AIBU to think a toddler should not need to cover their top at a swimming pool?

[Blues321]

Went swimming in our local pool with DS aged 18 months and DNiece 16 months. DSis had forgotten a swim nappy so gave her one of DS's.

We're happily splashing when a lifeguard approached us and asked if DN is a girl and if so, she has to wear a swimming costume that covers her top half.

We ended up having to leave early as apparently it's 'the rules' that all females, even 16 month olds, have to cover their chests!!

Please reassure me that this is crazy and we weren't BU to refuse to buy a swimsuit and therefore be asked to leave.

Manager was involved and said rules are rules!

Very sexist and a bit disturbing. Please take this further. They wanted to make her wear a top to cover boobs she won't have for several more years.

The issue here isn’t ’oh you should have lied and said it was a boy’, the issue isn’t even how you could have handled it better at the time as none of us are perfect ‘in the moment’. The issue here is they are trying to cover the chest of a female toddler who was playing next to a boy the same age and whose chest looks exactly the same. It is absolutely disgusting. There really is very little I would go to the press with but I would for this.

Don't think so as they didn't say anything about DS needing anything else.

Borh the Lifeguad and Manager were very young which is why I've emailed the General.Manager of the Leisure Centre asking them to confirm their policy.

One of the reasons I don't want to name the facility, is to allow them to clarify the situation.

In the meantime, I'm getting my niece to pratice her 'sad face' for the tabloids - this comment is a joke!!

This happened to a friend of mine a few decades ago. She queried it, the reason given was that it’s a public place filled with (practically speaking) half naked people, and this does attract certain types of people who are not necessarily there to improve their swimming. I understand their thinking, and if you worked there I guess you would start to see some regulars, and would agree.

Do I think little girls need to wear tops? No. Do I understand the concern staff have for little girls swimming without tops not knowing who the (let’s be honest, it’s men) other people in the pool are and their reasons for choosing to swim during times when the pool is open to children? Yes.

When I had DS friend over she borrowed his swimming suit when they were 8. Noone said anything because there was no difference btw my DS chest and hers'.

When I was a girl we used to run about topless in the summer time, right up until we began to develop. (1960s.)

I do recall being told off at a summer sports initiative for doing the same - the boys were all running about topless, so I'd assumed that it was all right for everyone.

This is so ridiculous. Boys and girls look exactly the same at that age. My daughter is 4 months old and I do put her in a little swimming costume that covers her top half when I take her swimming, but only because I think it’s cute that she’s dressed similar to me. I have wondered before whether I’m being ridiculous not to just put her in a swim nappy like I used to with my son, but she doesn’t seem to mind the costume so I carry on. But I absolutely recognise that swimming costumes are not necessarily for babies. To kick a parent out because they don’t want to use one is so stupid. It also feels very strange that they were even looking at the babies and wondering if they were boys or girls.

😂

Ex lifeguard here.

This craziness would not have happened where i worked.

Also ex lifeguard and agree, we’d have been severely bollocked for suggesting this.

No boobs, no problem. (Although why a bit of mammary tissue and fat makes it so is still beyond me)

Well good for her (and I mean that sincerely) but it's not the same as walking round the local swimming pool!

What absolute BULLSHIT!

All females of all ages have to cover their chests?! Fuck right off with that.

Wow

It’s not about being sexualised its is about keeping your body to yourself and respecting other people! And allowing her to to carry on doing what she wants is not going to get you anywhere apart from a daughter who rules the house! She will be even more of a nightmare at 18 if you let this carry on

Almost forty yrs ago when we visited South Carolina my six year old was told she had to wear a bikini top in the pool.

This is made up

Absolutely ridiculous. A baby girl and boy look exactly the same, it's not like she's got big boobs

No of course I don’t want them topless - I knew I’d get a really stupid reply like this.

Where did I say they shouldn’t be allowed to wear tops?

I said that really no women should be forced to wear tops but if there had to be a rule, it should be just for adults.

Some people have no reading comprehension at all.

Given toddlers look like genderless blobs on top, why don’t you have the same concern for little boys?

Could have said she’s both boy and girl depending on her mood which changes minute by minute.

Swimming pools are getting crazy. Someone I know is a lifeguard. She tried to stop a family from eating at the poolside, ie eating crisps from a bag while walking around in the water, leaning up at the side eating sandwiches. Kids biting food and then jumping in chewing. Friend told the woman it’s unhygienic as food was going in the pool.

The started screaming at her that she was racist 😳

Huh? The person you are responding to has given no indication she wants her 13yo to cover up so surely her daughter isn't ruling the house by doing something that no-one is objecting to?

I would assume that the mother ‘revealed’ the gender before knowing that they were going to have to leave. Ridiculous.

I doubt it. As I said in my post my six year old had to wear a bikinibtop in the pool. Her top half looked exactly the same as her eight yr old brother

Many years ago I had the complete opposite here in Germany. It was school holidays, but also the late pool opening Friday that happens once a month.
I was told that DC were not allowed to swim in their costumes anymore because at 22:00 until 01:00 it was naked swimming.

But why what is the difference between a 15 years old's boobs and a 50 year old. I think mine were full size at 15 didn't grow much after that. if someone is an A cup can they go topless forever