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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Tanterra does this. I think it’s around 17 points per family. Feels unfair to families where both parents are working during the summer.[/quote]

Parents need to choose activities that work for them, or find solutions.

Summer swim worked for my family when other activities that cost more because they don’t rely on volunteers didn’t. I didn’t go to those activities and complain that they were unfair to my middle class family.  I recognized that they weren’t for us.

It’s ok to say that summer swim isn’t for you.  It’s also ok to problem solve.  [b]My teens are happy to work set up, take down, [/b]picking up things for you, for a price.  Hire a babysitter and work a meet your kids aren’t in.  Or arrange your schedule to watch your kids and work at the meets they do swim in.[/quote]

Spinning off this comment, something I don't understand about the culture of summer swim at our pool is that all these strong, strapping teen swimmers leave at the end without lifting a finger at all to help while the parents are left to move all the chairs, tables, benches, umbrellas, etc. back into place. Some are wrought iron and heavy. Why can't each teen put one chair back into place or something on their way out? 
[/quote]

Oh my god YES. We don't do swim team but it is huge at our community pool so I see how it functions. All these moms out there setting out chairs and taking out and putting back in ladders! Why the heck aren't their teenage kids doing this instead! These kids seem so spoiled. And why the moms and not the dads? It's ridiculous.[/quote]

I'm the PP who suggested hiring other people's teenagers.  I see a huge variation in this from pool to pool, and from family to family.  Our pool does have some teenagers who help out, but could definitely have more. I see the same pattern in other activities my kids are in.  In some families the kids don't help in any context, and I find that sad.

At the same time, by the end of the meet, my teens have usually helped with set up, and then spent the whole morning wrangling the little kids. Many days, they have a few minutes to scarf down some food before their lifeguarding shift begins.   I've put in way more than my share of hours as stroke and turn.  If a parent who chose not to come early for set up, and chose not to volunteer during the meet despite being there, signs up for take down, I don't feel the need to have my kid do that job for them.  [/quote]

This is more like the scenario at our pool too, but we actually have most men sign up for setup and breakdown.

Re: teens. One of my kids was a “volunteer” coach in 8th grade and parents yelled at DC and friend for not controlling the kids well enough. Ummmm…you can’t control these unruly kids how do you expect an 8th grader. Both never volunteered again. I do well beyond the volunteer requirements at our pool and I’m not forcing my teen to be verbal abused by these parents, who don’t like how DC did the job. [/quote]

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