The worst part about swimming lessons

[bruzogiri]

is getting the kids dressed in the changing room when it’s over. They are wet, the floor is wet, everything is wet. My kids are 5 and 7 so they can get themselves dressed but the clothes stick to them, they are wore out and tired after the lesson.

Any tips to help with the process? We do sandals and no socks, loose fitting clothes but I’ll take any other suggestions!

I agree so we just don’t bother anymore. Stick a dry robe on and quick dash to the car. Shower once we get home.

Onesie and crocs. Takes 2 seconds as you just shove your feet and hands in and then zip up, there's no sticking of clothes.

Shower when we get home (or after tea in our case).

Dry robe and shower at home

I agree with onesie and crocs. I don't drive so our swimming lessons were a proper ordeal trying to get dried and changed back into uniform (was too much to carry otherwise). We go somewhere much closer now but not as nice and its made things so much easier being able to put in the onesie, straight in the pool, quick dry and back into the onesie and then home.

We've always done bath/shower at home

I find onesies worse than clothes. They seem to stick everywhere and are a nightmare to get on. Summer lessons are so much easier than winter ones as we can just stick on a Tshirt, shorts and sandals rather than heavy clothes and big coats.

Our town is a bit of a traffic nightmare after school, otherwise I’d drive and stick them in an oodie.

Mine won't wear onesies (getting the legs on is still too stressful apparently) so we do dressing gown and crocs, sit on a towel in the car, shower at home.

Everything about swimming lessons is awful. Why is hotter than Satan's arsehole in the viewing area? Why is the floor so disgusting? Why does one child need two parents a grandparent for a 25 minutes swimming lesson? Why does my kid lose their goggles every other week?

I found a massive towel helps with the drying off process but otherwise just shouting "are you ready yet" every 30 seconds seems to work to some degree.

All of this! Add to that the deafening noise and ultra bright lights. The whole thing is migraine inducing.

Wrap them up in robes, give them snacks, while you get yourself sorted first. Then they’re happier and mostly dry by the time they’re trying to get dressed

Take a towel for standing on, but only after they've towelled off everywhere. Take baby powder to quickly dry any skin that makes clothes stick after towelling. Have snacks ready.
I take my 5&6 yo's, they both have additional needs, and it's WILD getting sorted after 😅😭

Talc 😂

A potential alternative ..It was hell , so I cancelled weekly swim lessons and we went with the crash courses (usually for 5 days at a time, on a morning n the school holidays) , they were so much easier and my children actually learnt how to swim quicker than weeks and weeks of grueling evenings with tired children and frazzled mum. (Crocs and towel robe poncho thingie still required tho)

Go Goosey swimming onesie and a pair of crocs. It can go on right over the swimming costume too.

Take a bath mat to put on the floor in the changing cubicle. Something I’ve started doing as an adult and it’s so helpful to stay dry when getting dressed.

How can anyone work out the worst thing about swimming lessons when every element is so hellish? Why is it so damn hot everywhere?! Apart from the rare pool which is proper toe-crampingly freezing. And why do some families treat the showers - which you have to walk through to get to the changing room - as a full spa day opportunity during a packed swim school session? Christ, quick rinse off if you must then move on, you do not need the full deep conditioner detangling moisturising experience for a six year old while holding up half the town.

Yeah, swimming lessons make me grumpy 😆

Yeah it was awful. And for some reason the temperature in the changing rooms was stiflingly hot. Can't believe I did it for years every Friday evening 😆Today it would be dry robes all the way.

Just don't even try.

We have a dry robe/hooded towel/oodie and hair turban if relevant for each child. Crocs for feet.

We are out in seconds.

Shower and pj's at home.

the air temp has to be kept 1 deg higher than the water, otherwise there's condensation galore!

if the viewing area is up high it's even worse cos of hot air rising

Just get them out of there ASAP and deal with it at home. I've no energy for trying to get them showered, dried and dressed in tiny, dhingy changing rooms dodging plasters and hair. Onesie and crocs or dry robe type coats and shovel them a snack in the car. Or when it's warm just throw a big t shirt over the whole child and run. If you must get changed I think taking 2 towels per child so you can cover the floor is the best option.

ALL OF IT. I’ve never felt more grateful when that parenting stage was over!

Can you not just shower them there, let them dry properly and put them in their pyjamas? Thats what we do. Them home for dinner and bed?

We just throw on a dry robe with them naked underneath it after lessons get home and straight in the bath. So much easier.

It was hideous - prob 15 years ago for me now and I still remember how hellish it was esp with DS who absolutely hated the lessons before he could swim!

Towel dry then throw on either a onesie or hooded towling poncho