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

JessicaWakefieldSV

I don't think anyone is saying they must do anything. They are giving options

Pill
Tampons
Don't go

All valid and each will be useful to some girls.

the pill was only ever feminist because the only option women had in order to fully enter into life outside the home was to make themselves as much like men as possible (and not bothering to expect men to change or take responsibility). So it was liberating then (and of course super-handy for the chaps) but now surely we have more enlightened attitude whereby we can acknowledge the difference between the sexes and realise that women have been shoehorned into a man's world forever and a day, and that perhaps that's not such a great thing?

many women have taken the pill for years and had no issues with it.

It’s still not a solution here though. They’re far too young for a start. It’s very difficult to know what the side effects of interfering with women’s endocrine systems really are when the studies are limited and largely conducted by the company’s that make them. I had a long discussion with my endocrinologist about the pill, he’s seen the detrimental affects all his career.

It’s a ridiculous suggestion to tell young women to fuck with their hormones so they can swim.

The swim school is not telling anyone to do this. Posters are suggesting it as an option. They don't have to swim. If they want to they have to either do something to make that happen or accept they don't swim when they have their period.

I said way at the start this makes a mockery of actual feminist issues and here we are a few hours later. If people want to shout about feminism etc they really need to make sure what they are shouting about is a feminist issue in the first place.

It's an interesting question OP. I always think of tampons as being liberating so would see them as the obvious solution. Period swimwear seems like another option. The thought of a new system which expected girls to miss lessons feels like a step backwards. I'd say the ideal solution would be subsidised or free period swimwear for all girls and women!

Would you run a swimming lessons club (and usually they are privately run, even if they use a municipal/school pool) if people could PAYG? You would have to pay the instructors and could not be certain of the numbers turning up.

And yet many fitness clubs do exactly this. A membership fee and then pay as you go, is a good solution as plenty of fitness and sports clubs do it for adults.

The swim school is not telling anyone to do this

I didn’t say they were! I’m obviously replying to other posters

I said way at the start this makes a mockery of actual feminist issues

Feminism is the liberation of women. The OP fits this. Sorry but not interested in anyone who says we are doing feminism wrong.

I had a look at the Modibodi period swimwear, it’s very expensive! But it also didn’t appear to have children’s sizes? Has anyone seen something available for children and teens?

Sorry but not interested in anyone who says we are doing feminism wrong.

You don't have to be interested.

they really need to make sure what they are shouting about is a feminist issue in the first place

How is ensuring swimming courses take in the needs of girls not a feminist issue? FFS.

It's a perfect exemplar of the ways in which society is set up with the default human as boy or man and girls and women are disadvantaged by that.

It's what, you know, we often call patriarchy.

No. Again. This is not patriarchy. This is business.

Yes I noticed that too Jessica. There's a gap in the market if not! How great would that be if run of the mill swim companies like Speedo or whoever did a period safe cossie as just part of its normal range. The technology can't be that complicated surely!

And yet many fitness clubs do exactly this. A membership fee and then pay as you go, is a good solution as plenty of fitness and sports clubs do it for adults.

Yes they do. But they run multiple classes across the day and you can't always book the class that you want. I guess in this instance, where capacity is limited, you would not guarantee getting into a class because they would need to oversubscribe.

Different if there were alternative classes to take if swimming was fully booked but mist gyms don't run classes for kids.

I'm a bit perturbed by the "just use tampons" advice too. Lots of girls don't like them, and there are some cultures for whom it's a complete no-no.

I don't have a solution, though.

How is ensuring swimming courses take in the needs of girls not a feminist issue? FFS.

Exactly.

I look at this in terms of sport. Missing training is not an option. The pill, tampons and period pants have all meant the women and girls in my family can carry on competing at a high level.

So is it feminism then to deprive a woman of income (female swim teachers) in order to provide a model that lets girls not pay for lessons?

It's what, you know, we often call patriarchy.

Its really not.

But they run multiple classes across the day

So do swim companies. My old coach ran one for a club and later started a free one for all those who couldn’t afford lessons. They make a killing from adult sessions during the day and kids after school. He actually left the industry because he was disgusted at the pricing and inflexibility. Most private clubs hire their own swim instructors on a permanent contract, like he was originally, who get nothing from the private lessons directly.

Its really not

Yes it is. As Lang said so well, the default position is Male and the system works for them with no issues like this to sort out.

How is ensuring swimming courses take in the needs of girls not a feminist issue? FFS.

Ok, tell us how it IS? (FFS)

The swimming lessons are a choice. That's the biggest factor at play here. Nobody is forcing anyone to take lessons and then discriminating against the girls.

The swim school offer lessons. People decide whether or not they want to attend. They sign up, they turn up. If they cannot turn up for whatever reason then it's tough luck, just like any other activity going back as far as the toddler years.

The fact that girls have periods is absolutely not the responsibility of the swim school.

Ok, tell us how it IS

She just did!

It's really really not. They haven't created a schedule to please men.

They've created a routine timetable that would take into account things like busy trends, the working day, school times and staff levels.

This is laughable.

So, should females be excused from going to school or work for a week every month if they don't fancy using sanitary products but not be penalised in any way?

This kind of entitled whining is doing more damage to the cause, why aren't we focusing real issues facing women! A period is not a disability.

@codenameduchess I couldn't agree more. I was speaking to someone the other day after our local pride. They said the biggest damage being caused to the encouragement of women's rights is the feminist who won't have a discussion but just shout everyone down.

This thread has proved her right.