Kids changing out of swimsuits at camp

[Anonymous]

The carpool-list issue is troubling and out of the norm for camps (all camps my child has attended have been very strict on this issue). Nothing about what you describe re: changing out of bathing suits would concern me at all. In fact, as others have said, I'd be glad they were avoiding locker rooms given COVID. 4 and 5 is really young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they buy some screens to surround the kids outdoors. What is wrong with these people? Sorry, but in the age of happy camera phone people, any sicko can just snap a photo of your kids. I find it strange some parents are all weirded out that their kids' photos are put online w/o their permission, but it's perfectly fine that their children are changing naked where randoms can take their kids' nude photos. What is wrong with you people?

What's wrong with YOU? Are you normally a paranoid person? Maybe you need a mental health evaluation if you see sickos around every tree. Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in a state that is allowing camps. My kids are 4 and 5. I just learned that at the end of their weeklong camp, right before pickup, they are changing out of their swimsuits right on the pool deck, in full view of anyone who happens to be at the pool, including coaches and other kids. It is a small group of similarly aged kids, both sexes, plus a few coaches.

I am on the board of a school and am very aware of the best practices and policies needed to protect children and also to protect the camp program, plus I've done hours and hours of training on child abuse prevention and recognition. I've spoken with their main teacher and the swim coach, and just left a message for the head of the entire camp program. The main teacher seemed completely surprised by my concern, while the swim coach agreed with me but is not actually in charge of anything.

I'm extremely surprised by how lax the camp is about this kind of stuff. E.g., I asked about pickup by our nanny and they said no need for an approved pickup list, as long as the kids know the person picking up, it's totally fine. The camp is aged 3-6, and there are many other camps going on at the same time with older kids. I am surprised in this day and age a camp can go on for years without many rules or policies to keep kids safe. I know they have a no 1-on-1 policy, which is good. I know three-year-olds might need help with their swimsuit. My preference would be that parents change the little ones when the parents arrive to pick them up, and bigger kids go into bathroom stalls and change themselves. (There are literally a boys' and girls' bathrooms on the pool deck, but I was told they are "dirty" and that's why they don't use them to change.)

I know I am not overreacting in my concern about this. I spoke to another mom who was dropping her daughter off, and she said it was "weird," but was not too bothered. I just want to gauge others' reactions to this.

I am completely surprised by your concern as well. Are you normally so uptight and prudish?

I mean, you just said this is happening in full view of anyone. It's not like some predator is luring anyone off into a shadowy corner or something. The transparency of the situation is the protection.

The 4 and 5 yos don't care about the nakedness or the opposite sex. Why do you?

OP here. Yeah, that’s my point. In full view of anyone. So anyone who wants to see real live naked prepubescent children.

[Anonymous]

It is not okay and I would report it to the local Child Protective Services. You don’t know what creepy person is able to see, and if they will escalate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not okay and I would report it to the local Child Protective Services. You don’t know what creepy person is able to see, and if they will escalate.

+1

And these days, they could also set up cameras if they know it's happening regularly. They need to shut it down immediately.

[Anonymous]

At my kid's camp last summer, they had individual portable changing pods. Maybe suggest those? I wouldn't let my kid change in public and she'd likely refuse anyway!

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Dressing-Changing-Tent-Carrying/dp/B00ZPZ7NLE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another question would be, which I don't have any training in - is it normal for unrelated kids to change in front of each other at those ages? They are changing out of swimsuits so are fully naked briefly.

Our pool asks that kids use the bathroom that matches their gender at age 5. So I change my 3.5 yr old boy in front of little girls in the women’s locker room and my almost 6yr old changes in the men’s locker room or wears his suit home. I stopped letting my older son in the women’s locker room the summer before kindergarten because girls in his class go to the same pool, which feels different to me than a stranger he would ignore.

As for the pool deck - my pool doesn’t have locker rooms open this summer - VA Phase 3 - so if I wanted to change my kids I’d have to do it on the deck or in the parking lot. We just make them walk home in their suits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pool deck thing is a little odd, but my kids have been changing into and out of swim suits at camp in an open locker room situation since kindergarten. Totally normal in my opinion.

A locker room for both girls and boys?

[Anonymous]

My kids did this at their camp because they felt the chance of child abuse was less if everybody was together.

We had the option of saying our child/family was not comfortable and they would take them to a bathroom to change in a stall.

I really am not freaked out about naked bodies so I did not ask for an accommodation. I also told my kids what would happen and of course they didn't care.

[Anonymous]

At that age, and given the covid concerns, it wouldn’t phase me.
Like a PP said, I would much rather this situation than having them all inside changing in the bathrooms.
As for the concern of random people watching, I’m assuming this is a camp environment and access to the pool area is restricted.

Now this pick up list WOULD bother me, especially with little kids like this.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t be sending them to camp during covid in the first place. That’s on you. They are probably doing this to reduce their chances of Covid. Outdoors = less transmission. Chill out.