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!

A holiday tennis camp isn't the same as pre school. Basically the children going to it are learning tennis and doing the games with the other children whose parents have paid for them to do that. If one helper is having to take children to the toilet frequently, they can't be teaching tennis to the others. I get that you think they can go alone and would be having a nose about but that's not safe. It's clearly causing issues. They could have told you after the first day though.

@Motherofjessie what i meant was we don't have this isssue of constant toilet breaks at pre-school, so it's not physical, they woud have said for absolute definite, and yes that's what I'm getting at, don't doubt that it's annoying (he'll try it on with me) but if they'd have told me Monday or Tuesday even then I could have had a strong word and like I said I'm 98% certain he wouldn't have done again. Really suprised he's bothered if he's worked out that someone will come with him. Normally loses all attraction.

Are you getting a refund?

If he’s at preschool, he must be four.
The camp will probably change the age rating for next time.
Schools have to deal with a lot of stuff from children and parents that paid activities don’t have to.

@NorthStarRising no different part of the UK not England. He’s just turned 5. Will start school after hols.

Tbh it sounds like you have relied on this club for holiday child care because he has just squeaked in age wise rather than thinking he’s ready for this level of activity. There is a huge difference between a 5 yr old who is at school rather than a 5 yr old who is still at pre school. You sound like you knew toileting was going to be an issue before he even went so you should have prepared him beforehand rather than only dealing with it once it became a problem. No point in being annoyed they didn’t give you a chance to fix it you should have been more proactive, and yes I know how it is, my youngest son was terrible for constantly asking for the loo when he was bored or overwhelmed ( no medical issues).

I would be furious too OP. If they haven’t got themselves sorted to either organise an appropriate staff ratio, or alternatively to structure an activity to ensure kids aren’t wandering off to the loos, or as a final option take a more professional view on the correct age range for this activity, then they need to issue a refund. I know that doesn’t help with your needing to find alternatives for your DC’s though

@Pencilsaremylife yes i was worried he wouldn’t want it go to the toilet as would be too busy and would pee himself!!! Not this! So we did drill into him making hard he goes, could think that we do that maybe too well, but don’t think that’s it. He’s just seen something he wants to have a nosey at.

shit having to work during the holidays isn’t! Can’t win!

@Fab973 yes, crazy because I even said last week look I’m only going to pay for one jic then if we know it’s okay I’ll pay for the block - which I did that same day. That was last Weds?!?

It's a tennis club running a holiday camp for 3.5 hours a day, so, no it isn't childcare.

I don’t think anyone’s in the wrong here really. To me it comes across like your son has been difficult, to the extent that the provider has been stressed out pondering how to deal with him at such a late hour and came to the conclusion to remove him as that the session can’t proceed as planned with him there. That to me, suggests that your son has been particularly challenging or distracting.

I don’t see the value in turning up with him anyway, as they could just refuse entry. No one can force them to take your son in. Not the court, not the police etc.

That doesn’t mean your son is a bad child or that you’re a bad parent, it’s just that his behaviour wasn’t suitable for this provider and there’s other providers that can cater to him, this one wasn’t a good fit and the provider may be out of their depth.

I don’t really see the issue in them sending a message to an email you gave them, particularly if your work email was the “emergency” contact.

I think it's extremely poor form for them to let you know at the last minute like this. It doesn't give you time to make alternate arrangements and in fact telling you was left so late that it's almost as if they were trying to make things difficult for you. They even left it until after working hours! Surely they must know that any summer activities that involve dropping off a child, are likely to also function as childcare for working parents. You will have to look at whatever contract you signed when you signed up for the camp, but I would think the onus here is on them to make it work for tomorrow and then you can find another camp going forward after that. If this were the reverse, with you letting them know 8:45 pm the day before camp, by email, that your child didn't like the camp and wasn't coming back, then would they refund you the money for the next day's camp? Probably not. I bet they would say, "Sorry, we require at least 48 hours notice of cancellation"

There’s zero onus on them to “make it work” tomorrow. They want to stop doing business with OP, there’s nothing to forcing them to go ahead and they are suggesting they don’t have the additional resources to look after him on a 1-1 basis. It’s likely their T&Cs cover unsuitable attendees. Most contracts are not equal between the business and consumer - they don’t necessarily need to provide the same amount of notice and by booking, OP accepted these terms. They’re refunding OP regardless so they’re not leaving her out of pocket. Consequential losses are likely not covered.

Stop being a pita? What, like the bread? Sorry I’m not great with acronyms
and this really confused me😂 otherwise, they really should have given you the chance to have a conversation first. Really unprofessional

Oh. It’s pain in the arse. Of course. But sounds better if I read it as “pitta”😂 wasn’t sure if it’s any acronym since not in caps

I'm more confused about it being the summer holidays already? I thought they started next week? They're all still at school here

They should've atleast told you there was an issue and given you a chance to sort it, your poor son saying how much he loved it too, seems mean.

Sounds like OP is in Northern Ireland. School holidays start end of June. And a Child who turns 5 in early July would still be in pre-school and starting school in September.

Raging??
Your child probably doesn't want to do the club and wants to wander off.
Be really annoying as a coach
However I'm surprised they take kids that young without extra helpers.

If its similar to the tennis clubs my daughters attend the coaches are just that coaches not childcare providers..They aren't equipped/ skilled in working with kids on behaviour whatever that may be and are really there for engaged kids who want to learn tennis.

I suspect your son has been asked to stop and hasnt, this may not even be the only thing he is doing that is unacceptable. Ours is quite merciless in terminating children's places if they do not conform and behave well. The result as a patent is the remaining children really do benefit from the more disruptive children being removed.

I would accept their view and find somewhere else for your child that won't be concerned about disruptive behaviour there ard lots that won't be.

The organisers aren’t 5, what’s their excuse for not having spoken to you earlier. It would be unprofessional enough of them not to have given the op a chance to speak to him, to then cancel the night before is extremely unprofessional, on the wrong email so she might not even have read it ?
id take him, say I’ve spoken to him, and I’ll get a full report on pick up to see if he’s stopped being silly. And you can take this as an heads up to improve your processes to give parents reasonable notice- this wasn’t reasonable notice nor any actual discussion with me so he will be staying for the paid session today. Like every other parent here we are booked in because I’m working.

Is the club in Lisburn?

Raging???

Right. And when they refuse to take him as they’re not his legal guardian what will you do? Just setting your child up for embarrassment and upset. You can’t force them to take him in.

It does sound like your kid is being a pita, but surely you have a word with the kid and the parent before banning them? Unless the owner is playing issues down?

That said, a few hours notice is really unfair, especially by email which I'd wager most people don't even check during the evening.