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.

Give them a small snack at 11 / swim at 12 / they’ll either eat afterwards or nap then wake up hungry. It’s not a big deal to be flexible. Sometimes pools have a different schedule over the school holidays - maybe look for a different pool.

Clearly the leisure centre priorise their most profitable and valued customers, the retired or those with free time, who enjoy swimming several times a week, and thus limit shrieking, annoying toddlers to a very limited inconvenient time of day. Good for them.

I went swimming with my kids on a Saturday morning and they had closed the main pool for pensioners aqua fit 😂

Mine never did this. And why should kids like my son have to struggle? They can stagger lunch or bring in lunchtime cover like schools do. Forcing this onto families isn’t okay, in my opinion.

then find a nursery that fits your (exacting) requirements?

You are definitely not being unreasonable. I'm of an age when there were multiple pools, lidos and you just went when you wanted. Now we have no pool within 10 miles and you have to drive to access it, with parking a nightmare. The pool timings are so odd and small, for ridiculous cost, just not worth it. We should have more pools for our ever growing population and the number of young people who can't swim is a crime.

Can’t you just take her and see how well it goes?

both my kids stopped napping g at 12 months old which was crap!

I agree with your last sentence, they keep shutting them down where I am or they switch them to membership only which people can’t afford. We live near the sea, it’s so vital that people can swim.

Are the people criticising council leisure centres for trying to make money happy to pay much higher council tax bills? As councils try to cut back I think you are likely to end up with less of what you want and not more.

Well then if it’s not worth it to you then simply don’t do it 👍🏻

Quite. I can see why they wouldn't be fussed about your child's nap or food schedule. Like l frequently say to my own children -it's not all about you

Sometimes you need to be flexible about schedules to fit things. I say that as someone with 2 year old twins

Swimming is important so it is worth perhaps having a grumpy toddler or a broken night once in a while. Also, when my son was that age he used to pass out after swimming because it knocked him out, so it might well be the case for your child.

Fair enough. When I was on my second baby, I wouldn’t have complained that a session time didn’t fit around my child, or think that every child’s nap times were the same.

My two are 16 and 11 though!

Wild that so many people think you are unreasonable here OP. I guess it’s old fashioned to have set times to do things, as if most toddlers don’t flourish with predictable routines of very regular food/sleep, or something.

These must be the parents I see at library story time at 11am cracking out the toddler snacks on the library carpet then letting their kids touch the books. Your 2yo can last one whole hour without food, in a LIBRARY!

Yes I am old and grumpy and they should have a family swim at a time that’s not lunchtime.

My 2 year old’s swimming lessons are at 12pm 🤷🏻‍♀️ you just have to roll with it

I am actually very surprised to learn that someone on this thread has a two year old who still naps before midday, and another has a two year old who naps from 2-5pm. Also surprised about how many have dropped their naps altogether by age two.

Basically all the two year olds I know go to my daughter's nursery or one very like it, and they all nap after lunch because that is the rule. So I am genuinely surprised to learn there is such a natural range. But I still stand by my point, which is that they should have a few sessions at different times, not just toddlers at lunchtime and no other time.

What is wrong with that? They are providing a public service. If you aren't happy with something do you just put up with it like a mug? What if they get lots of phone calls telling them their policy is very restrictive? They will hink about changing it. Nothing will change for anyone with people like you sitting on your arse.

Dreadful ageism!

Feed your 2yo at 11. Swim at 12. Your 2yo will be tired out and nod off.

I used to be flexible with routines. But I have 4 DC so you learn as you go.

If I were a real piece of work I would book in for the "inclusive" family swim session which is for children with disabilities, or take her in the main pool where adults are lane swimming.

But since I'm actually not, I'll have to drive her ten miles to a leisure centre I don't actually pay my council tax towards.

😘

I'm actually wondering whether this is a SAHM thing.

Children who don't go to nursery five days a week probably do have more flexible routines. Unfortunately mine doesn't, and it's just a shame that during a rare week where I'm actually at home with her and would like to take her swimming, the only family swim sessions are at stupid times.

Toddler snacks in the library is just grim.

2 years Olds have all sorts of different nap times, but my child would definitely be asleep during that time. It's bonkers that they restrict kids to that small amount of time. They are supposed to provide a service for everyone. If it's a kids pool it should be for kids all the time. I would definitely write them an email. If people don't complain, they never know it's an issue. They might be using it for swim lessons, but if so, they can still rope off a corner for free play. That's what my pool does.

Yeah, she'll nod off in the car, have a 15 minute nap and then be a horrible gremlin for the rest of the day.

I had the same issue at my leisure centre except is was 12-1. It was in online booking system that showed spaces available and there were always loads of spaces. The leisure centre was on the brink of closing and needed extra funding from government grants to keep open so I did contact them to share that most toddlers are having lunch at that time so that will be why they don't make any money on the session. They still didn't change it.

Helpful to know I'm not the only one who has had this issue.