Children only ever allowed to swim for an hour

[LadyJos]

Most swimming pools in the south east only offer hour slots in which children can swim. Many only 45 minutes. The rest of the day is dedicated to adult lane swimming. This kills me. Kids only just starting to enjoy themselves and have to get them out! AIBU?

YABU - my kids don’t want longer than an hour.
YANBU - I want to have a relaxed time splashing with my kids and they have just as much right as adults to use of a pool.

Is it to prevent them from going all wrinkly?

I think about 22% of the UK population is under 18, so fair for about 20% ish of the sessions to be for kids?

I am both a keen lane swimmer and a mum of kids who love swimming so can see why sessions are needed for both. It just needs to be fair.

What I would really like is a half and half where there are some lanes open but also a splash pool for kids. Then, DH and I could swim lanes for half an hour each and watch the kids for the other half an hour. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that at our pool.

Last week I made the fatal mistake of taking DD swimming on bank holiday Monday so they only had a few general main swim slots and it was full of pissed off looking adults who were angry that they couldn’t lane swim (despite it being a general session). Not that tney didn’t try. Like Jesus Christ, it’s one bloody day. Go tomorrow!

My pool is indoors but the hours are similar. I always do my best to avoid the 'family time', not only because it's difficult to enjoy the facilities when kids are there screaming and splashing, but also because the changing rooms turn into a chaotic nursery during these times. I would love an adults only leisure centre, but there isn't one in my area.

Totally the opposite near me. Lane swimming at 7 and 8 am-kids could come but likely wouldn't. Then schools and families all day and evening, with an hour three times a week for lane swimming at 9pm. And at the weekend there is less than two hours a day for lane swimming. Annoying as trying to train for an event and can't get enough time in the pool!

They need to make money and not be at capacity because kids want to play for hours at a time.

I’m in the SE and we have the opposite in out town…family swimming and kids lesson virtually all day every day, all year round.

I love swimming but need to wear contact lenses as am incredibly short-sighted so swimming with kids splashing around is a non starter and I never go.

Ahaha that’ll be it

There are plenty of adults only leisure centres they are called gyms

I agree, half and half is what I remember growing up. It worked very well!

A lot of children have been coming to the river/reservoir swimming recently so I bet that's why (I don't have DC so I didn't know)

Our local reservoir is perfect, same depth all the way across and no dodgy holes/wires etc

Growing up, my local pool was 20mx 35m, with the shallow pool 10mx 8m It had space for a couple of lanes, a bit roped off for aqua aerobics, and general family swim.

My local pool now is 25mx 10m... so only one thing at a time. The children's pool is tiny.

I presume it pools are out of favour as they are even more expensive to heat.

Most don't have pools however. None near me does.

Join your local David Lloyd Club,the one I go to has limited adult swim times,it is all geared around children.

We joined a private gym and it did have adult only time slots that seemed to be timed around work, ie adults only before 9am, then 12-2pm then after 5pm on weekdays. Friday, Saturday and Sunday adults only after 7pm rather than 5. So open to children 9-12 and 2-5 or 2-7.

I was able to take the children after school at least once a week and then every Sunday too but obviously not a cheap option and depends on the availability of the parents.

I’m glad we aren’t in uk anymore.

I can take Ds swimming all day, with no restrictions. Our local pool has heated outdoor pool even in winter, with one pool dedicated to one swimming, one leisure, one kids, and baby pool. Theres saunas, jacuzzi, slides etc. In summer it’s a full day encampment, with bbq grills annd ice cream outside for people. Even in winter we go hours as they have loads of loungers for people to relax or read, and food is allowed. They have cafe serving food and drinks poolside. It’s €9 adult, and €6 child all day, under 6 years free.

If you're an adult who works, you'll struggle to swim at my local pool, because kids swimming lessons take up from 4 until 7, and then the swimming club (mostly teens) has the next couple of hours on three days. So kids are hardly neglected.

A local council pool is not a beach, so an hour is plenty, surely?

I must admit, my feelings on pools are influenced by the fact I spent time living in Europe where pools are as you describe. But

We used to go for a whole morning. There were usually a couple of lanes and the rest of the pool was general swimming. More lanes only sessions early morning and in the evening. Now the pool is timetabled to within an inch of its life - school swimming, swimming lessons, swimming clubs, triathlon training, scuba club. Private party bookings. One “family splash” a week which is carnage even if you can book on to it. The lanes only sessions are impossible to book because the pool is so rarely open to the public. In the school holidays the school swimming slots are taken up with crash courses for kids. Impossible for children to casually swim without paying for a structured course (at cost). There’s a lido with hour long sessions in the summer, but expensive. There’s an official swimming lake which allows dogs so is deeply unpleasant underfoot. The kids swim in other local lakes and there have been accidents, but that’s the only option. Who can blame them?

Ds would be starting to get quite cold and hungry after an hours swim.

All children are different. My children like to stay in for hours.

Like PP said upthread swimming at David Lloyd is geared for kids. Pricey but great for the flexibility.

We went today and were in the pool for ages. I think there is often an adult hour on a week day and the outside pool is adult only at certain times but in the summer it's usually open for kids.

Kids will be wrinkly after an hour! YABU!

Swimming on holiday is different as they get in and out- no kid spends the whole day in the water.

Not sure what part of the SE you are in but we are in the SE too and there’s at least one swimming pool that has no lanes.
Another that has a pool with lanes and another without, huge centreparcs type slides as well.

What you are looking for is a lido.