Pool life is for suburban frumpy SAHMs.

I’m the pp above and we had neighbors who would only go to the pool if they had a caravan of stuff—their older kids didn’t need to keep track of anything or carry anything, so their mom was the one who looked a harried mess. They were SO rarely at the pool because mom hated it and couldn’t contemplate showing up without a million things just in case. Simplify!

It’s the ages! But you’ll be there soon.

Have your 8 year old and 4 year old bring his/her own stuff in a backpack. Towel, goggles, water bottle, small snack, a pool toy or two (diving stick for the older?). The 8 year old is old enough to pack this him/herself and the 4 year old and can do it with your guidance, too. Teaches them responsibility and you don’t have to lug their stuff! The goggles and pool toy can stay in the backpack, older kids have to get wet towels and wet bathing suits to laundry room or wherever you want them to put it and put water bottle in the kitchen. Have them do it every single time and they’ll have it down by mid summer. Then just get what you need for you and baby.

Start sunblocking half an hour before you go. Time it to arrive right after adult swim ends (usually on the hour). Stay the 45 minutes of that block. Kids come out and eat their snack, then they get the next 45 minutes to swim, them you head out. Done. Wear the baby in a sling so you can watch the 4/8 year olds in the big pool for the second half, first half baby and 4 year old are in baby pool. How strong a swimmer is your older one? There are life guards, you can just check on him periodically, you shouldn’t need an eye on him at that age unless he’s not a proficient swimmer.

We go for an hour, maybe 1.5 hours every now and then. NBD.

Haha.

We lived in Florida when DS was born. He has been comfortably swimming since about 20 months old. We spent 8 hours a day at the pool most spring-summer weekends. It was fabulous.

But with 3 kids, everything is hard. Which is why we have 1.

I never unpack my pool bag. I just add extra snacks and clean towels. Done. So really the only prep at home is getting swimsuits and sunscreen on. It gets better as they get older.

Anonymous wrote:I loathe the GD pool. I’ve flushed thousands down the toilet on pool membership fees for the past 7 years. It was a dream pre-kids, now... it’s sunblock, pee-drenched toilet seats w wet suits that are impossible to pull down, dirty floating band-aids, and always the random poo that shuts down the pool at some point. And it’s so damn hot all the time I’m just perpetually cranky, and then I have to rinse and repeat all of the above for the duration of our visit. I should probably go back to work and find a really good nanny.

Having experienced what you describe, yes, you probably should get a nanny and go back to work. One you are working and if your job is a real job you will not have time for any of this and you will wonder why you ever fretted about it. Less time means fewer choices and in many ways it makes parenting easier.

Spouse or you take the older two to swim as soon as spouse gets home from
Work, right after they eat dinner.

The pool sucks when your kids can’t swim independently. Mine are 4 and 7, and we sometimes stay for only an hour — doable since our pol is in the neighborhood. I just keep the same bag packed with pool toys and sunscreen (apply when we arrive), and throw in snacks and water before we leave. Your baby is probably what is slowing you down the most. Things are always going to be pretty difficult while you have an infant or toddler, that’s just life.

I loathe the GD pool. I’ve flushed thousands down the toilet on pool membership fees for the past 7 years. It was a dream pre-kids, now... it’s sunblock, pee-drenched toilet seats w wet suits that are impossible to pull down, dirty floating band-aids, and always the random poo that shuts down the pool at some point. And it’s so damn hot all the time I’m just perpetually cranky, and then I have to rinse and repeat all of the above for the duration of our visit. I should probably go back to work and find a really good nanny.

My son is 8 and this is the first summer we've done all day pool. I think the 2 keys have been that he now reads on his own for pleasure and is finally a really solid swimmer. So he gets bored swimming and reads. Then he swims and reads, and so on all day. We make sandwiches, pack some fruit, water bottles, and goldfish crackers. It relaxing and fun. You've got years before you can enjoy hours at the pool. We were 2 hours max before this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do your towel and swimsuit prep the night before. Leave a pool toy bag in the car. Simplify snacks. 90 min at the pool is plenty!

We moved out of the city and live near my mom whose backyard is basically like a resort in the summer. I still don’t spend more than 1-2 hours at her pool unless lots of family is there helping and making it more of a party atmosphere. I can’t imagine spending 4,5, 6 hours there on a daily basis. You’re doing fine, OP.

What is towel and swimsuit prep? That literally takes three minutes.

OP said it takes her 45 minutes to prep for the pool. I don’t have a clue what her exact routine entails. But when I know I want to get to the pool in the morning then the night before I grab 3 new towels (or put today’s towels in the dryer and then fold them up and put them back in the bag), grab 3 swimsuits, rash guards if needed, swim diapers, water shoes, sun hats, a cover up for the one who likes to be cozy when she’s out of the water etc. I didn’t think I needed to spell out my routine but just advising the OP to get it all together and packed the night before so it’s just “grab and go” and not a mad dash while kids are whining at the door to leave. Maybe it takes YOU 3 minutes but when you have multiple kids and stuff spread out in each of their rooms and some things hanging to dry from the last pool trip it can take some time to track down all the right pieces.

Did you consider that part of the prep time is putting sunscreen on all 3 kids? That part is definitely time consuming!

Why do you want to stay for hours and hours?
My kids are older, but we’ve always gone for 1-2 hours most days.
Get a water sling or wrap to wear the baby in that pool.

My kids are older now but when they were little I'd feed them an early dinner, put them in their swimsuits and pack jammies and towels and head to the pool. We'd swim for an hour or two then I'd shower them, put them in their jammies, drive home and put them to bed. It would make for a relaxing night.

Anonymous wrote:Huh? There is nothing wrong with going to the pool for only an hour or two! Why are you putting yourself under pressure to stay for longer?

This!! Also, I would leave the baby at home as much as possible. Honestly, if I had a 5mo, 4yo and 8yo I would never take all three to the pool by myself. DH would have to come with me.