Does anyone feel like "pool life" doesn't work for you?

[Anonymous]

We go to pool 3-5 days a week (though haven’t quite gotten into a groove yet this year.) I think the two issues are what you need to go to pool and being at the pool. Like others-we just have a pool bag that’s packed and ready to go. I’ll restock as needed and put clean towels in as I take wet ones out. We do sunscreen at house (naked) before.

At the pool - which I often find mind-numbingly boring if I don’t have a friend there - #1 we don’t take them until 4:00. (Its usually me as I get out of work earlier but DH does at least one of weekdays.) Although my older ones are technically too old for the ‘baby pool’ we almost always start there as its shadiest for the 4-5 hour and baby get her water time. We do the next session and adult not at pool either brings dinner or has dinner waiting. (Our pool has food trucks 2-3 times a week.) Its lovely not having a messy dining room to deal with even if it means a bit of planning. When we are super on top of life we do a quick pool dip after dinner then rinse the two bigs ones off and get them in pjs and head home for bed routine and bed by 7:15/7:30. When we’re in the groove-the pool routine makes summer feel special

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kids are the perfectly wrong ages for making this work - one who can’t swim at all, one who needs to be watched closely in the big pool, and one who is in big-kid zone. You’re not doing anything wrong - it’s just the stage you are in.

If you want this to work this summer, get a young mother’s helper to hold the baby or take the 4 year old into the big pool. Next summer might be better if you can get the four year old to be an excellent swimmer by then but most likely you have a couple years before the pool thing is easy. Once you get there, it’s great, but your kids aren’t that age yet.

I would actually hire one if the lifeguards to teach my older two how to swim while I held the baby

Lifeguards can’t be subcontracted to guard just 2 of the kids at the pool wtf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

[Anonymous]

You're not alone, OP. When my kids were that age, we went to the pool three times a week. We got to the pool after 4 p.m., preferably 5 p.m. We are fair skinned and would leave with terrible sunburns if we went any earlier in the day. It's simply too hot around noon to swelter in the shade, even. I don't know how people stand it, personally!

It's okay to fill your time with other things. Try the indoor pools, for starters. Loosely plan each week, and have a down day where you just knock about the house for the afternoon. It's okay not to constantly be going somewhere. Kids need to learn how to deal with downtime.

[Anonymous]

Two hours is fine! Maybe you can stretch it to 3, but that will depend on the baby.

Some things that worked for us when my kids were that young:

1.Pool bags! You have a bag for you and the baby. Older kids have pool bags for themselves that they carry. suit (or change of clothes) , towel, goggles. If they want particular large toys, those go into their pool backpacks.

2. Food: keep it simple. Cut up fruit and put them into tupperwares. Everyeone gets a water bottle. sandwiches if you're staying for a meal. Maybe a bag of carrots or chips or whatever keeps them happy. Then I toss in something extra for them to eat during adult swim.

3. see whether your oldest can get into pre-team or swim team. It will give him more time in the water and help him make some friends, plus free you up to watch the 4 yo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two hours is fine! Maybe you can stretch it to 3, but that will depend on the baby.

Some things that worked for us when my kids were that young:

1.Pool bags! You have a bag for you and the baby. Older kids have pool bags for themselves that they carry. suit (or change of clothes) , towel, goggles. If they want particular large toys, those go into their pool backpacks.

2. Food: keep it simple. Cut up fruit and put them into tupperwares. Everyeone gets a water bottle. sandwiches if you're staying for a meal. Maybe a bag of carrots or chips or whatever keeps them happy. Then I toss in something extra for them to eat during adult swim.

3. see whether your oldest can get into pre-team or swim team. It will give him more time in the water and help him make some friends, plus free you up to watch the 4 yo.

Oh! Meant to add that my kids always shower with soap in the locker room before we leave the pool. Might as well accomplish something you need done, too! (One year we moved over july 4. My oldest realized on Labor Day weekend while showering that it was the first time he'd showered at the new house!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kids are the perfectly wrong ages for making this work - one who can’t swim at all, one who needs to be watched closely in the big pool, and one who is in big-kid zone. You’re not doing anything wrong - it’s just the stage you are in.

If you want this to work this summer, get a young mother’s helper to hold the baby or take the 4 year old into the big pool. Next summer might be better if you can get the four year old to be an excellent swimmer by then but most likely you have a couple years before the pool thing is easy. Once you get there, it’s great, but your kids aren’t that age yet.

I would actually hire one if the lifeguards to teach my older two how to swim while I held the baby

Lifeguards can’t be subcontracted to guard just 2 of the kids at the pool wtf

If they are certified, they can give swim lessons when they are off duty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

I do this too! And usually put dinner in the crock pot before we leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

HAHAHAHA! Ask your pediatrician if it's better to expose your kids to the hot sun for 1.5 hours or all damn day.

I can walk to my pool in four minutes. I have a 6yo and a 3 yo. We get ready after nap, walk to the pool, have a great time for 1.5 hours or so, and walk home. By the time we are showered, that's about a 2-hour after-nap outing. By then, they are more than ready to cool off for a bit and color or paint or read while I do meal prep. We might take a walk outside or play in the yard. After a while, we come in and cook dinner. It's a nice afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

What, exactly, is being wasted?

And you can't say time, because to my kids and to me, 1.5 hours is a great amount of time to be at the pool. That's a great and fun time for US.

Tell me what's being wasted? My community pool membership is built into our HOA fees. So using it a few days a week for as long as *we want to* feels just fine for us. And we aren't pinching pennies and desperate to make the most out of anything like that.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I have kids similar ages, almost 8, 4yo, and 2yo (which is easier in one way bc he’s older but harder on another on that he wants to run around and kill himself). Similar.

we have a neighborhood pool, and I’ve always gone with DH. No lifeguards.

Then..
I signed up for swim lessons at the larger community pool, just for the two older kids. We did 12 lessons for each child, so 24 in all) but spread out over about 18 days. It was tough, even w/o swimming with the 2yo (splash pad on site), and even with one child occupied with the teacher.

Once I decided to swim with the two little ones, while dd was busy with the lesson. It was really hard to manage the two younger bc they have really different pool needs. Obviously a million lifeguards there, so that helps.

Lately I have taken 2 or all 3 of them to the non lifeguard pool by myself, and it’s hard.
- I tell my kids we can leave any minute if I start to feel like anyone isn’t safe - like there’s too much for me to manage
-I tell them we will go often, but the trade off is we keep it to about 30 minutes. No complaints, bc we can come back almost every day.
-we do longer sessions when dh is around
-I keep my phone really close (on my neck in a pouch), or immediately by the side of the pool in a pouch. Dd knows how to use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two hours is fine! Maybe you can stretch it to 3, but that will depend on the baby.

Some things that worked for us when my kids were that young:

1.Pool bags! You have a bag for you and the baby. Older kids have pool bags for themselves that they carry. suit (or change of clothes) , towel, goggles. If they want particular large toys, those go into their pool backpacks.

2. Food: keep it simple. Cut up fruit and put them into tupperwares. Everyeone gets a water bottle. sandwiches if you're staying for a meal. Maybe a bag of carrots or chips or whatever keeps them happy. Then I toss in something extra for them to eat during adult swim.

3. see whether your oldest can get into pre-team or swim team. It will give him more time in the water and help him make some friends, plus free you up to watch the 4 yo.

Oh! Meant to add that my kids always shower with soap in the locker room before we leave the pool. Might as well accomplish something you need done, too! (One year we moved over july 4. My oldest realized on Labor Day weekend while showering that it was the first time he'd showered at the new house!)

Gross! That shower is NOT clean. Fine to rinse off but as the only place to shower all summer? Before getting into bed? YUCK.

[Anonymous]

Pool life is for me now and has been since kid turned 9. I send him up there with his friends and money for the snack bar and I never have to go!

That is a win!

(so OP--when the kids are older, the pool is totally worth it!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

What, exactly, is being wasted?

And you can't say time, because to my kids and to me, 1.5 hours is a great amount of time to be at the pool. That's a great and fun time for US.

Tell me what's being wasted? My community pool membership is built into our HOA fees. So using it a few days a week for as long as *we want to* feels just fine for us. And we aren't pinching pennies and desperate to make the most out of anything like that.

Right? What's wasteful about it? We used to go to a pool that was a five-minute walk from our house. The nice thing about it was that we didn't feel like we needed to stay all day to make it worth the trip--we could go, swim a bit, have dinner and head home. It didn't have to be a Big Thing. If you're having fun and want to stay longer--great! If not, what's the problem? To me, boring would be staying at the pool even after everyone was tired of it and it wasn't so much fun anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 5 mo 4 and 8. We joined a pool for the second year in a row and I really want it to work for us. I see families with kids my age..sometimes even 4 kids or families with a set of twins...staying at the pool for 3,4,5 hours everyday. I can't seem to get that down. I try and stay organized. A bag for towels, cooler, bag for toys, bag with extra clothes and diapers. It seems by the time I get everyone in their gear, get the bags ready, get into the car and going we are - 45 minutes. Older kids do well for the first hour usually. I try and get the baby to sleep in the stroller and join in. My 4 year old is fine in the baby pool so we maybe splash with the little one until she tires out. Then kids want to eat and then by hour 2 we generally break down. Baby either is up and overstimulated or tired and can't get into a good sleep. 4 year old wants to do more in the big pool but I'm unavailable for that. 8 year old sees friends and wants to stay longer but little kids can't handle it. It seems like I spend 45 minutes getting ready, maybe 90 minutes there are decent, last 30 terrible, then 45 minutes to get everyone back home and changed and repack the bag/wash towels/empty cooler. I don't know what to do to make this easier and longer?? What am I missing here??

I'm really fascinated by all of you that only stay for an hour or 90 minutes. How terribly wasteful and boring...

1- We do bathing suits at home, and sunscreen, and they eat lunch on the drive or walk to the pool. I set up camp in the middle of the big and little pool, so I can keep a monitor on all, and nobody swims alone unless they can pass a swim test. I'll do laps of the pool deck with the stroller, or put baby in a carrier and stand up to my knees on the stops with the 3-5 year olds. Also, ALWAYS shower there, or at least rinse off, and if nothing else, everyone takes off suits and puts on dry clothes/diapers or undies. The drive home has never not made anyone of my 6 fall asleep, in 13 years of doing this. We go at 11 or 12 depending on the day, and are there until 4 usually.

What, exactly, is being wasted?

And you can't say time, because to my kids and to me, 1.5 hours is a great amount of time to be at the pool. That's a great and fun time for US.

Tell me what's being wasted? My community pool membership is built into our HOA fees. So using it a few days a week for as long as *we want to* feels just fine for us. And we aren't pinching pennies and desperate to make the most out of anything like that.

Right? What's wasteful about it? We used to go to a pool that was a five-minute walk from our house. The nice thing about it was that we didn't feel like we needed to stay all day to make it worth the trip--we could go, swim a bit, have dinner and head home. It didn't have to be a Big Thing. If you're having fun and want to stay longer--great! If not, what's the problem? To me, boring would be staying at the pool even after everyone was tired of it and it wasn't so much fun anymore.

Effort. Effort is being wasted. Its a lot of work to get everyone ready to only stay a short while. I only have two kids but didn't take them much by myself until the older one was a decent swimmer on her own.