More poolside chat

[Glittertwins]

Just realised we’re a bit close to the end!

Does anyone else find it tricky to deal with family or friends who don't understand the time commitment your immediate family is making for your child's swimming? For instance the lack of our flexibility about when we can meet up?

Our DC is training 5 times a week, but also competing at county level events this January and February so it feels like we are constantly driving to /from a pool at the moment with little flexibility. It's just the way it is and we try and "divide and conquer" so one parent does swimming duties while our other child does something more interesting with the alternate parent. But it really is a huge time commitment and this is just at a typical competitive club level for a 12yo not national level or anything.

Our kid loves swimming so we are only doing it as long as they want to, it's not led by us by any means.

That is a late deadline for collecting up any last minute CQTs and entering @itsgettingweird! I know Counties dates can vary wildly from when I did my level 2 coaching as it was over this time of year and we'd all discussed our shedules, but I had just assumed that some point in December would be the cutoff for everyone on gaining times regardless of when they were - it's amazing how different it can be when all counties essentially need to fit into the pathway to higher level comps that already have their timetables set.

@ReluctantSwimMumyes, I think it's fairly normal for people outside swimming (or gymnastics) not to get it. Even DH doesn't get it TBH - he goes along with it as DCs are so happy and invested. The amount of time we spend at pools is an ongoing joke with my pre-DC friends, although one DF's DC has just joined a swim club so will soon be seeing it from our side! They all understand there are certain times of the year where we just won't be about to meet up with all the DCs, and are amazing at being willing to organise our adult get togethers around the rare nights I'm not at a pool. I also try not to let DCs miss out on other stuff if possible, even if it means running myself ragged shuttling them about, so hopefully they won't look back and feel like they missed much of the normal childhood stuff and stops swimming feeling like a chore. On the upside, the other parents, swimmers and coaches feel like a second family now, so I quite like spending all that time with them.
However, if DCs continue wanting to progress in the sport (and are capable, of course!) with the associated increase in training, I shall be strongly encouraging the early acquirement of driving licences! 5.5 yrs to go!

Being self propelled with a driving licence and car is great, we have our evenings back!!

To turn it on its head most teenagers do very little other than to go to school so in about year 9 dd1 was fairly puzzled as to how others coped with the boredom of life.

It isn’t just about actual swimming, it becomes about them preferring their friends at swimming to the ones at school. So mine haven’t had the friendship angst most teen girls have.

Dd1 now pretty much swims mainly in the morning due to sixth form, working as a swim teacher, seeing her boyfriend/ social life. She’ll be in masters on the stroke of 18.. Dd2 tbf is unkeen on more than 3 times a week anyway. We don’t have as much at counties this year as previously, dd2 only has one time and dd1 is only doing 2 events out of the 4 she has. But what does anyone actually do in January and February anyway? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

My Ds is 21. Has his now car through motability and it’s adapted for him to drive…

and I still take him training 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣

reluctant I don’t find people are funny or deliberately don’t get it. But I wonder if it’s because ds trains morning and evening 4 days a week and then Saturday morning? So they known have no evenings off?
weekends we will meet if he’s not competing and if he’s not competing and o want a weekend off I just say “sorry I’m not free that weekend - how about ….?”.

I don’t explain I want downtime and I am busy (usually batch cooking or catching up on sleep 🤣).

@Satisfiedwithanapple To turn it on its head most teenagers do very little other than to go to school so in about year 9 dd1 was fairly puzzled as to how others coped with the boredom of life.

Yes thank you, this is a good point that I try and remind myself. They can't be on their phone when in the swimming pool! And it's good to have friends outside school.

I'm just particularly exhausted at this time of year with the early dark evenings, so many weekends booked up and having limited free time. Things will hopefully feel different in the spring!

I think counties help January and February to pass and it’s spring before you know it ❤️

My husband doesn’t really understand the time commitment and ours is not as much as many as my DS is also a para swimmer but as he is a low class he couldn’t keep up with any AB squad and so can only get 5 hours training. We used to be able to get a couple more hours in a pool privately but the pool has now taken kids swimming lessons in all possible time slots. I live in an area with 5 25m pools in a 3 mile radius but either they are taken up by the AB swimmers or kids swimming lessons. It does mean I am very reluctant not to take DS to training but it’s not friends and family that is the issue it’s my job! Not being able to do evening events 3 evenings a week is tricky!

Are you doing nationals in wales?

We haven’t decided on nationals yet. My husband is very strongly against us going as it would be very disruptive as it is almost as far away from us as we could go without a flight. DS also starts his final set of mocks the following day so competing and then having to get back may mess those mocks up as DS gets so tired anyway with all the assessments plus extra time.

Happy Easter to you all. 🐣

Hope you’re all well and everyone’s training and competing going well and those at uni are still enjoying their swimming?

Anyone at an Easter qualifying meet this weekend?

Our club has one and I’m helping but DS isn’t competing.

We’ve had a tough few months here. The day before winter nationals he collapsed and had an anoxic seizure and was admitted to hospital with suspected sepsis.

He had an unidentified infection (not helped by them not recording the viral swab results) and took 4 weeks to get back to full training once he was well and that whole time to get any colour back in his skin too!

we are off to AGB champs but it’s a whole different ballgame this time as he’s not fit.

Really sorry to hear about your DS, I assumed something had happened as I noticed he didn’t swim in Swansea.

DS withdrew from this weekend’s meet, he’s had too much on lately and revising for GCSEs so swimming taking a back seat until after his exams and some preplanned surgery, assuming he wants to pick it up again then, the ambivalence to competing remains here.

Hope he’s getting better @itsgettingweird.
We’re not at champs this year due to disappointing summers last year and exams prep.

Sorry to hear about unplanned surgery where. Hope he’s recovering well.

That’s gonna be our situation this year glitter. He’s just got to ride out the season and hope he gets times to qualify for next year in the right timeframe but considering 6 weeks ago they couldn’t get him to register a BP or pulse rate for the scariest longest longest 20 seconds of my life the fact he’s well enough to compete is a winner for me!
He's just hoping to make finals so he’s level headed about.
Is DS aiming for summer nationals this year?

No pulse or BP for 20 seconds sounds terrifying for you, how is he now?
DS will just have to blast it at regionals, he’s not interested in any last chance meets as those are the last weekend before the first A level exam.

He’s fine now I’m himself but not “race fit” iyswim?

apparently it’s not uncommon with neurological disorders that stem from problems with central nervous system to attack the body that way. Seen in lots of patients with MS and his condition shares many similarities. It’s likely just one of those things.
we have a care plan and RA in place though and he’s training fully now.

As with any set back it’s the mental recovery as well as the physical. DS is going to give champs his all though and seems able to process that his body may not give him everything he needs right now.

as long as he enjoys the process I’m a happy mum!

He did alright tonight all things considered!

Thanks 🙏 Yeah he pulled it out the bag. Only 5 secs outside his PB which considering not only his physical deterioration but his illness he surprised himself 🤣 paying for it today though. But day off and then 100 free tomorrow.