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Original poster

Leisure centre bans parents from bringing food for kids

20 replies

LilyLovesSid · 11/02/2010 10:56

Here

Anyone else think this is bloody ridiculous, or is it just me?

If I want to bring DD1 an apple to have after swimming why the fuck should I buy a pack for £3?

I know where I won't be taking my kids to swim in future, which is a shame because there aren't loads of decent kids pools around my neck of the woods.

OP posts:
PeedOffWithNits · 11/02/2010 11:34

wasn't there somewhere a while ago that tried to ban mothers from BFing at the poolside on the grounds that it might mean leakage of bodily fluids into the pool water

mine always eat a snack in the changing rooms TBH!

titchy · 11/02/2010 11:49

Our leisure centre has the same rules. Dcs's swinmming lessons used to cost me a fortune cos I'd have to buy their tea there as well.

Since they re-furbed the cafe however it is now closed when swimming lessons are on so I can't even get a cup of tea! Still can't bring your own though.

GetOrfMoiLand · 11/02/2010 11:54

It's not banning food from the lesire centre though, is it, banning food from the leisure centre cafe.

Think it is pretty normal to not allow you own food to be eaten in a cafe tbh.

It's not as if you are not able to eat your own apple on the premises is it? You can sit in the leisure centre outside the cafe and feed your dc.

I don't understand the problem.

Lol at the article's overuse of the word 'organic', as if that is the be all and end all.

PuppyMonkey · 11/02/2010 12:00

Take your child outside or to car/on bus and give the apple there? Maybe?

Original poster
LilyLovesSid · 11/02/2010 12:09

Thing is, at this time of year it's pretty chilly to have to go outside to feed the kids (although, according to the rules, I can feed DD2 in the cafe as she still has pureed food). And eating in the car isn't as relaxing as going for a cup of tea after swimming and giving the kids a snack.

I completely understand that it would be inreasonable for adults or older kids to go at eat a packed lunch in the cafe, but I just think there should be a little bit of flexibility when it comes to giving a toddler a snack.

OP posts:
PeedOffWithNits · 11/02/2010 12:14

if they would sell you a single apple or a slice of toast, at a reasonable child price, it would be different

shonaspurtle · 11/02/2010 12:21

This is standard for cafes in most places surely?

And surely what is also standard (ime anyway) is that you bring snack (banana or similar) for the dcs, possibly buy them some juice, buy a coffee for yourself and eat/drink without any comment whatsoever from staff.

Now, if people were bringing out lunchboxes and flasks that would be another thing, but I've never been questionned anywhere for giving ds a piece of fruit not bought on the premises. Always buy something for myself though.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 11/02/2010 12:24

There is a similar policy at soft play, but the manager said it's fine if I want to bring in food for dairy allergic DS. I'm happy with that

shonaspurtle · 11/02/2010 12:25

Ok, read article now. I'll bet you any money that as of Friday the ban will be in place, and as of Monday things will go on much the same as before, going by staff attitudes to similar rules in my experience.

Your average cafe worker just couldn't care less if a 2 year old is eating an apple.

Original poster
LilyLovesSid · 11/02/2010 12:25

Exactly, why should I have to shell out £3 for a selection of kids food that would probably cost me half as much (if not less) at Tesco?

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 11/02/2010 12:30

The rules has probably come in because someone, somewhere, has taken up 2 leisure centre cafe tables on a busy Saturday with a dozen kids all with packed lunches and then made a big fuss when asked to leave saying "where does it say I can't bring my own food?"

I really doubt that it will be enforced on reasonable people. If it is, then they are indeed jobsworthy twats and it is ridiculous.

GetOrfMoiLand · 11/02/2010 12:30

Shona's probably right.

SomeGuy · 11/02/2010 12:30

you don't have to, go eat in the car if you don't want to use their cafe

expatinscotland · 11/02/2010 12:35

Can't you um, give her an apple when she gets home?

expatinscotland · 11/02/2010 12:35

It's not as relaxing, though, SomeGuy.

MissAnneElk · 11/02/2010 12:38

Thank you Shona, you have said exactly what I was struggling to put into words.

This is the leisure centre I used to take my DCs to for swimming lessons. It can be difficult to find a vacant table there at some times of the day, especially during swimming lessons and I had to sometimes take my coffee into the foyer to drink while the tables were taken up by others eating and drinking food they had taken in or just sitting at the table having bought nothing at all from the cafe.

BTW, they do sell single pieces of fruit, you don't have to buy the £3 box.

shonaspurtle · 11/02/2010 12:39

What? And forgo their chitterybite?

(This is probably a Scottish thing - possibly even confined to the West of Scotland. When I was little I thought that not having a chitterybite after swimming was positively dangerous. Akin to eating a large meal before jumping in the water...)

expatinscotland · 11/02/2010 12:42

I go and work out in the cardio and weight room whilst they're in the lessons.

Morloth · 11/02/2010 12:42

Most of the kid's places I go have this rule but nobody minds if you hand the kid a quick snack. This is different from sitting down to a packed lunch at a cafe table.

I usually have a muesli bar/apple/bottle of water in my bag and have never had a comment when doing this.

SoupDragon · 11/02/2010 12:44

"Exactly, why should I have to shell out £3 for a selection of kids food that would probably cost me half as much (if not less) at Tesco?"

Er... because you are eating in the cafe and not at home?

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