of the cancellation when there was every chance it wouldn't be seen in time