Swimming Faff - any tips?

[VickyBHF]

Any tips to help with the pre & post swim lesson faff? For example I’ve just discovered talc on the swimming cap takes away the stick and makes it easier to put on. Another mum I know used to put her children straight into PJs afterwards but we’ll have a bus ride home so not sure I can do that. Any other gems or thoughts?? Thanks

Trunks on under clothes.

Talc on body helps drying/getting clothes on

Pjs or tracksuit for after, basically anything warm, loose and easy to whip off and on to damp limbs. Same for footwear, wellies are our firm fave here in summer and winter 😂 would kids be happy getting the bus in a onesie?

Snack and drink for journey home.

Onesie is a good thought! Thanks for that

Probably not in winter on a bus, but a hooded towelling dress was good. Boden do them, but I expect there are other suppliers.

If you have a girl with long hair, a small microfibre towel for hair or get a turban thing that fastens with velcro (about £3 on eBay). YY to tracksuit/onesie. And a snack after will help stop tempers fraying.

Been doing swimming lessons for more than 10 yrs with 4 kids... my top tips ... buy a fabric swimming hat... much easier to put on with no hair pulling.... 2 in1 kids’ shampoo for showers and definitely onesies for afterwards if it’s evening or for early mornings arrive in PJs with clothes packed. Coffee is also essential!

Go with swim stuff on under onsie. Just take onsie off , ready for lesson. Onsie back on afterwards. Micro fibre towels take up hardly anyroom if youre having to carry your gear on the bus.

Thanks everyone - some good things to try here. We’ll be coming straight from school so have to change into swim things before lesson but we have enough time to do that. YY to snacks!!

Book a weeks intensive in the holiday as a group or 1-1 to teach them to swim and then just go as a family for fun swims. Too many kids put off swimming with the lessons and slow pace. Their school are supposed to take them too & it’s meant to be taught by qualified swimming teachers.

Thanks @Nodressrehearsal - we have done a 1-1 intensive course and a term of 1-2 but price means we’re on the council ones now. That said, there were only 2 in her class last week anyway! It’s mostly the associated changing room faff that does my head in.

We’re still in preschool lessons but we do it during the afternoon at the same time as the school aged lessons. I’ve noticed the school age kids that have come straight from school never leave in their uniform. Vast majority of kids seem to turn up in uniform and crocs (presumably ditching school shoes in car) and leave in a onsie and crocs.

I was going to suggest onesie!

Amazon do some love,h tracksuit style ones. Ds and I have them for camping!

I am past that phase now (though DD now swims 5 times/week) and sorts herself out. She tends to wait until she gets home to shower.

Hair - she twists this into a bun on top of her head. I used to make her hold the front of her hat on her forehead and then I would stretch and pull down the hat over her head in a quick motion.

In the winter I make her come home with a hat on.
She has a microfibre hair turban to stop her body getting wet whilst changing. She gets through industrial quantities of detangler spray. It makes brushing damp hair sooo much easier.

Clothing - usually a swim hoodie and T shirt and shorts(!). In a week or two I'll force her into some jogging bottoms. Those towelling beach dresses are good - Boden/White Co -I expect there are plenty on eBay

Shoes - UGG-style ankle sheepskin boots (easy to slip on and off).

At Junior swim club one of the mums was great at speeding the kids along. She would stand at the door with a bag of Haribo - to be offered to every child who got changed within a set time.

How old? I hate changing rooms so would much rather change at home/in car tbh! Before lesson, not after of course 😄 so ds goes in fully ready - talced cap, goggles, swimming shorts, crocs. Colder months he’ll have a jumper on but it’s a quick run from the car. Then he just walks straight through to the pool, putting his crocs on the shoe shelf.

To get dressed again - hair is pretty much dry thanks to cap. Quick dry with micro fibre towel. Clothes on. Crocs on. Get in car 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve acually found it way less faff than I was imagining! The most stressful thing is if you’ve got a full bag to sort through, so I make sure his swim bag just has talc, towel and clothes in, no school stuff etc

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with the faf with one child while entertaining a baby? My baby is still at the compliant chill in the sling stage but I’m dreading it once she starts cruising etc. We can’t take buggies in.

Pmk sorry!

@Userzzzzz our local public pool has a playpen in it so you can be confident a young baby won't crawl off.

My only suggestions are:

• car seat (likely to prompt howls of outrage)
• set of reins (putting the rein round one of your legs) and pop the baby on a picnic blanket/large changing mat.
• team up with a sympathetic parent

Talc the swimming cap, talc the child afterwards!

Swimsuit off quickly, then wrap child in towel. Otherwise the swimsuit will wet the towel too much.

Easy baggy clothes on. Sometimes we don’t bother with underwear. Hair in microfibre turban. Rush home shower immediately. No socks slip on crocs or similar.

Madcats A picnic blanket is an excellent idea. I’m going to do that as we don’t have playpens in our changing room. I’ve also got a onsie for child no.1. I love this sort of mumsnet thread.

Haven’t checked this for a while - apologies - and thanks for the other suggestions everyone. Going to check out the microfibre hair towel.

Ooh going to try the talc in the hat trick today! DD has to wear a club issued hat and it's a weekly torture.
@Userzzzzz I have a crawler too. Back carrying him and ignoring his rage is how I get through it.

Don't forget the underwear. Too many afternoons at school with no pants on because I left the house with my costume under my school clothes and hadn't packed any pants.

Take up sailing- then you will really appreciate how faff-free swimming actually is!