To think it’s not ‘cruel’ to take DD to the gym at 7.30am

[Eastie77Returns]

I attend an early gym class every Saturday morning. I leave the house around 7am.

I leave DS and DD at home with DP. He takes DS to football practice around 9am and DD tags along but she has become increasingly unhappy about having to go. I therefore gave her 2 other choices: come to the gym with with me or stay at home alone for 10/15 minutes as I’m home from the gym by 9.15-am latest. This morning I asked her what she wanted to do (I gave her the options earlier in the week so she had time to consider). She began complaining loudly saying none of the options were good ones and she just wanted me to stay at home with her. I explained that I was not prepared to miss my class and in the end she decided to come with me. As we were leaving DP began muttering that’s it’s unfair and cruel to drag her to a gym at the crack of dawn when Saturday morning should be her down time.

If it makes any difference, it’s a David Lloyd gym. DD is a member and she enjoyed a breakfast in the restaurant area and read a book while I did my class. She played with another girl in the play area and the two of them have signed up for a taster kids class so she was fine. But I’ve now received a text from my dad saying he’s heard (obviously from DP) from that “poor DD is being dragged to a gym on Saturdays” so she can stay with him on Friday evenings if she prefers. Obviously I would be expected to drop off and pick her up. I said no.

AIBU to think this is a load of fuss about absolutely nothing?

They aren't there. No need to look.

'The replies show yes actually, you do probably need time away from your children. Exercise and touch some grass damn.'

Mine are older so I do indeed have time away from them. As I did when they were 11 , I just didn't have them sat waiting for me at 7.30 on a Sat morning. Manage plenty of exercise too. Hope that helps.

Don't be daft, that's not mocking!

It doesn't help. Nobody cares.

Well, I have seen absolutely no one mocking the OP's child. You're the one insisting that mockery is present. So the onus is on you to provide evidence to support your statement.

You absolutely should do your gym class and I actually think you should take your daughter. She’s had a great time. She’s up and ready for the day nice and early. What’s shocking me is the amount of people on here with their children laying in bed until mid morning like little lords and ladies… what?! My children are up and productive on a Saturday morning. They get an extra 30 minutes on a Sunday. Let’s not sleep the day away people!

At last, a reasonable person.

Don’t give up your class, unless you could do it while kids are at school? But sounds like your kids do enough. Let them chill too. Sounds like they don’t get much of that to me.

Not my preference either, not even workdays, but why is it so hard to understand that it works for some people?

Don't give up your class please.
I schedule my DC activities on weekends the way I can fit my workout during that time and use swimming lessons to swim myself in the parallel lane.

Nobody is going to thank you for dropping the class or even understanding it was a sacrifice for you.

OP, if you go to my DL, I'd be quite happy to sit in the clubroom at 07:30 on a Saturday, on my own, if you bought me breakfast. 2 eggs on brown bloomer toast is my preference. Ta.

Because you either genuinely struggle with comprehension or enjoy being deliberately obtuse and neither are qualities desirable in a teacher.

This post was in response to someone else wittering on about it being normal for a child of 11 to be terrified of being alone, because in almost all of previous human history they would have been in immediate danger of being eaten by a predator. So another, equally ludicrous and irrelevant historical context was required to counter it.

They’re making much ado about nothing. Continue to give daughter the option every week to go or stay and all is well. You’re a good mom.

But it's not everything OP wants to do. It's one thing she wants to do once a week, rest of the week days are entirely dedicated to kids, work and home.

Let the poor kid have a lie in.

The levels of batshittery and lack of reading comprehension on this thread are astounding. Of course YANBU OP, enjoy your class.

She will if she stays at home and is willing to be alone for 15 minutes. Nobody is stopping the "poor kid" from having a lie-in!

You do right! The rule book doesn't say "mums should absolutely put everyone else before themselves" sod that. You've given every reason known to man & dog as to why your 1 hour class a week is just that! If a woman can't take 1 hour out for herself, to do something she wants to do, then she wouldn't be a happy mum - it's nothing compared to the hours per week you're juggling everyone else's needs. Protect your time or end up a quivering wreck - then who will take the reins. Your other half sounds as bad as your children but they'll grow out of it. In a couple of years all you'll hear is "bye mum" ❤️

I think her employer might have something to say about that.

You are modelling great behaviour, OP. Your health and well-being are important to the whole family. The fact that you are motivated enough to get up early on a Saturday and get your exercise out of the way will stay with her for life. You also pay for a family gym membership so she can be included in family exercise activities. It sounds like, despite her reluctance, she had a great time, met a new friend and signed up for a new activity- a win all round.
Your husband and father are not modelling good behaviour. They should be supporting your choice to exercise and encouraging your daughter to find something worthwhile to do on Saturday morning at the gym if she doesn’t want to stay home YANBU. Ask the men in your life to support your choice to be healthy, well and a great role model to your daughter.

And Op is home just after 9 so literally has the entire rest of the day with her DD

The question on my lips, same as everyone else's -HOW OLD IS SHE??!!
I scrolled through 2 pages of comments and you haven't answered that question so I'm not voting and moving on ....

Haven’t read the whole thread but wanted to add that my DD is 11 and we also belong to DL and I do this all the time - sometimes in the evenings too (shock horror!). She loves it. Takes her laptop (wish she read a book instead) or some homework and uses the app on my phone to order herself smoothies/pancakes etc. I am literally a 2 min walk away and she could message me if she needed me and I would see the message on my watch (although would be just as quick to come get me). It’s a lovely calm environment, gets her out of the house and we sometimes then go to the gym area together after my class or have a quick swim. It is more than fine. Early morning is extra treat for breakfast options. Then I may have a coffee and we often have nice chat before moving on with our day all up and about and feeling energised.

She's 11. You can just click on show OP's posts and you would have seen that without scrolling through pages of comments.