Creche axed at our leisure centre

[slapcabbage]

I took ds to our local lesiure centre this morning where he was booked in to their excellent creche so I could have my weekly swim. When I arrived I was informed that this week would be the last week it would run as new regulations mean they can no longer provide the service.
I am gutted . The two lovely ladies running the creche have been looking after ds once a week since he was 6 weeks old (he's now 1). I only realised how much that hour to myself to do some exercise meant when I burst into tears! I can't afford to join a private gym and have no family near by to babysit.
Apparently this is going to be a common problem and has hit all the leisure centres in our area.
Has anyone else found a similar problem?

OMG - i would be devastated if it happened to me!! I know what you mean about the hour to yourself!
Where abouts are you?

oh thats terrible!
have you got any friends that would be willing to look after your ds for an hour a week or try to go in the evening when your dh can look after ds?
what a shame. hope you find a solution.

maybe you can find a mum in the area who also is in need of an hour swim/workout, and 'swap' favors of looking out for the other's baby.

i.e. you swim one day, she does babysitting, then another day you swap and you watch her little one. If you can find someone with a baby of a similar age, it might even be fun for your baby to interact with another child for that hour.

They did away with ours ages ago.
Madness isn't it??

A bit of peace and some exercise is one of the most cost effective ways of helping mothers of young babies,especially those likely to be suffering depression.

Ring around your local childminders. I frequently look after children for swimmimg/gymmimg/baking/studying mums.

Thanks for the sympathy! DH (who spends his spare time running mountain marathons) seemed a bit mystified as to why I might be so upset.

Looks like I'll probably have to go with the evening option but everything tends to get put off til the evenings just when you're most knackered. And the dark nights don't help.

Apart from the physical and mental well-being side of it all lots of the other mums used the creche to be able to take one child swimming while the other was looked after because it's one adult to one child in the water for under 5s. So I guess now there'll be some littlies who don't get the benefit of swimming either .

Bellie - I'm in Trafford.

Thanks for the sympathy! DH (who spends his spare time running mountain marathons) seemed a bit mystified as to why I might be so upset.

Looks like I'll probably have to go with the evening option but everything tends to get put off til the evenings just when you're most knackered. And the dark nights don't help.

Apart from the physical and mental well-being side of it all lots of the other mums used the creche to be able to take one child swimming while the other was looked after because it's one adult to one child in the water for under 5s. So I guess now there'll be some littlies who don't get the benefit of swimming either .

Bellie - I'm in Trafford.

Spalcabbage - sorry way down south in surrey so can't help you - otherwise we could have become 'partners' for swimming/minding kids. I really hope you find something that helps you work this out

Swapsies with another mum are a great idea - I tried to find someone willing to do that for some running but all the mums I know had an aversion to getting their trainers on!

Oh well, something will work out.