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Children and gyms
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
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 . 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).
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 . 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).
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Tbh, the female changing rooms aren't that special - the drains at ULU smell ungodly
Another regular said to me the other day: "It's disgusting, I feel dirtier coming out than I did going in"
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.
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:
Hmmm i would agree, 9/10 is a cut of age.
What, a gym person, or a nonce?
I'm neither!
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.
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.
But lucky boy!
Yeah, sorry about that....
Kids are allowed into the pool on their own once they're over 8, and thus should be able to manage the changing rooms.
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.
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?
one bad experience can put you off for life i suppose
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.
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
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.
the parents will be at a loss of words explaining, and youll never see them againn.