bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I do not want to share the spa with your child. I don't care if you think it's a stupid rule. I don't care if the pool is too cold for your child. I came to the pool without my child specifically to use the spa so the heat could help me work out my compressed spine and stretch my sore legs. I was counting on the rules being enforced so I would not compete for space with children. The lifeguard should not have to shoo your dc out multiple times while you watch. Why is it when I go to things that are labeled must be X age, there is always someone who insists an exception should be made for their significantly younger than X child. Some people actually make arrangements for their dc so they can go and do things that their dc are not actually old enough to do. They do not want to deal with someone else's child when they've left their own child at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Amen! It really irritates me when I have to explain to my kids why 5 other children under the age of 16 are in the "hot pool" but they are not allowed in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in SC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I completely agree. However, what bothers me even more, I think, is that the lifeguard chose to continually shoo them out rather than refuse them entry in the first place, kwim? At the very least, the lifeguard should find the parent, remind the parent of the rules and wait while the parent escorts the children from the spa. Rules are rules. Sometimes I don't agree with the policies in place at our facility either, but I abide by them because they are part of the contract I signed when becoming a member. It doesn't matter what I think. I follow the rules out of respect for the facility and the other members. I'm sorry you had a stressful experience instead of the relaxing one you needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Complain to management. Make sure they understand that you go for medical reasons and that you do not want to have to worry about competing for space with kids too young to enter the pool or to risk them jostling you during your pool time. You might also point out that allowing underage children into the pool in the first place may well be a big insurance problem for them if anything happened. (no idea why this one post turned out bolded, the B icon doesn't seem to be activated???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 (((Betty))) I hope you got enough spa time to help ease your pain. I'm really sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 People should control their children so that they shouldn't have to have this rule in the first place. DD11 loves to go in the spa. The only time she gets to use one is when we stay in hotels and they don't have the 16 and up rule. She knows the "mom rules". No splashing around and no head/face in the water AND... if an adult is in the spa she can't go in and if she is in the spa and an adult shows up and wants to use the spa then she has to get out and use the pool. I guess I am old enough that my mom taught me not to be a bother to adults and I am teaching my daughter to do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Amen! Recently we were at a hotel with a pool and hot tub. The sign said no children under 12 allowed in the hot tub. My dd (17) and I were relaxing in the tub. A couple and their very young child came into the tub with a fairly large inner tube. The child proceeded to throw the tube up in the air over and over. After it almost hit my dd I caught it in mid air and put it to the side of the hot tub and said to the trio "This really belongs in the big pool." They looked at me as though I was an alien and then moved to the pool area. Where is common courtesy? I don't really mind underage kids in the hot tub, but they should be instructed to sit quietly, not kick, swim or splash if others are also in the hot tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I hear you. I am the baddie who is always having to enforce age rules at the Y. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 The last time I was in a hot-tub (with a no children under 16 sign), there were about 6 10-year-olds playing volleyball in it. Ha! I did ask them to at least stop the volleyball game (after the ball hit me in the head), and they did. Then they got bored and left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I have never seen a no children under whatever age on a hot tub. Thank goodness. I get in it with my babies. But like a pp, I forbid any pool activities and they know theynhave to defer to adults fir time in it. It's for sitting and relaxing. The not babies but still young ones like to put their arms along the back of the spa and pretend to be old. They complain about how hard they worked and sore they are. LOL But if the sign was there, I wouldn't let them in it unless I was the only other person in it too. I wouldnt break a rule just to bother other people. The last hotel we were in, I was really annoyed bc me and baby were not in the pool bc we did not want to play and be screamed at and splashed at and some woman just sat there in one of the lawn chairs while her two boys under 7 impede in the spa wearing snorkeling gear and everything. I told them to stop or do it in the pool. Spa is for sitting. Pool is for playing. She didn't like that. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Spas are dangerous for babies. Babies cannot maintain a normal temperature in the high temperature of a hot tub. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf/swimming/resources/hot-tub-user-tips-factsheet.pdf http://www.livestrong.com/article/271400-children-hot-tubs/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Where we live the "hot tubs" are often now family spas - they don't actually keep the water hot, just a bit warm. All ages are welcome. There are age restricted saunas, and I believe one of the hot tubs at one pool is for adults only. As far as the OP is concerned, I agree that it is really frustrating when so many people feel they have the right to be the exception to the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Where we live the "hot tubs" are often now family spas - they don't actually keep the water hot, just a bit warm. All ages are welcome. There are age restricted saunas, and I believe one of the hot tubs at one pool is for adults only. As far as the OP is concerned, I agree that it is really frustrating when so many people feel they have the right to be the exception to the rules. That's interesting. My skin turns red in our hot tub because it is hot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I am pretty lax about my kids and hot tubs, but if a sign prohibits their using it due to age, we don't allow them in. We're trying to teach our kids to follow the rules/laws, even ones we think are dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I hear you. I am the baddie who is always having to enforce age rules at the Y. Me, too. Super-competitive sports dads bent on "training" and "bulking up" their 8 year olds are drawn to our free weight area like moths to a flame during the football pre-season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Is it possible that there is a difference between a reccomendation and a rule in some of these situations? Not all of them, but it sounds like some of these signs might be more motivated by C-Y-A in case a child suffers ill health, rather than to protect the adults-only experience. My pool has an under-enforced "arm's reach" rule, probably for that reason. I choose my own reasonable distance instead... If I was at a place that didn't want youngsters in the hot tub, I might bend that rule a little too. Off topic, but, It honestly baffles me that any adult could have a good experience while children shiver after a dip in the pool. It's an odd business model: "Feel free to bring the kiddies, but our real focus is on keeping you comfortable... Well, unless you need to supervise... I guess the hot tub is not for you either." I'd it becsuse I live in a cold weather climate? I'd just never go to a pool like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Is it possible that there is a difference between a reccomendation and a rule in some of these situations? Not all of them, but it sounds like some of these signs might be more motivated by C-Y-A in case a child suffers ill health, rather than to protect the adults-only experience. My pool has an under-enforced "arm's reach" rule, probably for that reason. I choose my own reasonable distance instead... If I was at a place that didn't want youngsters in the hot tub, I might bend that rule a little too. Off topic, but, It honestly baffles me that any adult could have a good experience while children shiver after a dip in the pool. It's an odd business model: "Feel free to bring the kiddies, but our real focus is on keeping you comfortable... Well, unless you need to supervise... I guess the hot tub is not for you either." I'd it becsuse I live in a cold weather climate? I'd just never go to a pool like that. It is definitely a rule not a suggestion. The rule has been in place for over 25 years. My community has over 15 pools. Many have "special features" : diving board, spa/hot tub, in pool basketball, sprayers, fountains, zero depth entry, beach volley ball court, in pool volley ball. No pool has mst of these features. Some pools only have one feature ( like a basic diving board). You can tailor your visit to your family's needs. If you dont want to be around a feature your child can't use then there is another facility you can go to in your membership. I do not bring my children with me when I use the spa. There ave been whole summers I didn't get a chance to sit in the spa. IT IS A FACT THAT HAVING CHILDREN MEANS I DO NOT GET TO DO WHAT I WANT SOMETIMES and I don't get why other people don't understand that. Because the rule is in place I know I should be able to count on not dealing with children and I know other people at be counting on the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Me, too. Super-competitive sports dads bent on "training" and "bulking up" their 8 year olds are drawn to our free weight area like moths to a flame during the football pre-season. What is wrong with these people? Then they get mad when tell them the policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 What I mean is that if the tub was empty, I wouldn't worry about pulling a child in on my lap for a minute or two to get warm. I don't have a lot of inherent respect for rules that are meant to protect me/mine from hazards I don't believe exist. I would respect a rule meant to shelter other patrons (if other patrons were present) but I still hate the idea that some parts of a good pool experience are aparently not welcome for kids to use. To me, that's just as odd as a shopping mall trying to do business with a "no kids allowed in the food court" rule -- I could work around it, but I still consider it a strange and unnessisary limitation... Especially for a place that is trying to run a business and serve the public. I get it when kids are excluded from non-kid activites (ie weight lifting) but it just seems abnormal to exclude them from the privilege of accessing warm water when they are obviously going to get cold. Having a 'nice hot bath' by going in a hot tub is a perfectly normal thing that most kids do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Is it possible that there is a difference between a reccomendation and a rule in some of these situations? Not all of them, but it sounds like some of these signs might be more motivated by C-Y-A in case a child suffers ill health, rather than to protect the adults-only experience. My pool has an under-enforced "arm's reach" rule, probably for that reason. I choose my own reasonable distance instead... If I was at a place that didn't want youngsters in the hot tub, I might bend that rule a little too. Off topic, but, It honestly baffles me that any adult could have a good experience while children shiver after a dip in the pool. It's an odd business model: "Feel free to bring the kiddies, but our real focus is on keeping you comfortable... Well, unless you need to supervise... I guess the hot tub is not for you either." I'd it becsuse I live in a cold weather climate? I'd just never go to a pool like that. Many kids every day go to a pool without a hot tub afterwards. I'd go so far as to say the vast majority do. They are fine. I do not want children in the hot tub with me, ever. They dominate the space. It's not kids being bad, it's kids being kids, but it makes it really hard to relax. It is ok for kids to learn that they don't get to do everything their parents get to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 What I mean is that if the tub was empty, I wouldn't worry about pulling a child in on my lap for a minute or two to get warm. I don't have a lot of inherent respect for rules that are meant to protect me/mine from hazards I don't believe exist. I would respect a rule meant to shelter other patrons (if other patrons were present) but I still hate the idea that some parts of a good pool experience are aparently not welcome for kids to use. To me, that's just as odd as a shopping mall trying to do business with a "no kids allowed in the food court" rule -- I could work around it, but I still consider it a strange and unnessisary limitation... Especially for a place that is trying to run a business and serve the public. I get it when kids are excluded from non-kid activites (ie weight lifting) but it just seems abnormal to exclude them from the privilege of accessing warm water when they are obviously going to get cold. Having a 'nice hot bath' by going in a hot tub is a perfectly normal thing that most kids do. I wouldn't mind someone putting their little one on their lap for a minute if no one else is in the pool, if they actually get up in a minute or two, which no one ever does in a hot tub. Plus, what happens when the kid is 9? 11? 14? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I wouldn't mind someone putting their little one on their lap for a minute if no one else is in the pool, if they actually get up in a minute or two, which no one ever does in a hot tub. Plus, what happens when the kid is 9? 11? 14? Huh? Um. They turn 9, 11, and 14? None of my kids, babies or otherwise, ever stayed in the no where near hot enough to turn us red spas for more than maybe 5 minutes. Because it's boring. They can't dive and splash and flail about. Usually they just want to touch base with mom or dad for a few minutes, maybe decompress from the chaos of the pool, and then they are back at the pool. Doesn't seem to make a difference what age. I agree though that the hot tub is not at all necessary to the pool enjoyment. Most pools aren't that cold. Tho we did stay in a hotel once that I swear filled their pool with ice water. I literally turned everyone's lips blue it was so cold. But the kids just pretended to be polar bears and all the adults were laughing at them for insisting on swimming even tho their teeth were chattering and they were turning blue. I suppose if they hadn't been able to reheat for a few minutes in the spa, they would have huddled en masse in their towels in the warmest corner they could find. I'll also agree that public pools and spas are not anywhere near as sanitary as my home bath or pool, but then again, neither is the lake or the creek or puddles and I don't avoid those either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I would respect a rule meant to shelter other patrons (if other patrons were present) but I still hate the idea that some parts of a good pool experience are aparently not welcome for kids to use. To me, that's just as odd as a shopping mall trying to do business with a "no kids allowed in the food court" rule -- I could work around it, but I still consider it a strange and unnessisary limitation... Especially for a place that is trying to run a business and serve the public. I get it when kids are excluded from non-kid activites (ie weight lifting) but it just seems abnormal to exclude them from the privilege of accessing warm water when they are obviously going to get cold. Having a 'nice hot bath' by going in a hot tub is a perfectly normal thing that most kids do. There are health reasons why hot tubs do not allow under 16. It has to do with children and their bodies' abilities to regulate body temp. Are you also against "break" for 10 minutes every hour because it breaks up a fun time for younger pool patrons? Why can't some things be child free and still part of the same facility. The facility is for the enjoyment of the whole community. BUT the way a child enjoys aquatic environments is vastly different than a middle aged triathlete or an elderly person. Having kid free zones and time periods gives the whole community a chance to enjoy the facility. I don't know why not having free run of everything ruins the experience. Its not like the hot tub is yhe only thing to do and children just sit and watch the adults. Theres a 25 meter pool, probably a diving board, other stuff. There is nothing wrong with a child knowing they have to wait a few years before they use something. Beyond the health aspect, it's like when your big brother got to have a later bed time. It's part of the privilege of being older. One assumes that at 16 you won't play and splash the same way a 10 year old would and abuse the privilege. I'm sure I could find a way to get banned from the hot tub, just like my brother could lose his late bedtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 You know the babies who die because they were left unattended in a car? People do it because "I've left Junior many times for a minute and he got a bit sweaty but was fine." The exact same mechanism of the baby not being able to regulate his body temperature and dying from heat stroke is what can happen in a hot tub that is over 104 degrees. The lifeguards at our pool are not being picky because they are slaves to rules or want a kid free area (children over age 6 are allowed with a supervising adult). The lifeguards do not want to hear of a baby or young child dying. No, not every baby dies or gets brain damage from being in a hot tub for a few minutes just like not every baby dies or gets brain damage from being left in a hot car for a few minutes. It is not a risk I'm willing to take and it isn't one that our pool is willing to take even if some parents want to take the gamble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Many kids every day go to a pool without a hot tub afterwards. I'd go so far as to say the vast majority do. They are fine. I expect that this varies by geography -- as so many things seem to on these boards. Here, most public pools have hot tubs that everyone is free to use, and most children use them multiple times per swim. Getting somewhat chilly is a normal part of a day spent swimming, especially for a skinny child -- maybe not where you live, but here, yeah, definitely. I don't know if it matters that the climate here is cold, since the pools are indoors, and therefore quite reasonable in temperature? That's just how it is here -- kids warm up. If they couldn't we'd have to swim for shorter days, or shower periodically to warm up. I distinctly remember being chilly as a kid. I do not want children in the hot tub with me, ever. They dominate the space. It's not kids being bad, it's kids being kids, but it makes it really hard to relax. It is ok for kids to learn that they don't get to do everything their parents get to do. Are you talking about hot tubs so small that one adult takes up most of the usable space? Where a single child wiggling and chattering would make it feel like a crowd? Something like, a 6-person tub at a public pool? If so, we seem to be imagining a very different scenario, and I can see why access might need to be restricted. In my mind "getting warmed up" before swimming some more is not in the reasonable range of "an adult-only privileged, kid." It's weird to imagine that some people see it that way. I know that there are some nice things that are just for grown ups -- I like that concept in many places and times. I like the 'perks' of adulthood, generally speaking... It's just so strange to imagine *warmth* as something adults keep for their own comfort alone. I guess that might be cultural/geographical. I'm pretty used to the general concept that "In warmth, kids come before adults." -- if we only have one umbrella in a cold rain, kids stay dry, mom gets wet... a shivering kid on a windy day often gets dad's coat while dad toughs it out... that sort of thing. So, maybe that's the root of my objection to 'hot tubs are not for kids' rules??? --- I wouldn't mind someone putting their little one on their lap for a minute if no one else is in the pool, if they actually get up in a minute or two, which no one ever does in a hot tub. Plus, what happens when the kid is 9? 11? 14? With a very small child, sitting still on a lap is not something they want to do for very long, and parents would be aware of their body temperature. With older kids, I assume sitting beside a parent would be more applicable than sitting on a lap, and that calm behaviour would be easier to achieve through close supervision (with consequences for getting out of hand). Also, depending on body type, kids are less skinny after 11 or so, and better able to keep warm in cold water, I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Are you also against "break" for 10 minutes every hour because it breaks up a fun time for younger pool patrons? I don't know what this question means. What kind of "break"? Lots of families take breaks, I suppose. Why would I object? Why can't some things be child free and still part of the same facility. The facility is for the enjoyment of the whole community. BUT the way a child enjoys aquatic environments is vastly different than a middle aged triathlete or an elderly person. Having kid free zones and time periods gives the whole community a chance to enjoy the facility. I'm sure some things can be kid free... I just object to the 'no access to warm water at all' idea... for the reasons described above. I don't think kids enjoy swimming as much as they might, after the point when they start shivering and clinging to their parents. Again -- I don't object to "privileges" in general, this just seems like an odd thing to designate as one of those privileges. (And I don't think that a dip [ a few minutes] in hot water is dangerous beyond toddler-hood, and even before that, an actual "dip" [not 'a few minutes' is probably more helpful to a chilled baby than being wrapped up in a towel and allowed to shiver.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 The "family" pool at our Y is kept a warm temperature. The lap pool (which you have to do a swim test in order to use) is pretty chilly. I've never seen any children shivering and clinging to parents. Parents often have towels or even bathrobes that they drape around kids when they get out of the pool anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I expect that this varies by geography -- as so many things seem to on these boards. Here, most public pools have hot tubs that everyone is free to use, and most children use them multiple times per swim. Getting somewhat chilly is a normal part of a day spent swimming, especially for a skinny child -- maybe not where you live, but here, yeah, definitely. I don't know if it matters that the climate here is cold, since the pools are indoors, and therefore quite reasonable in temperature? That's just how it is here -- kids warm up. If they couldn't we'd have to swim for shorter days, or shower periodically to warm up. I distinctly remember being chilly as a kid. Are you talking about hot tubs so small that one adult takes up most of the usable space? Where a single child wiggling and chattering would make it feel like a crowd? Something like, a 6-person tub at a public pool? If so, we seem to be imagining a very different scenario, and I can see why access might need to be restricted. In my mind "getting warmed up" before swimming some more is not in the reasonable range of "an adult-only privileged, kid." It's weird to imagine that some people see it that way. I know that there are some nice things that are just for grown ups -- I like that concept in many places and times. I like the 'perks' of adulthood, generally speaking... It's just so strange to imagine *warmth* as something adults keep for their own comfort alone. I guess that might be cultural/geographical. I'm pretty used to the general concept that "In warmth, kids come before adults." -- if we only have one umbrella in a cold rain, kids stay dry, mom gets wet... a shivering kid on a windy day often gets dad's coat while dad toughs it out... that sort of thing. So, maybe that's the root of my objection to 'hot tubs are not for kids' rules??? --- With a very small child, sitting still on a lap is not something they want to do for very long, and parents would be aware of their body temperature. With older kids, I assume sitting beside a parent would be more applicable than sitting on a lap, and that calm behaviour would be easier to achieve through close supervision (with consequences for getting out of hand). Also, depending on body type, kids are less skinny after 11 or so, and better able to keep warm in cold water, I would think. I live in New England. I have skinny kids. Being chilly after a swim is normal. Like having pruney fingers. Yesterday we were in an outdoor pool, it was in the 70s, but they still came out with blue lips. We draped them in big fluffy towels, then had them sit in the sun for a bit. It's not that warmth is a perk of adulthood, it's that the hot tub - even big ones - are typically meant to be used to relax, maybe chat, ease sore muscles. Adults in the pool, I can close my eyes and go away mentally. Kids in the pool, not so much. Especially since not everyone can be trusted to supervise their kids to not be noisy and splash. Kids ARE noisy and like to splash, and that's as it should be. They just don't belong in an adults hot tub. I do not keep the umbrella to myself and let the kids get wet on a chilly rainy day. But I also don't let them have a glass of wine to warm up after a chilly walk, which is something I like to do :) Wine is for grownups. They understand that and it's OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't know what this question means. What kind of "break"? Lots of families take breaks, I suppose. Why would I object? Every outdoor swim club (neighborhood pool) I have belonged to since childhood has "break" every hour for 10 or 15 minutes, time length determined by the facility. The park authority water park has a 20 minute break every 2 hours. Since I'm close to 50 "break" is a well established phenomenon in the mid Atlantic. At break everyone under 16 must exit the pool for the prescribed Period. it gives older folks and lap swimmers a few minutes to njoy the pool unencumbered. It gives the lifeguards a chance to walk around the pool to check for hazards. It's also a time for younger kids to rest, because many children will not rest unless told to do so--if the children do not take a break they present a greater danger in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 First off, I agree with the OP. :) Second, I think that it isn't about kids being kept away from 'warmth' or that 'warmth is an adults only privilege' -- in my experience, I wouldn't say warmth has anything to do with it. :blink: As a kid, I swam all the time and usually never got cold - I honestly don't ever remember being chilly. As an adult, I've gotten into a pool that was chilly, but it was at someone's house, not a facility, and all I did afterwards was sit out in the sun -- I'd just have my kids do the same. I don't know why I would do any different - it seems like it would be weird, on a warm day, to get into the spa to get warm rather than just warm up in the sun... but maybe that's just personal preference. When the pool is indoors, most of them are kept at very reasonably warm temperatures. Our YMCA keeps theirs around 70-80, IIRC (we don't go there), and the air in the pool area is in the 80s or so maybe -- not sure, but I know it's a bit hot and sticky to sit in there and watch the kids if you aren't in the water. The kids may shiver for a minute when they get out, but they warm up really quickly with a towel wrapped around them. The pool we go to, this isn't even an issue - they keep it WARM, like bath water. It feels wonderful, but it's so warm inside the pool room that I don't go in when the kids go to swimming lessons because it really IS too hot to sit there and not be in the water! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Every outdoor swim club (neighborhood pool) I have belonged to since childhood has "break" every hour for 10 or 15 minutes, time length determined by the facility. The park authority water park has a 20 minute break every 2 hours. Since I'm close to 50 "break" is a well established phenomenon in the mid Atlantic. At break everyone under 16 must exit the pool for the prescribed Period. it gives older folks and lap swimmers a few minutes to njoy the pool unencumbered. It gives the lifeguards a chance to walk around the pool to check for hazards. It's also a time for younger kids to rest, because many children will not rest unless told to do so--if the children do not take a break they present a greater danger in the water. Otherwise known as "mandated pee break". I don't have them at our neighborhood pool, and I don't want it, but I get the reasoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Interesting perspectives. I've never been to a pool that practiced a "break"... But I still don't get why it would be normal for any adult to find themselves saying, "The kids can just shiver. Relaxing in hot water alone is very important to me, and not something I see myself being willing to share." -- It really must be a cultural thing, because I confess myself mystified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I've never in my life heard of a required break time like that. Some of the pools will rope off a section for adults to swim laps or whatever. But I have never heard of them requiring everyone leave the pool every hour. That sounds silly to me and has never been necessary in any pool I've ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I've never in my life heard of a required break time like that. Some of the pools will rope off a section for adults to swim laps or whatever. But I have never heard of them requiring everyone leave the pool every hour. That sounds silly to me and has never been necessary in any pool I've ever used. Not everyone. Just children under 16. At the water park it's everyone, but I'm sure that has to do win turning off slides and searching for problems, which I've seen them do. At the neighborhood pool adults can stay in. That's when elderly aides will get in a nd swish around a bit withou dealing with splashing. Lap swimmers can count on no one cutting across lanes for 10 minutes. And children can go pee, because many children will not stop to pee otherwise and well let's not think about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Interesting perspectives. I've never been to a pool that practiced a "break"... But I still don't get why it would be normal for any adult to find themselves saying, "The kids can just shiver. Relaxing in hot water alone is very important to me, and not something I see myself being willing to share." -- It really must be a cultural thing, because I confess myself mystified. Well I've never just had the kids shiver, watching me longingly as I lounge in the hot tub. You must think people who follow this rule are very mean. What we do, is, I'll go in the hot tub while my husband plays with the kids in the pool. I have been to pools that have all ages hot tubs and my experience is, its' like two grownups and 8 kids goofing off in the hot water. Kids running back and forth from the pool to the hot tub . It's not a horrible thing, but, it really turns the whole pool into a kids playground. Very unwelcoming to anyone except families with kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 We have four hour free swim sessions at our pool. There is a 10-15 min. break half way into the session. DD11 uses this time to have a snack and I have her apply more sunscreen. The lifeguards use the time to practice rescues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't think people who follow the rule are mean... I just find the people who make the rule odd. I suppose if "standing in the sun" -- is sufficiently warm, and works every day (not true here) then the hot tub as the only convenient source of warmpth is not the issue. I myself would keep the rule unless no one else was using the hot tub, and then I would only break it for maybe 3 minutes, with full supervision, and only if my kid was actually chilly. I'd be miffed about finding myself in a situation with unreasonable rules, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I have never seen a family hot tub - they have always been for ages 16+. Even at hotels we have stayed in they have had signs up...no lifeguard to enforce the rules, but we have always told our kids to stay out simply because those were the rules. It never occurred to me that those rules were withholding warmth from kids (and really, it still doesn't). It's a kid-free area. Nothing wrong with that. Growing up our community pools had the mandatory 10 minute break for kids, but I haven't been at a pool with that in years. Nothing wrong with breaks, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Like I said in the other thread about working out at the gym, swimming in a public pool is a privilege not a right. If you don't wish to obey the rules - STAY HOME OR GO ELSEWHERE! Regardless of whether you agree with the rules or not, the facility management has instituted them for a reason. If you "sneak" and bring your underage child into the spa for a quick warm up when no other patrons are present, that is your business. However, if anyone else is using the spa, then please keep your kid out. Not everyone likes children or wishes to share space with them. Perhaps they selected the facility specifically because it had a no kids in the spa rule. And since that is the rule, they have every right to expect it will be observed and enforced. It's not about wanting kids to freeze - if it is that cold, why are they swimming in the first place? Surely there are other activities the whole family could pursue that would not involve breaking any rules or infringing on the rights of others. I am very weary of those who believe that just because they don't understand the reason for a rule or disagree with the reason, that gives them the right to reject it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Interesting perspectives. I've never been to a pool that practiced a "break"... But I still don't get why it would be normal for any adult to find themselves saying, "The kids can just shiver. Relaxing in hot water alone is very important to me, and not something I see myself being willing to share." -- It really must be a cultural thing, because I confess myself mystified. I think we're all mystified at where the heck you are swimming that is so overrun with shivering, blue-tinged children longing to get in the hot tub for some warmth, lol! Didn't you say the pools you use are indoors - how is it so cold? People like the hot water, obviously, but that doesn't translate into 'the purpose of a hot tub is to warm up .' If kids can't swim for any length of time without more than the occasion shiver when they jump out for their towel, then it's too cold for them to be swimming. If my kids are cold enough to be truly uncomfortable, I quit sneering at them from the hot tub and take them home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Me, too. Super-competitive sports dads bent on "training" and "bulking up" their 8 year olds are drawn to our free weight area like moths to a flame during the football pre-season. :svengo: 8 year old and free weights??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Our pool has a 10 minute break every hour and everyone under 18 must get out of the pool. The lifeguards are not on duty and it is adult swim only. Occasionally, they will run a jump/dive contest to amuse the kids during this time, but usually kids get snacks or go to the restroom. I don't get the excitement about hot tubs. It is difficult to maintain a correct chemical balance in them, so you are either sitting in tons of chemicals, or no where near enough. Yuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 If you "sneak" and bring your underage child into the spa for a quick warm up when no other patrons are present, that is your business. I know. That's why I mentioned that such a circumstance would be the sole and only time I would consider breaking the rules. I don't understand who the remainder of your rant would be about -- unless you personally object to my right to being "miffed" about finding myself in a place where I needed to abide by an unfair rule. It's not about wanting kids to freeze - if it is that cold, why are they swimming in the first place? I don't imagine you mean me, since I specifically said that kids might become "chilly" or "begin to shiver" not that they were freezing. Another poster confirmed that feeling "chilly" is a fairly normal part of swimming as a child. --- I think we're all mystified at where the heck you are swimming that is so overrun with shivering, blue-tinged children longing to get in the hot tub for some warmth, lol! Didn't you say the pools you use are indoors - how is it so cold? Now that's some fun hyperbole. I'm partial to a good word picture myself. However, I am personally referencing a fairly normal thing. My family swims at all times of year at an indoor pool in a major city in western Canada. The interior air temperature is normal, but, as you might imagine, room temperature can feel quite cold if one is soaking wet with cool-pool temperature water. Surely you've noticed this? It has been my experience, both as a child and an adult, that after about 40 minutes of playing around, one begins to feel chilly -- particularly if play involves waiting for a diving board or other sorts of entering and exiting the water. I perceive this as quite normal, as do most pool designers, apparently, since they have provided lovely big circles of water that is heated to a warmer temperature for everyone to enjoy when they get chilled. This is normal pool design in my city, and even the older pools are being retro-fitted with hot tubs to increase how much all their visitors enjoy their day. My child stopped getting a blue "tinge" to warn me to warm her after about toddler-hood -- she is a more average weight now, but at the time was low on body fat. I have not noticed many blue tinged children, but I imagine they would be 'done swimming' and ready for their showers within an hour if they did not have the opportunity to warm up. That would be sad to me. I like my kids to enjoy their time at the pool and be able to spend a nice chunk of time there, comfortably. (We have passes, but I imagine people who pay a full entrance fee would feel even more strongly about extending their visit.) In places where summer is brief and often windy, swimming is an indoor year round sport or family activity. As such, I think perhaps fewer people would rely on automatically having a reliable source of hot sunlight to keep kids cozy for long hours of water play. There are other solutions. One of them is that adults here don't call "dibs" by reserving all the hot water for their exclusive use. Is it any wonder that I *personally* find a rule like that odd and unfair? If my child wasn't cold, I supposed I wouldn't be miffed (or tempted to cheat)... but it still hits me in an odd way. If I found myself in a place with a rule like that I think I'd have to refrain from using the hot tub myself, so that I could accurately know how cold (or not) the kids were getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misty.warden Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I really don't understand the mentality of being above the rules for whatever reason. If you don't like the rules in a particular location, don't go there. If a pool is uncomfortably cold, I wouldn't put my kid in it and would complain to the management, but blowing off the rules is rude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Now that's some fun hyperbole. I'm partial to a good word picture myself. However, I am personally referencing a fairly normal thing. My family swims at all times of year at an indoor pool in a major city in western Canada. The interior air temperature is normal, but, as you might imagine, room temperature can feel quite cold if one is soaking wet with cool-pool temperature water. Surely you've noticed this? It has been my experience, both as a child and an adult, that after about 40 minutes of playing around, one begins to feel chilly -- particularly if play involves waiting for a diving board or other sorts of entering and exiting the water. I perceive this as quite normal, as do most pool designers, apparently, since they have provided lovely big circles of water that is heated to a warmer temperature for everyone to enjoy when they get chilled. This is normal pool design in my city, and even the older pools are being retro-fitted with hot tubs to increase how much all their visitors enjoy their day. <snip> In all seriousness, no, I haven't noticed that. If the room is a comfortable temperature, my kids and the ones I know can swim for hours without getting cold. Even when the room is too cold, they definitely aren't bothered after only 40 minutes! Cranky, grown-up me, yes, but not them. Many of the hotels we've stayed in do have hot tubs, but generally just small ones for relaxing in - I don't know if I've ever seen larger ones meant for warming up. So you might have 50+ people in the pool and a hot tub for 6. People stay in the hot tub, they don't just hop in for a few minutes to warm up. I'm starting to think that the Canadian idea of 'normal room temperature' and what hot tubs are for is vastly different than the American one, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 We have "adult swim" at 10 till every hour at our pool and the community pools in the area. No kids in the pool but adults are free to swim at your own risk. We don't have hot tubs at any of the outdoor pools here, maybe because it's too warm? I think cold pools must be regional because here in NC it borders on bath water from June till September. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 The "family" pool at our Y is kept a warm temperature. The lap pool (which you have to do a swim test in order to use) is pretty chilly. I've never seen any children shivering and clinging to parents. Parents often have towels or even bathrobes that they drape around kids when they get out of the pool anyway. Are you hanging around with me at work, Jean? :D Yep, we have warm pool and cool pool, too. We have *gasp* designated times for free swim, lessons, swim team practices, aqua fitness and "tranquility hour" (adult swim). And you best believe that, if you and yours have not cleared the decks by noon on the dot, those little old ladies in their flowered bathing caps will grow FANGS and come after you. I'm not sure what "cold climate" has to do with it. We grew up swimming in spring fed lakes and rivers, in Maine. Our grownups dragged us out when we started turning blue. Our indoor pool decks are so hot (even the cool pool) that you break into a sweat when you walk in from the air conditioning. Nobody is shivering. (and children aren't allowed in the saunas or steam rooms, either). So, yeah, these are rules. And rules do not have to be in place only for health and safety purposes; sometimes, they're just enforced courtesy. We enforce the "no-one under 18 in the adult locker room" one, too. The "why am I discriminated against because I have kids" thing just doesn't fly. We have facilities for all ages, and private family changing rooms. The adults want to change and bathe child-free, and they have the right to do so every bit as much as women have the right to a women-only locker room and men to a men-only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Personally, I let my kids warm up in the crockpot. But I make them take off their shoes first. And on the way I always return my shopping cart. And I give them a cupcake first in case they get hungry. (That’s where I think this thread is heading.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Personally, I let my kids warm up in the crockpot. But I make them take off their shoes first. And on the way I always return my shopping cart. And I give them a cupcake first in case they get hungry. (That’s where I think this thread is heading.) This was too funny to only 'like' it! Altho' you shouldn't give them cupcakes before dinner . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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