Paying for swimming lessons in a block/ periods

[Aquifolium]

Hi,

My daughter’s have attended swimming lessons at the local pool for many years. Their attendance has always been spot on. Now they have started their periods they are missing one or 2 sessions a month.
I have contacted the manager to ask if there has been any thought out into this phenomenon, and the reply is of course, they can use tampons, which are perfectly safe.

I wasn’t addressing this issue in a ‘what are you going to do about it’ kind of way, but the dismissive response I have had from the manager has pissed me off.
I feel that my daughters are at a disadvantage now, and that I am paying out for lessons (block booking only)they can’t take up.
Has anyone else done anything about this issue before? Got anywhere?
TIA

Aqui periods are not an illness nor a disability.

You have been given options - none of which you like. So you keep going round and round and round because you want people to agree on only one thing - cheaper lessons or more lessons for the same amount that boys pay.

The thread wasn’t derailed it progressed which they naturally do.

Girls do not drop off from swimming because they start their periods. Stop making out while swathes of girls do. It’s just not true.

Why don’t google why teenage girls stop sports and see for yourself.

You girls can go swimming every day and work hard for 21 days of the month at least - if they wanted too.

It’s an odd age to still be having lessons at especially if it’s not club? Can you tell me what stage they are at?

The cost would fall on the council who would have to do extra admin to allow people to book in to a catch up slot, and to pay for the extra slot.

You mean the council that is struggling to run even basic social services never mind leisure. And the same council that doesn't have enough pools to give enough hours to the number of people who want to use them as it stands already? And passing on the costs to users, ends up creating a situation where the facilities available end up pricing out those at the bottom? Or we could raise taxes but then there's the dilemma of who gets money first: child protection services and adult social care or the local swimming pool?

And no even in a completely feminist society I don't think we'd be immune to the influence and effects of capitalism. Different priorities perhaps, but things still need to be viable in terms of cost.

Honestly, nice wishful thinking. Meanwhile reality...

The cost would fall on the council who would have to do extra admin to allow people to book in to a catch up slot, and to pay for the extra slot

Where the fuck are these extra slots coming from

You mean the council that is struggling to run even basic social services never mind leisure.

Or we could raise taxes but then there's the dilemma of who gets money first: child protection services and adult social care or the local swimming pool?

This. As someone who works in social care I'm starting to wonder what planet some of you are living on.

The magic new pools the OP is going to start fundraising for.

But the discussion is going nowhere. You are all just moaning about it.

Not true. You’re doing most of the moaning. Moaning about other women having an issue with something that only affects females.

Girls do not drop off from swimming because they start their periods. Stop making out while swathes of girls do. It’s just not true.

How do you know?

It’s perfectly possible to disagree without being rude. Don’t think this is an issue? Fine. But what is the point of repeating it, rudely, over and over? Why come to the thread just to say to others, you’re not a feminist... this isn’t feminism... get over it.... get a grip... what planet are you living on..., all quotes from this thread.

None of its constructive.

This particular one is run by councils, but plenty of swimming lessons are not, they’re privately provided and paid for. Some of the solutions would work for them without extra costs to the local councils.

JessicaWakefieldSV

No, I'm moaning about the OPs expectation that everyone else needs to subsidise her children's choices.

What they could do is
Try different sanpro options
Skip the odd lesson
Buy period swimwear
Give up lessons and find a more flexible club
Give up lessons and swim on their own

But no. None of those options is suitable. Instead, the pool, the instructors and every other student has to lose out in order to accommodate the choices OP and her dds make.

None of its constructive.

There have been plenty of constructive suggestions but the require personal responsibility. It seems OP needs others to shoulder the responsibility and cost on her behalf.

JessicaWakefieldSV I have way up thread. Why don’t you read it

Privately owned gym with swimming facilities still put prices up, which would still price some out, and put extra pressure on those services that are run by councils. It'd just mean fewer kids would end up learning at all because the problem comes back to a lack of capacity due to a lack of pools.

Learning to swim saves lives.

More than 400 people drown each year in the UK, and that drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death in children.

For me this ends up ultimately being a greater priority in my opinion and what needs to be focused on otherwise you get into another of those situations where we'll off middle class kids are far more advantaged - regardless of sex - than poorer kids, possibly to the point that it later costs them their life.

I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm trying to make the point that there is a reality here that will lead to greater problem and inequality and I don't think the proposal of flexible slots helps because it has negative consequences to others who are more vulnerable.

Feminism doesn't mean shit, if it comes at a cost to other vulnerable groups. It has to think about balancing competing needs of different groups. Otherwise its pure militancy of the kind which I have a problem with in other areas of debate atm.

Removing inequality can only be achieved if you both recognise the problem AND consider how proposed solutions might also be problematic.

We can't be blinkered and be totally driven solely by ideology - that's currently one of our biggest political problems across the board in this country. Feminism isn't immune from becoming so dogmatic that is a problem. Pragmatism and realism have to be acknowledged even if its sometimes a bummer.

I don't think its necessary to have identified a perfect solution here and put the issue to bed with us all in agreement - if only life were that simple!

As I see it it's merely flagged up that swimming lessons are something where being a girl puts you at some kind of disadvantage, however mild, or easily overcome it may be by some, others may not be in the same boat. Which we all know actually. Some of us just don't give a toss about this, others think it's wrong.

For me the importance of the OP's post is that it reminds me of that book recently in the news where the woman identified all the ways the world is designed around men, from crash test dummies to medicine. All these disadvantages hidden in plain sight. This is another example. Not a life changing one maybe but there it is.

We know periods could put us at a disadvantage when it comes to swimming. In large numbers we shrug our shoulders and accept it. A few people say "hang on...Maybe we shouldn't be so accepting and can we discuss this? - that's all.

All they all lived happily after....

And maybe some are perfectly reasonable to say that just isn't going to work without being shouted at for somehow not being pure enough feminists - cos reality. Which is what has happened.

Especially in the context of feminism facing the threats it is at the moment from puritanical doctrines.

For something to work in reality it has to be critically examined on practical terms rather than just ideological ones.

For something to work in reality it has to be critically examined on practical terms rather than just ideological ones.

Yes. This.

everyone else needs to subsidise her children's choices.

The only option is tampons. So again, if you can’t or are not wanting to use, then you are penalised for a biological reality.

I subsidise other people’s actual choices all the time. We all do. Periods aren’t a choice.

None of those options is suitable.

The OP has the option of buying period swimwear and has said as much. Others won’t be able to necessarily.

There have been plenty of constructive suggestion

There have by some, I was responding and specifically pointing to recent and rude responses. Obviously.

The only option is tampons.
No it isn't. There are several other options, including doing as they are now. Just miss the week of the period. That's an option.

As I see it it's merely flagged up that swimming lessons are something where being a girl puts you at some kind of disadvantage, however mild, or easily overcome it may be by some, others may not be in the same boat. Which we all know actually. Some of us just don't give a toss about this, others think it's wrong.

For me the importance of the OP's post is that it reminds me of that book recently in the news where the woman identified all the ways the world is designed around men, from crash test dummies to medicine. All these disadvantages hidden in plain sight. This is another example. Not a life changing one maybe but there it is.

^ this. Thank you for summing it up so well.

And maybe some are perfectly reasonable to say that just isn't going to work

That’s not what I’m talking about. I even quoted things said to the OP I think are out of line.

There are several other options, including doing as they are now. Just miss the week of the period. That's an option.

The whole point of the post is to discuss the unfairness of the ‘options’ of missing out and paying for it.

But surely you can only claim that it's a feminist issue if it only affects girls and women, which it doesn't.

The system is run to be as efficient as possible ie have as many children as possible so that overheads can be met.

Unfortunately, that system doesn't allow for any flexibility which adversely affects anyone who might need to miss lessons on a frequent or regular basis. Those affected aren't limited to only girls or only menstruating girls.

It is a system that affects everyone, not only girls.