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Children and gyms

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Or more specifically, children in gym changing rooms.

I was at the gym last week on a Saturday, and had nipped into the shower - as you do - after a pretty good workout. I noticed there was a mother with her daughter and son there (the son looked about 8 or 9 years old). Anyway, I'm pretty comfortable with my nudity, but it did feel a bit weird having a young boys eyes follow you around the room - not that I'm flattering myself, of course :D. I'd like to add that the woman's husband was also at the gym as he asked a fellow student to find his wife to ask her something. Oh, and the kids had kicked my trainers out of the way, that's my only gripe really :grump:

Anyway, when I mentioned this to a friend, she was appalled, and told me to ask the gym about their policy regarding the appropriate age for children of the opposite gender to be in another changing room. To be honest, I don't really care, and whenever I finish at the gym, I'm in such a good mood I couldn't really care less what another mummy does with beloved Cosmo and Petunia. But my friend was really forthright, and she even suggested I should have had a word with the mother, which I won't be doing as it's not really an issue.

Anyway, I was wondering what other people here think? If you have kids and take them swimming etc, at what sort of age would you allow them to be in changing rooms of their own gender if your gender is different to theirs? (Btw, mine is a uni gym, so there isn't a separate area for families as there used to be at my other leisure centre).

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the boy is quite lucky :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As my boyfriend said: "Lucky bastard, he has just got his wank material for the next 10 years."

    Tbh, the female changing rooms aren't that special - the drains at ULU smell ungodly :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I had a mother at ULU gym give me evils as I was in a sexy g-string infront of her son who was about ten years old in the ladies changing room.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tsk tsk Randomgirl, how dare you try and get dressed in your own clothes in the changing rooms! Would it have been worth saying, "If you don't like it, don't look?" ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ohh i too have experienced the ULU Gym - just out of random curiosity have they done anything about the Swimming Pool changing rooms becaues they were really bad in my day? Definately hadn't been refurbished since the dawn of time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, the drains in the shower smell like something crawled in there and died 10 years ago, so I'm not holding out on it...

    Another regular said to me the other day: "It's disgusting, I feel dirtier coming out than I did going in"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    Tsk tsk Randomgirl, how dare you try and get dressed in your own clothes in the changing rooms! Would it have been worth saying, "If you don't like it, don't look?" ;)

    I would have loved it if one of the really exhibitionist women was there. You know, the ones who feel the need to rub their oils and what not into their skin in a slightly erotic mannor whilst in a public changing room.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wyetry wrote: »
    Ohh i too have experienced the ULU Gym - just out of random curiosity have they done anything about the Swimming Pool changing rooms becaues they were really bad in my day? Definately hadn't been refurbished since the dawn of time.

    Well I think the swimming pool and gym share a changing room. So people just putting their gym bag in a locker had to be around naked wet people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    :lol: Haha, know what you're talking about *is not one of them* :eek2: although I do use a bit of moisturiser on my shins from time to time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    Well I think the swimming pool and gym share a changing room. So people just putting their gym bag in a locker had to be around naked wet people.

    It's still like that. I sat in a damp patch the other day :grump:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd say about 10 was the cut-off, just before puberty really. I wouldn't want to see a pubescent girl in the blokes changing rooms, but if she's only about 8 or 9 it doesn't really matter.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    I'd say about 10 was the cut-off, just before puberty really. I wouldn't want to see a pubescent girl in the blokes changing rooms, but if she's only about 8 or 9 it doesn't really matter.
    :o i never thought of you as one of them types :o

    Hmmm i would agree, 9/10 is a cut of age.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How old would you say children are capable of drying and dressing themselves? But then again - going into changing rooms on your own when you're little is scary. 8/9 max deffinatly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hellfire wrote: »
    :o i never thought of you as one of them types :o

    What, a gym person, or a nonce?

    I'm neither!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    How old would you say children are capable of drying and dressing themselves? But then again - going into changing rooms on your own when you're little is scary. 8/9 max deffinatly.

    Indeed. But most children can dress themseleves at the age of 5, maybe 6. Pesonally, I would find it scary going into a changing room on my own at that age.

    For me, I'd say about 9. Of course, it does depend on the child and how they feel about going into changing rooms on their own. Before puberty, definetly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Meh, if I looked half as hot as go_away I'd never wear clothes again :lol:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if the womans husband was there, its a bit weird that he didnt take the boy in with him.
    Id take my 6 year old in the womens changing rooms, and tbh, id take an 8 year old, possibly a 9 year old with me too if i didnt have my bf to take him with him to the mens.
    Id rather that than let him go in the mens alone at that age, but as I said, its weird that she took him with her as his first choice, and she should at least make sure hes not staring at other people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if the womans husband was there, its a bit weird that he didnt take the boy in with him.
    fair enough if she was on her own - but i didn't get that either
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't understand why he didn't just go into the mens with his dad, if i were in that situation id send them in with dad (or other family male) from day one. If dads (or other male is) not there, then ok i would take him in with me but put him somewhere in a corner and make sure he wasnt staring at womens bits!

    But lucky boy! :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    it did feel a bit weird having a young boys eyes follow you around the room).

    Yeah, sorry about that....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The 'guideline' on our sites is once they are over 8 they should be in the correct gender changing room. It's not particularly advertised or enforced but that's the answer when asked.

    Kids are allowed into the pool on their own once they're over 8, and thus should be able to manage the changing rooms.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for the replies, I agree with the general consensus. Did find it a bit odd that the dad didn't take his son with him though. I might ask the gym if they have a policy out of curiosity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For general interest purposes, I refused to go into the women's from when I was about 6 or 7. Even when my mum wanted to take me in there, I wouldn't let her lol.

    I remember when the school took me swimming though, this girl in the year below me wanted to get changed with me (we held hands, aww). I said no. :p

    I haven't been swimming for ages. Two questions: how much is it now, and do the swimming pools still have bits of poo and rubbish floating in them?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You must have gone to some dodgy pools mate, we never had anything like that!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    icey wrote: »
    You must have gone to some dodgy pools mate, we never had anything like that!

    one bad experience can put you off for life i suppose :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    How old would you say children are capable of drying and dressing themselves? But then again - going into changing rooms on your own when you're little is scary.

    A child of 6 is totally capable of drying and dressing himself but I wouldn't send him into the men's changing room by himself. Not just because it would be scary, but because there's always the risk of paedophilia... of course that's not going to go away when he's older, but he'd be more able to cope should that sort of situation ever arise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's always one. I personally wouldn't consider paedophillia in my decision to send my son to change by himself. It's a public changing room ffs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As a formerly young boy who used to change by himself in the changing room I am a bit flabbergasted by the peadophilia suspicion. Maybe a bit OTT?

    A much more dangerous threat was bullying. :yes: Stealing your stuff, clothes, pulling your towel off and running off with it, etc. etc.

    I hate bullies. Yet they don't seem to be such a big issue compared to peadophiles. But I wonder as a net effect, which is more damaging to the overall development of children over the country.

    Sorry, going into rant mode. The only ever guys I knew in the changing room who wanted my willy were curious young boys. And we shall not go into that :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    £2.95 for a standard adult swim at my pool, it's a public one.

    Nope, no poo floating round is ours, causes no end of problems when someone does though. You might get bits of chewed float after schools lessons though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if some small child is starring you down, explain what they are viewing, and mention the word "period" several times. but dont tell them what it is.

    the parents will be at a loss of words explaining, and youll never see them againn.
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