Toddler at older child's swimming lessons

[Whatisgoingonheredear]

Just after some advice really. 6YO started swimming lessons recently after 6 months at old school but I wasn't happy with how they taught them.

The new swimming lessons are at our local leisure centre. Parents sit poolside approx 3ft from the edge of the pool. There is no gated off area or wall.
I have an 18 month old who is very active and is not easily distracted with toys. I can mostly leave him with my parents while I go, but there are times where they won't be available for a few weeks at a time. I explained this yesterday to the staff and asked if they allow buggies poolside and they said no everyone leaves them outside but toddler can sit and watch. I explained the result will be him screaming wanting to get in the pool or run around which is not safe, so I need to bring a buggy in. They suggested ipads, toys, etc but i know the result will be all of these things being launched in to the pool because he will only want to get in. If he's in a buggy I can face him away, distract him, and ply him with snacks. It's just not safe for him otherwise.

They then said its fine to bring the buggy in but would really prefer that I didn't and to only do it as an exception every now and again.

...any thoughts or ideas? I have no idea how to entertain him outside of strapping him in and hoping for the best, I really don't feel that it is safe not to have him in a buggy. Surely I'm not the only person with an 18 month old who doesn't have childcare every week?

Parents aren't permitted to watch the classes for 5+ year olds at our local leisure centre (there isn't space) so I suppose I'm wondering why you feel you need to be there, at 6 surely you can explain you'll not be able to watch that week and leave him to it?

Do you have to sit and watch? Can you not take toddler outside?

Yeah my first question is why are you sitting there. I’d ask if that was required and then find another class where it’s not. I’ve never had my kids at a lesson where parents were even allowed to stay so it might be possible to find that setup.

Definitely don’t bring the buggy poolside, super gross. Put the toddler in a toddler carrier and just stand at the side if needed? But I’d honestly drop and run, much easier all round.

I don’t think you should be insisting on bringing the buggy poolside. It really isn’t fair on everyone else. This is your issue to deal with. When I had my twins I had to accept that there were times that I could not manage certain activities with my older child unless I got childcare for them. I didn’t insist that everyone accommodate me. Perhaps this pool isn’t the right one for you.

Could you take a portable high chair thing (we had a chicco pocket snack) or a fabric chair strap thing to contain the 18m old instead of the pushchair.

Take toddler for walk round the block during the lesson.

Well they have said you can.....
Can't you just take him for a walk around the block or something? When my dc were young they banned parents from poolside, then closed the cafe. Then were disappointed that parents left the building whilst kids were swimming!

X post!

I wonder whether you need to look at other options. I am surprised parents sit poolside - I always had to wait in reception/ cafe/viewing area. However parents were required to be on site! Seems like different places have varying rules on this.
However -I think a pushchair would create a possible trip hazard and so would not expect this to be allowed. It also sounds very stressful - if you could book a slightly later lesson, could Dad help at all?

Sorry for the slow reply. I'll reply to everyone in one go.

There is no viewing area, cafe, or gallery. They closed it and put a gym in. Parents have to sit poolside and aren't allowed to leave while children are in the lower swimming stages. When they can swim independently you can leave. Poolside means sitting about 3ft from the pool without a barrier.

This isn't our first go at swimming lessons. We used another swim school for 5 - 6 months but the kids still had 3 arm bands on each arm, plus a pool noodle, AND a board after all that time so they weren't teaching them to swim. We've switched to one that doesn't use floatation aids because she wasn't learning anything. They are the only two swim schools in my town.

The entire pool is taken up by swimming lessons so I can't swim with DS. Those who are saying he won't chuck things in the pool - if he's annoyed because he can't walk about/go in the pool he will have a standard toddler melt down and at 3ft from the edge, things will go in. I'm not concerned about the fact he won't want to sit at the side, he's an active boy and doesn't want to sit still for 30 mins when there's something fun to do in front of him (pool).

They've said there isn't an actual rule to say no buggies, but they prefer it if people don't incase wheels are dirty. I would obviously give wheels a good clean off. It isn't every lesson, it's only when GPs aren't around.

I can't put him in a toddler carrier for the whole lesson, he's 20kg, my arthritis says no to that. I could use one of the backpack ones but he'd be in it for an hour including changing time and that will be physically really hard going.

I'd prefer not to leave him with a random teenager.

I really don't understand why they got rid of the viewing area. This would have removed this issue completely.

We live right next to the sea so it's so important to me that DD can swim.

My husband doesn't get home from work until 6.30 and lessons only run 4pm - 5pm unfortunately

Not asking to be difficult, I just want to understand perspective, why would it be unfair on others to have a buggy if the wheels are clean? I have a spare one I only use on holiday and I clean it after each trip, it hasn't been used for 9 months, so that could be the swimming buggy as it is clean.

Oh sorry just more info, I think he's less likely to get upset if he's in the buggy as I can face him away from the pool so he doesn't have FOMO and he can eat some chocolate buttons plus is unable to just get up. That's why I wanted to do this when I needed to (which is probably a couple of lessons in a 6 week block)

I'm glad it isn’t just me! It's difficult as I'll book swimming lessons but the GPs will book flights and be abroad for a 4 week stint and do it when we have already started the term. They're away a lot so it's hard to predict and will just impulsively go.

I'm 99.9% sure that parents have to stay poolside while their children are in the lower stages but I'll possibly discuss with staff as there has to be some let up if there's no space area for younger children to wait/play/swim.

The solution is you entertain the toddler elsewhere for the duration of the lesson, at the leisure centre but not poolside. Drop your older dc off into their lesson, take toddler out so they can run around etc then go back in few mins before the end to collect DC. That is how the majority of parents with other children in tow handle it at our leisure centre. Yes means you can't watch the lesson, but there's not normally any rule that parents need to stay etc

Sorry just seen your other posts about parents having to stay poolside, are you sure? We have done a lot of swim lessons and a variety of different leisure centres, private etc and none have had a condition in parents being there once they are school aged. There's a swim teacher and life guard cover, there should be no reason for parents to have to be there on poolside

Shoe covers on the buggy wheels is genius

Are there chairs at the side for the parents? You can get "sit on highchairs" which are basically highchairs without the legs and they strap on to chairs. Basically the same as having him in the buggy.

How about paying a teenager to take DS1 swimming?

They can sit poolside while you and DS2 do something else.

When my DC started they made us stay poolside, yes.

I think then that a high chair that straps to a seat is the best option - like a booster seat setup. Cleaning the wheels on entering the pool area every single week sounds annoying. I don’t know how the poolside viewing works as I’ve never seen anything like that (definitely no parents at the pool at any of the 4 places we’ve used) but wouldn’t the buggy be an obstacle if someone needed to jump in or get past? Maybe there’s way more space than I’m imagining though.