Where do you change DC after swimming?

[StantonHyde]

I know this has been a hot topic this summer, so I wanted to get a "snapshot" of what people are doing. After posting a gripe about changing my kids on the pool deck, someone noted that some pools have policies against this. Now I am afraid I am violating some unwritten parent rule !!!! So I wanted to know where you change your "under 5 years" kids.

[wencit]

Why would there be a policy against changing your child on the pool deck? I can't think of a reason why that would be so bad. That is what we do at our local pool, and I see plenty of other parents doing that, too. To me, it makes plenty of sense -- kid comes out of the pool sopping wet, you change them on the deck, and voila, you're done!

[hillview]

I say at that age -- anywhere you can. DS is 2 and we change him where we can. Poopy diapers I do try to find a hide out. Clothes and wet diapers we turn around and change. I am 38 weeks pg and do what it takes :)
/hillary

[lisams]

I voted "in the locker room". DD has year round lessons at an indoor pool and there isn't a lot of room around the actual pool as people are always walking by either taking their child into a lesson or leaving one. Plus, the locker room has showers so we shower her and wash her hair in there and then get her dressed.

[linsei]

I voted "in the car". I dress him for the pool at home. When we are ready to go, we go to the car and help him into dry clothes. I don't know why, but I just feel the need to avoid changing rooms.

Linda

[StantonHyde]

Maybe because some of them are either really dirty looking or clean but really cramped. Of the 4 pools I frequent, 2 have very nice changing rooms, the others do not.

[moncheechee]

I voted for the locker room. First of all there usually is not a lot of room around the pool to change them. Second of all you may be innocently changing them and some freak is getting a rise out of watching your naked kid. I just don't feel comfortable doing that. Also I think it gives kids the wrong impression. Changing is something that is done in private not where everyone can see. That is just my opinion. Besides how much harder is it to go to the bathroom, locker room or car?

[himom]

I voted "other." I have him dry off with his towel as best he can, then I cover the carseat with another towel and we go home with him in his suit. Five minutes later, we're home and I send him off to shower. If it's chilly I keep the car warm.

Am I the only one that does this? I guess being in Hawaii makes a difference but I know other places are in the 90s now.

Jodi

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

I do the same, the pool we go to is 10 minutes from out house. I just throw the kids in the car and go home.

[StantonHyde]

At the indoor pool, I use the locker rooms because it is warm. We live in a high desert so when you get out of an outdoor pool, all that water acts like a giant evaporative cooler and you can get cold even though it is 85-90 out. Add in a breeze and my kids are turning blue. So I towel them off and get them out of their wet suits ASAP.

[Ceepa]

I usually do it in the back of the car.

-Ceepa

[SnuggleBuggles]

It depends on which pool, time of year and if we are doing something else afterwards. Sometimes we get dressed in the locker room and others we just wait till we get home (that's what I always did growing up after the outdoor pool).

Beth

[lizajane]

pool locker rooms are soaking wet. which means their clothes end up soaking wet and the whole point of changing them is defeated.

i change on the pool deck. i wrap a towel around schuyler so his bits are hidden because even though he is only 4, he looks 5 or 6. and i wouldn't change a 6 year old on a pool deck.

but we go to a "private" pool (a YMCA, but you have to pay for a memebership) so i am less concerned about there being icky people watching. we see the same people every time we go and we tend to get to know most of them. and mostly moms with kids anyway. (on more crowded weekends, daddy tends to take them into the shower because he goes anyway, so then they are dresses in the men's room.)

[hez]

The pool at the new gym we joined has family locker rooms-- and inside the family locker rooms are private shower areas. We pop in there, grab a quick shower and go home clean & dry.

When we go to the neighborhood pool, I just dry him off decently well & take him home in his suit. It's about a 1-2 minute drive.