We need modern payphones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this coach getting paid? if so, he is paid for the time to be there. He should have stuck around till all the parents came back, especially if eh is going to ban you from practice.

Most coaches are volunteers, but even so, you don't leave a bunch of 9 years old unsupervised at a POOL! Or anywhere! It is beyond easy to call their parents, we all write our phone numbers down about 100 times for every activity we sign the kids up for. This is 100% on the coaches for leaving kids behind. Payphones/gizmo watches are not the answer either. But if the expectation is that coaches can leave whenever, I would not continue with this club.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:a modern pay phone is...a cell phone

FFS take care of your own kid. Nine is too young to leave the premises. Stay close by or find another activity.

Completely disagree that 9 is too young to leave the premise. No one hangs around to watch 4th graders practice soccer for example. I stopped going to my kid's practices in 2nd grade. The adult they are with is responsible for contacting parents if plans change.

That is not the norm. This isn't Podunk Iowa.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. But it is very much the norm on teams by kids have been on in Fairfax. Once you're out of mommy and me classes, you're not supposed to hover. Extracurriculars are for kids. Coaches are paid to be the responsible adult for that set time.

Totally depends on team culture (and the safety rules put in place for kids). On our swim team 8 & unders - which can include 9 year olds with a late spring birthday - are required to have parents on deck, for example.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I agree with you on the need for pay phones, but since that is not the world we live in...
My kids have an index card with our cell phone numbers written on it. They have never had a problem getting someone to call or text me if there is some kind of issue - anywhere you leave them, there should be an adult with a phone.
Other option is a minimal cell phone - just get a prepaid phone. It's not theirs, it's yours, and it's only handed to them when they are somewhere without you.

Your plan is that "someone" will take on the responsibility of your kid.
This is incredibly selfish and irresponsible of you.

OP did not say how old her child is...but at younger ages, yes 'someone' else is responsible...bus driver. Camp counselor, coach... You do not just abandon 9 year olds in a thunderstorm because you think they should have a phone.

OP here. Yes, both of my kids are under 9 and were abandoned. The coach just cancelled it mid practice (lightning), but there was still over an hour left. Swim does continue through rain. No one was checking to make sure kids were picked up and plenty of them could just walk/bike home on their own. My kids could walk home too, but then I wouldn't know where they are, so they know to stay put.

There isn't a front desk at the pool when swim practice goes on because the pool is closed to outsiders during that time. I don't know that there is a phone there though- I'll have to check. I have an out of area cell phone number (had it for 20 years)- can regular phones call that for free now or would it be long distance?

Only my 13 year old has a phone. Before then, or with my younger kids, I make sure that I have identified an adult who my kid knows they can ask to call or text me. Sometimes, yes, that's the adult in charge. A lot of other times it's a fellow team or activity parent who we know pretty well who is staying.

It's like PP said, only discussed in advance with everyone involved versus just assuming. PP might discuss it in advance too and just not mentioned that.

It's not like when your kid is in Scouts or on a team you don't get to know the other families, often very well. Camp might be slightly different, but then there's usually policies that would mean that there's definitely an adult in charge.

OP here. Parents aren't allowed at swim practice at all. So the only parents present were the ones who picked up early. Swim is K-12 so the older kids do have cell phones, but I don't know of any kindergarteners with cells.

?? If you’re not allowed at the practice, why not just stay in the parking lot/lobby? That’s what I’d do if I had really young kids.

OP here. It's 1.5 hours and there's even bad cell service there. I either am picking up my other kid or starting dinner during that time. I wouldn't make my other kid (a toddler) wait in the car for 1.5 hours like that.

There isn't a lobby.

This is a you issue. You need to figure this out instead of expecting the society to cater to your super specific need.

So much this.

[Anonymous]

Get them a watch or stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get them a watch or stay.

But didn’t you hear? OP has a toddler AND cooks dinner! Her time is more important and she can’t just hang out at the activity she voluntarily signed her young child up for! They don’t even have good cell service there!

[Anonymous]

The coach should have sent a text that practice was cancelled partway through due to lightning. It's kind of crazy that didn't happen. It's even crazier the coach left while young children were still waiting for parents. Were there other adults working at the pool? Who locked it up when they left?

OP, I don't think it's unreasonable to leave the premises generally, but now that you know how irresponsible the the coaches are I wouldn't recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Where are you taking your kids? I would 100% NOT be okay with a place that didn't allow me to stay and didn't have a way to contact me. They should have phone numbers on file or a phone to call me. What happens if your child gets injured? Do they just expect your kid to wait an hour until you return?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get them a watch or stay.

But didn’t you hear? OP has a toddler AND cooks dinner! Her time is more important and she can’t just hang out at the activity she voluntarily signed her young child up for! They don’t even have good cell service there!

Then, kid should not go. Simple. You can entertain the toddler and precook food the night before. Lots of options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what's wrong with a phone?

10:1 your problem with "phone" has nothing to do with the phone part, and your solution is to get a phone.

It every kid can handle a phone. People got mad a me when I said my middle schooler doesn’t have a phone and so he just uses other kids phones.

Can’t we all just get along. My kid can’t handle a phone for lots of reasons. Our world is set up that phones are almost mandatory but my kid just cant (drop it, lose it, addiction issues). I don’t know why we can be helpful. Sorry my kid is not perfect. Please just let your kid allow my kid to use the phone. Don’t you want me raising my kid and doing right by him?

[Anonymous]

If there was obvious lightening you should have gone early to check. That being said, I have a hard time believing that coaches just left under 9 children stranded at a pool. So are you saying other parents took responsibility for the remaining children and waited until all were picked up? That should be the coaches’ responsibility. I would address that and I would also ask that the coaches text the parents if the situation occurs again.

[Anonymous]

Wow. This 8s crazy. The coach absolutely has a responsibility to contact parents and stay with kids until the last one is picked up. Even my kids’ high school sports coaches don’t leave until the last kid is gone. That is very poor leadership

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As you said I would expect the coaches to have a group chat for the parents. I would suggest that. Also...as a parent I would not disappear to a place where I would not know if it was raining and I should head over to pick up. If rain was expected I would probably stay close.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. This 8s crazy. The coach absolutely has a responsibility to contact parents and stay with kids until the last one is picked up. Even my kids’ high school sports coaches don’t leave until the last kid is gone. That is very poor leadership

The league probably obligates coaches to stay. I’d report him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what's wrong with a phone?

10:1 your problem with "phone" has nothing to do with the phone part, and your solution is to get a phone.

It every kid can handle a phone. People got mad a me when I said my middle schooler doesn’t have a phone and so he just uses other kids phones.

Can’t we all just get along. My kid can’t handle a phone for lots of reasons. Our world is set up that phones are almost mandatory but my kid just cant (drop it, lose it, addiction issues). I don’t know why we can be helpful. Sorry my kid is not perfect. Please just let your kid allow my kid to use the phone. Don’t you want me raising my kid and doing right by him?

Your entitlement is revolting. GET YOUR KID THEIR OWN PHONE! You are not entitled to the use of my kids phone because you fail as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Are the coa he's paid employees or volunteers?

I've coached my kids and most times it's without pay. Its amazing to me how much other parents expect of volunteer coaches. I personally coach and refuse to take on a role of a babysitter.

Op, get your kid a phone, wait around 1.5 hours with your toddler or give your kids persmisson to walk home in that scenario and tell them to call you from the house phone if you arent already home making dinner. Now dont tell me you dont have a house phone of you are complainingabout no pay phones. Where is your spouse or coparent?