We never showered at the pool. I also have a boy and a girl. Just changed them into dry clothes and came home to shower.

Outlier here. After swim I dry mine off, toss on her swim coverup, and give her a snack in the car. We usually head straight home and she changes into dry clothes for dinner and play before bed. I spray leave in conditioner in her hair and slather on lotion during bedtime routine after swim but we don’t do a a bath on swim nights. Sometimes we run an errand after swim and I’ll change her into dry clothes after her lesson (always have set of clothes in swim bag). But yeah, colds aren’t caused by kids playing outdoors with damp hair. I thought this was dispelled back in the 50s? No concerns there!

Not judging but are you a single parent? Can DH not take the 6yo boy? We started swim lessons at 3 and my kid is 10 now and does swim team. She always showers at the pool and conditions her hair then gets dressed in clothing appropriate for the outside weather. See if the pool you are going to has dryers in the changing room, most do. Goggles are a must, a swim cap not so much.

Anonymous wrote:wet hair does not cause illness.

No, but it can be uncomfortably cold in the winter to be outdoors with a very wet head.

OP, I always brought a thick winter hat and put that on my DD and then went home from swim class. If you can dry her hair there, great, but mine was always really ready to get out of the locker room.

op here. Where do you get swim cap & googles that fit your child? Any specific great brand?

For my 6 year old boy, I don't think he knows how to shower & wash hair by himself at men's changing room, and I can't go in to help because I am a mom & I will have my 3 year old girl with me. He knows how to get himself dried and changed.

Anonymous wrote:wet hair does not cause illness.

+a billion

wet hair does not cause illness.

I would put a swim cap on my daughter so her long hair wouldn't get tangled. Braided ponytail and then rolled into a bun. It didn't keep it dry but it helped with the combing out afterwards. We'd do showers at the pool, dry hair with the hair dryer there if it was cold outside, and then go off to do whatever else we wanted to do with the day. Winter hat definitely helps.

You'll definitely want goggles too, both for comfort and to avoid red irritated eyes after. Don't forget flip flops or crocs or shower shoes for the locker room.

We always got the kids back home straight from swimming. Proper showers, washing the swimsuits and giving them snacks was super important.

After they take a shower and have eaten something, they could go out for other stuff if they wanted.

I have my DS enrolled in swim lessons. Here's what we do - dry hair vigorously with towel after swim class, and change back into regular clothes. If it's less than 50 degrees, I'll have him wear a hat. Your DD should be fine playing outside with wet hair and a hat; if you wanted to be extra careful, maybe pull it up into a bun and tuck it into the hat. If it's really cold (below freezing), might be best to blow-dry hair first before going back outside, but with this type of weather, I think you'll be fine with wet hair + a hat to go back outside. I was a competitive swimmer and was in the pool every day, even during the freezing Northeast winters, and basically lived with wet hair. all the time.. a hat was a must.

note - Our facility does have showers; some parents use them, but most seem to change their kids right after class and not bother with showering.

Goggles and a swim cap are optional at our classes. Some kids wear them, but most do not. Check to see what your facility's policy is.

I always wash my kids hair in the shower at the pool and rinse off there, and then they dry off and change and we can do whatever. I think it's better than letting their hair/skin dry with the pool chemicals on them and then showering again at home.

I bring our own shampoo/body wash and conditioner, plus a comb, to the pool so that we can hair properly. The pool has dryers for hair which we use sometimes, but often I'll just braid DD's hair and let it air dry.

I get both of my kids in class at the same time, so one trip for both. Our swimming place has hairdryers, so the kids dry their hair, and we carry on the rest of the day like normal, and wash them from head to toe at regular bath time.

I used to just dry them as much as possible, hopped in the car and went home for showers.

Both goggles and swim cap are a good idea.

2 kids are going to have swimming class indoor, and weather is getting cooler. One class is on saturday, and the other one is on sunday. I will bring the other kid along to both classes.

Class is only 30 min, and I wonder should I wash the 3 year old girl one from top to bottom (she has long hair) after swimming class at pool or going straight home to get changed? With hair wet, can kid go out to outdoor playground to play or is it likely to get sick? I am wondering if what other parents after classes, go straight home to wash and blow dry hair OR going to grocery shopping or playground to play?

Do they need googles or swim cap for 3 & 6 year old?