Family swimming times - AIBU?

[FamilySwimming]

Just looking for a sense check on this one.

The two local leisure centres only have certain very limited times for family swimming, meaning in the kids' pool. So if I want to take my 2 year old swimming, the only times we can book are between 12 and 2pm.

My 2 year old eats lunch at 12 and then has a nap every day. Surely this is pretty standard for any child who has one nap per day?

AIBU or is this an absolutely insane time to schedule family swimming? I feel like I just won't be able to take her swimming until she's stopped napping completely.

I spoke to them on the phone and they basically said that my toddler's meal and nap schedule isn't their problem, but I was under the impression that this is most toddlers' meal and nap schedule, hence the AIBU.

If that was the only time available for lane swimming then you would be entirely correct that it is not inclusive and well within your rights to complain.

No. I would not

Because it will suit a lot of other people

The world doesn't revolve around me

You are almost comically entitled

If you want flexibility then you need to pay for a private pool such as a David Lloyd Menbership where you can pretty much swim when you want.

I understand it's annoying I just think our definitions of the word inclusive are very different.

Your standards are comically low.

Can I divert part of my council tax towards that?

No, thought not.

No, they aren't

I just understand that the time that works for me, doesn't work for everyone else

You think they should change the times to suit you. Ignoring whatever else they might have happening in the pool, what other users might require, disparaging the old and the disabled.

You are the worst kind of entitled.

That's not even how council tax works

You know you're council tax will go towards lots of services you don't use don't you?

Or do I need the crayons to show you?

I think that they should offer children access to the children's pool at different times of day, not just one time of day that no one else wants.

Public services are shit in this country because too many people shrug their shoulders and just say, "that's the way it is".

No, public services are shit in this country because too many people have the mindset that they only have value if they directly and personally benefit.

Nonsense.

And not ‘children’. It sounds like children are using the pool all day.

Just not children of your child’s age. Who is the only one that matters in this conversation.

Anyway, got to go now. Time to drive 20 minutes to take my child swimming in a different local authority. (JK, before anyone points out that it is 11am. We are going this afternoon. I'm just bored of this now.)

Except if the pool is being used by other people already then they are offering the ONLY time they have

Public services are shit because the money isn't there and because entitled people like you think it should only serve them

Entitled and inflexible

Not sure what part of "it should serve everyone" you are interpreting as "it should only serve me".

Anyway. Turning off notifications now because this is bonkers.

Glad you got the sense check you came here for.

@FamilySwimming I agree with you. Out of interest I looked at the Everyone Active site. With 230 centres and no indication of where you are in the country there is no way of knowing which is yours, but my observation based on a sample check is that lots of them have many family sessions throughout the week, so I sense that yours is a bit of an outlier rather than some sort of Everyone Active central policy. One I did see that only had very limited family swimming (about an hour a week) was a single pool, but it does seem mad that yours is so restricted when there is a dedicated kids’ pool.

Also, I don’t understand how this pool is being used for swimming lessons during school hours, are people suggesting that kids are being bussed in during the school day?

If you’re ever in London you might be pleased to know that the London Aquatics Centre (Olympic pool) run by EA has multiple family swimming sessions every day!

Yes. Schools hire a coach and take a year group swimming once a week.

But a pool that is max 1m deep would not be any good for a child above Year 1. Do they really bus Reception and Year 1 for swimming?

Usually it’s year 2. But 1m is fine for beginners.

And, as mentioned several times, they usually don’t let members of the public poolside during school lessons for safeguarding reasons.

So even if not in use the learner pool would not be available.

Public services are shit because no-one wants to pay higher taxes.

I was in the kiddie splash pool on holiday - 35cm deep and I still managed to float. 1m would be fine for learning basic strokes.

Every 2 year old is different. Sometimes mine is up at 7 napping 11-1. Sometimes it’s 8 napping 12-2. Sometimes it’s 9 napping 1-3. If I’m unlucky she’ll wake up at 5 but she’ll nap 8-12.