pools and kids

"LJohnston" wrote in message
om...
Who makes up these ridiculous rules anyways? Obviously, these people
are not parents and have no idea what we have to go through. These
family change rooms may sound good on a brochure but are completely
impractical and unworkable. Why can I not take my 4 year old son into
the change room with me? The response, "Well, people get uncomfortable
with that." They've got to be kidding.
Lauren

Apparently you've run into a swim club with rules made by folks who
aren't parents of small children. It's also quite possible this particular
club is going for the childless or older children clientele. Since I no
longer have small children I would consider not having boys in the
ladies locker room a plus. Since my daughters are at the age where
even a small boy would send them into shrieks of embarrassment,
I'm happy my club has similar rules.

But I understand why you would like to take your kids to the
locker room with you. I hope you can find another club that
caters to families with small children.

LJohnston wrote:

I can't figure out what this country is coming to. My husband and I
just moved east to our new city and started searching for a health
club to join. We were members of the ymca back home in the mid-west
and were considering joining the local one here too. It's very close
by and the next closest pool is quite a drive away.

I cannot believe this ymca's policy when it comes to taking our kids
swimming with us.

(snip)

Those are annoying rules, and they're not the ones my YMCA has -- it's
definitely not a national policy, if that helps any as you try to get
them to change. (At least it's not "what this country is coming to,"
it's what your neighborhood is coming to...)

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle

I check this e-mail account infrequently

I would try to find another club that is more child friendly. And then
politely let the old club know why you are leaving.

jeff

On 17 Aug 2003 17:05:31 -0700, (LJohnston) wrote:

Who makes up these ridiculous rules anyways? Obviously, these people
are not parents and have no idea what we have to go through. These
family change rooms may sound good on a brochure but are completely
impractical and unworkable. Why can I not take my 4 year old son into
the change room with me? The response, "Well, people get uncomfortable
with that." They've got to be kidding.


At our gym, there's a similar rule and while I have small kids, I appreciate it.
I *do* feel uncomfortable with others' boys in the locker room.

FWIW, our gym has a family changing room that's quite nice -- there are 3 full
bathrooms, showers included, and a row of lockers, and this is right next to the
pool. The only problem is that it tends to get swamped with water because of all
the people who don't dry off before going in there. This was one of the
attractions of this gym.

I doubt you're going to be able to change the policy; it's there for a reason.
If it creates a major inconvenience for you, then you need to either use the
family changing room -- or set about making improvements to *that* -- or find
another club.


Tracy
======================================
We child proofed our home 3 years ago
and they're still getting in!
======================================

In article ,
(LJohnston) wrote:

I can't figure out what this country is coming to. My husband and I
just moved east to our new city and started searching for a health
club to join. We were members of the ymca back home in the mid-west
and were considering joining the local one here too. It's very close
by and the next closest pool is quite a drive away.

I cannot believe this ymca's policy when it comes to taking our kids
swimming with us. We have two young kids aged 3 (girl) and 4 (boy). My
husband and I can't always go together with the kids; I work shift
work and usually it will be just me taking the kids to the pool.
Occasionally, if I'm working, then my DH might take the kids swimming
with him.

This place says that children aged 3 and over are not allowed to go in
to the adult change rooms and must use the youth change rooms. But
boys are NEVER allowed in the girl's change room and vice versa. So
apparently there's no way for one parent to take a young boy and girl
swimming. Or for a single parent to take their kid(s) swimming if
they're not the same sex as their parent.
[snip]
I'm planning on writing a letter to their management but I doubt I'll
get anywhere. Wish me luck.

It's not "this country," but I agree that your ymca has way too strict
policy. My YMCA (Boston-area) allows boys up to 5 or 6 in the women's
changing rooms (I forget which), and vice versa, and also has a very
nice family changing room. It was also recently renovated.

I'd definitely write a letter to the management. You might also call
around to the other YMCAs and gyms in your area, and find out their
policies - it could help your letter to be able to say, "X, Y, and Z gym
all have this other more child-friendly policy." Good luck!

- Lynn

LJohnston wrote:

I'm planning on writing a letter to their management but I doubt I'll
get anywhere. Wish me luck.

It sounds from what others have said that these rules aren't universal, so
I'd focus on a: pointing out with examples that these rules are unreasonable
and b: requesting that, if they're going to cause undue hardship by being so
stringent, they really need to make the family change room much more
accomodating.

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net

In article , Tracy Cramer says...

On 17 Aug 2003 17:05:31 -0700, (LJohnston) wrote:

Who makes up these ridiculous rules anyways? Obviously, these people
are not parents and have no idea what we have to go through. These
family change rooms may sound good on a brochure but are completely
impractical and unworkable. Why can I not take my 4 year old son into
the change room with me? The response, "Well, people get uncomfortable
with that." They've got to be kidding.


At our gym, there's a similar rule and while I have small kids, I appreciate it.
I *do* feel uncomfortable with others' boys in the locker room.

Since there's a judgement call here as to how old a boy would make folks
uncomfortable in the women's changing room (and girl in the men's), it seems to
me that a better line to draw would be, say, age five, when kids are normally
school aged and used to handling their own clothes and being away from the
parent for a little while.

I'd agree with this policy otherwise - there needs to be *some* policy (else,
believe me, mothers would walk into the womens' lockers with 9 year old boys
claiming that eevvul purvvverted meanies should be assumed to be lurking in
every men's locker room or just wanting all the kids' dressing monitored and
hurried and choreographed perfectly to make the soccer practice 25 minutes away
which is scheduled to start 30 minutes after the end of swimming lesson), but,
at three, little kids are not really up to the locker room alone - they're very
distractable, often still very attached to the parents, and barely mangaging
getting themselves dressed.

The other issue is that they apparently did not have a decent facility for a
family locker room. Perhaps that's all they could manage - after all, it's not
like every YMCA can order up a new facility for the new family locker room
concept. A lot of these buildings are quite old.

I'd explo
1. If they can relax the age a bit - I think making it in line with children
becoming school aged would be defensible.
2. If they have any better options or plans for a family locker room area.

Banty

"LJohnston" wrote in message
om...
I can't figure out what this country is coming to. My husband and I
just moved east to our new city and started searching for a health
club to join. We were members of the ymca back home in the mid-west
and were considering joining the local one here too. It's very close
by and the next closest pool is quite a drive away.

I cannot believe this ymca's policy when it comes to taking our kids
swimming with us. We have two young kids aged 3 (girl) and 4 (boy). My
husband and I can't always go together with the kids; I work shift
work and usually it will be just me taking the kids to the pool.
Occasionally, if I'm working, then my DH might take the kids swimming
with him.

This place says that children aged 3 and over are not allowed to go in
to the adult change rooms and must use the youth change rooms. But
boys are NEVER allowed in the girl's change room and vice versa. So
apparently there's no way for one parent to take a young boy and girl
swimming. Or for a single parent to take their kid(s) swimming if
they're not the same sex as their parent.

When I asked further about this policy I was told that they do have a
family change room. But then I found out that the family change room
is what looks like a converted janitor's closet. It's very small, has
no toilet, no showers, and no lockers. It's in the lobby of the pool.
To use it, we would have to ask for the key from the front desk each
time and then use some lockers in the front lobby. Then it's a long
walk down a cold hallway to get to the pool. The 17 year old girl at
the front desk couldn't understand why I had a problem with this.

Who makes up these ridiculous rules anyways? Obviously, these people
are not parents and have no idea what we have to go through. These
family change rooms may sound good on a brochure but are completely
impractical and unworkable. Why can I not take my 4 year old son into
the change room with me? The response, "Well, people get uncomfortable
with that." They've got to be kidding.

Why can my husband not take our 3 year old daughter into the men's or
boy's change room with him and our son? Same answer. People "might"
complain about being uncomfortable. Jeez.

Back home, I could take both my kids in with me to the women's change
room, no questions asked. There were many other parents that had young
kids there with them too. Nobody ever complained as far as I know. And
why would they?

I'm planning on writing a letter to their management but I doubt I'll
get anywhere. Wish me luck.

Lauren

Well, I would say, I WILL complain about your current policy, and
frequently. Some people MIGHT complain about my child in the change room.
Where does that leave the stupid desk clerk?

S

On 18 Aug 2003, Banty wrote:

In article , Tracy Cramer says...

Since there's a judgement call here as to how old a boy would make folks
uncomfortable in the women's changing room (and girl in the men's), it seems to
me that a better line to draw would be, say, age five, when kids are normally
school aged and used to handling their own clothes and being away from the
parent for a little while.

I'd agree with this policy otherwise - there needs to be *some* policy (else,
believe me, mothers would walk into the womens' lockers with 9 year old boys
claiming that eevvul purvvverted meanies should be assumed to be lurking in
every men's locker room or just wanting all the kids' dressing monitored and
hurried and choreographed perfectly to make the soccer practice 25 minutes away
which is scheduled to start 30 minutes after the end of swimming lesson), but,
at three, little kids are not really up to the locker room alone - they're very
distractable, often still very attached to the parents, and barely mangaging
getting themselves dressed.

I agree there needs to be an age limit set. I stopped going to the
pool in my previous community because 5 year olds were still allowed
in the women's room. I was not comfortable getting naked with kids
from school.

I sent my son to the men's locker room at four. I'd sit outside near the
exit because my little fear was only that someone might run off with him.
Otherwise he handled things well. I realize, however, that some cannot
manage that at four.

So at least five... otherwise I'll be the one up at the desk complaining.

Tho I don't worry about those things anymore. We moved to a cheaper
state so we could have our own pool. It's better this way. The only
thing worse than being naked with my students was being seen in
my swimming suit by everyone in town!

In article ,
Banty wrote:

In article , Tracy Cramer says...

On 17 Aug 2003 17:05:31 -0700, (LJohnston) wrote:

Who makes up these ridiculous rules anyways? Obviously, these people
are not parents and have no idea what we have to go through. These
family change rooms may sound good on a brochure but are completely
impractical and unworkable. Why can I not take my 4 year old son into
the change room with me? The response, "Well, people get uncomfortable
with that." They've got to be kidding.


At our gym, there's a similar rule and while I have small kids, I appreciate
it.
I *do* feel uncomfortable with others' boys in the locker room.

Since there's a judgement call here as to how old a boy would make folks
uncomfortable in the women's changing room (and girl in the men's), it seems
to
me that a better line to draw would be, say, age five, when kids are normally
school aged and used to handling their own clothes and being away from the
parent for a little while.


I would have to add that the locker room must be appropriately
supervised by staff from the "Y".

While my son could handle changing his own clothes at that age, we had
some problems with older boys behaving badly. It was nothing horribly
violent, but they DID take his clothes and put them in the shower, so he
had nothing dry to put on, and I know another boy who had his sneakers
tossed around over his head. I know school kids have to deal with stuff
like that -- but 5 is too young to expect a child to deal with 10 to 12
year old kids behaving badly.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care