So that deck changing thread got me thinking, what is normal for public sessions? I'm going back to my UK/USA comparisons........
When I took my kids swimming to the public sessions in the UK, I'd pack up a bag of suits, towels, floats, toys etc and schlepp along to the pool to change in the changing rooms.
Now an FYI 'cos things are different here....Changing rooms consist of a number of cubicles for people to change in private as well as a communal change area and are split between male and female change - although some pools have a changing village with huge family-sized cubicles and no communal change. All modern (ie non-victorian) UK pools have pretty good changing facilities, even those with not much more than a 25m 6 lane pool.
So I take my kids to our local-ish pool here in Texas. 8 lane, 25yd competition pool, plus leisure pool with waterslide, lazy river and kids play structure and walk into the women's locker room.
It is full of lockers and has 2 small benches...eh? Where do I change???
Anyway being a communal-change gal, I get myself and the kids suited up and we swim. We finish swimming, we shower, remove suits wrap ourselves in a towel and dress by one of the benches.
Now whilst drying off and dressing there are a few ladies/kids shuffling around changing in the toilets and dressing in the showers. I get a couple of odd looks standing there in my underwear directing 2 small children to dress as well, but don't care - we're all naked under our clothes after all.
While we were swimming a number of families came in, most it seemed already in their suits, they "undressed" on the deck and when they left they wrapped a towel around the kids or pulled on a t-shirt and that was it. And it wasn't summer! All I could think of was the chlorine eating away at their suits.
So what is normal? and am I the only female living in Texas not afraid to strip down in the women's locker room? :afraid:
And do they build pools here with crappy changing because no-one uses it? Or does no-one use the locker rooms because they're so crappy?
Or is this just a Texas thing, not a USA thing? :D
My gym has a policy where young children of the opposite sex over the age of 18 months are not allowed in the ladies locker room. I'm assuming there is a similar policy for the men's locker room, but I haven't asked.
Seems a bit extreme to me.
I agree -- I have 2 boys and a girl -- When my girl was 3 or 4 I wasn't supposed to let her come to the pool without her mom? I'd feel weird if someone brought his 10 year old daughter into the men's locker room but not a 5 year old.
I think a policy like that is not family friendly.
Likewise -- what is a mom or dad traveling alone supposed to do in a public restroom situation with a 5 year old? Obviously they need to stay with the parent.
I've notice my 12 year old boy much shyer about changing in the locker room than I ever remember being -- and his friends all do the towel thing in the men's locker room. I don't get it. Its strange when you see how overtly sexualized images in available media are (or maybe its a reaction to that). I'd like my kids to grow up more comfortable with themselves and their bodies but I see that, as usual, a parent (at least this one) has a lot less influence than he'd like to think he has!.
My gym has a policy where young children of the opposite sex over the age of 18 months are not allowed in the ladies locker room. I'm assuming there is a similar policy for the men's locker room, but I haven't asked.
Seems a bit extreme to me.
I agree -- I have 2 boys and a girl -- When my girl was 3 or 4 I wasn't supposed to let her come to the pool without her mom? I'd feel weird if someone brought his 10 year old daughter into the men's locker room but not a 5 year old.
I think a policy like that is not family friendly.
Likewise -- what is a mom or dad traveling alone supposed to do in a public restroom situation with a 5 year old? Obviously they need to stay with the parent.
I've notice my 12 year old boy much shyer about changing in the locker room than I ever remember being -- and his friends all do the towel thing in the men's locker room. I don't get it. Its strange when you see how overtly sexualized images in available media are (or maybe its a reaction to that). I'd like my kids to grow up more comfortable with themselves and their bodies but I see that, as usual, a parent (at least this one) has a lot less influence than he'd like to think he has!.
