leaving kids in kids room at the gym

[jpaigeadams]

I'm considering joining the YMCA, or some other local gym. However, one issue I'm having a bit of trouble with is leaving the kids in the kids room while I work out. It just feels weird to me to leave them in the care of people I don't know, who have parenting/taking care of kids philosophies I don't know, with a bunch of random kids I don't know - not to mention it's one more place for my kids to pick up germs. On the one hand, I really need to exercise, and I know I won't do tapes on my TV, and it's too snowy to take the kids out in the double stroller running (we live near Boston; it's not the snow, it's that the sidewalks aren't usually shoveled that well). So I think I really need to join a gym! On the other hand, is it worth putting my kids in that situation? Any thoughts or advice??

[mamazee]

Two suggestions based on experience:

1. Make sure there is a bathroom for the kids right there in the kids room. One gym I went to didnt' have one, so someone who was watching children would have to leave that room with the child and walk the child to the bathroom, leaving the kids' room understaffed every time someone had to pee.

2. If you have a very young child, make sure that either big kids aren't in the same room or that the staff is able to control the room. I've known two moms whose babies or toddlers got hurt due to older kids roughhousing around babies and toddlers in gym kids rooms. Not badly hurt, but you just can't have 8-year-olds roughhousing in a small room with babies crawling around. If there are two teenage girls trying to watch a small room with 30 kids, many of who are roughhousing, someone is going to get hurt. I would want to talk to the child care people and get a feel for whether they can keep control in a room full of kids. Also, is there a cutoff of how many kids can be there at once? Is there a rule as far as adult/child ratio?

To some extent, you have to let go when your kid is in the care of others. Not as far as spanking or anything big like that - no one in a place like that is going to spank - but as far as expecting your child to never touch cheap plastic toys and that kind of thing. Or, if you like UP like I do, expecting that no one is going to give evaluative praise to your child. They will and you just have to accept that not everyone is going to do things how you would. Either you trust the child care or you don't, and really it is OK if they do some things differently from how you'd do things. A short while every week is not going to change who your child is.

[sehbub]

Our local gyms all have reviews of their kid rooms, and do extensive background checks on all their attendants.

Besides, I figure my hour or so of sanity is worth it, and my kids have always had a fantastic time in the kid room.

Then again, YMMV. I know I'm a much better parent when I've taken the time to do something specifically for me, like going to the gym.

[fzouk]

I go to the YMCA and have to say their kids area is spotless, there's great security, the kids are divided by ages, and there are plenty of employees. It seems like every time I go to pick up my girl (2 yo) she's sitting on a grandmotherly lady's lap having a one on one conversation- they tell me she's usually telling them what a big girl she is . I'd never left her with anyone before and was nervous at first but I have to say I'm always very impressed with the childcare at the Y where I go and don't mind dropping her off at all while I work out. I would hope they're all the same but I've never been to another one!

[snuggly]

I know exactly what you mean... I have the same reservations and the same need to get some exercise time in! Dh is pressuring me to cancel my Y membership since I've hardly gone in the last 14 month (coincidentally my dd is 14 months old).

I actually took her there once with the intent to leave her and workout, but there were just too many bigger kids and the kidcare area was too far from the workout area for me to be comfortable. I keep telling myself maybe I will start when she's a little older and when the flu season is over. I also plan to ask them when the quietest times are (probably school hours on weekdays) and plan to go then.

[avaylee]

This was a big challenge for me as well, but I have been so very impressed with our local Y. The staff is screened, they have a pretty strict sign-out policy, they are adequately staffed. (I have actually had to wait to sign DD in because they would not be properly staffed with any more kids.) DD loves to go there and play with "new to her" toys.
Parents also get pagers, and I've told them if she even asks for me to page me (as I've told her that she can do that) and they have respected those wishes. Only twice has it been necessary, and since then she's been golden (because she is secure in the knowledge that I am there and responsive).
I take her 3-4 times a week, for about an hour each time.
She was 2-1/2 when we started, just an FYI.

[buttercups.nest]

Ask about child to staff ratios!!! I was infuriated when I was taking my daughter to a local 'brand name' gym. They would have one, maybe two staff working....there would be 4-6 babies, toddlers, and preschool kids....thats almost 20 kids for one staff member! I normally came to find my girl in an exersaucer just sitting there. Which is fine but she was in that same position when I went to check on her halfway through my workout The big kids were running around...and the staff didn't have the time to pay attention to each child. The final straw for me was when I was just walking in to pick up my daughter. The staff member plopped her down sitting up on the floor and left her. She was right on the edge of the mat with the hard floor behind her. If they had taken more than a few seconds with her they would know that she was a really late developer with gross motor stuff and still had trouble sitting up. I was done!

So...I went to talk to one of the managers....because they are not a daycare they don't have to take staff:child ratios into consideration. I am sure you could've seen the fire coming out of the top of my head.

The next gym I went to was much smaller...a local gym and the kids' room was cozy but the staff were so much more intune to the kids. They were really friendly to the kids and would interact with them. Very pleased!

Good luck!

[hotharmony]

We belong to our local YMCA and they are great at the childwatch area they have very strict rules about everything from hand sanitizing before coming in to wearing shoes/socks the whole time they are their to how they change the diapers of the babies. If you child is unhappy they will come and get you right away if distraction doesn't work and they have even let me nurse right there in the room to settle my LO down once.

I have been taking him there since he was 10 weeks old and now that he is a toddler he really loves it!

[Mom2Ian]

I just joined a gym and take my (almost) 2 year old to the children's room. I was very nervous at first too - I'm a SAHM and he very rarely is even babysat by family - and I only trust two people in our family at this age. Anyway, I checked it out and made the leap and I have to say it is one of the best decisions I've made for us.

DS loves it and asks to go to the gym every day now. He does a lot of running around in there (they have a big outdoor-type playhouse in there) and he gets a lot of exercise which is great since I don't take him outside as much in the winter. He's not potty trained yet (haven't started) and one of the ladies that works there will come get me wherever I am in the gym if he needs a diaper change.

Since I am not willing to let many people watch him and hardly ever have him babysat I was very nervous, but I've been very pleased. We both look forward to the time several times a week. And I *love* that the gym has yoga classes almost every day - even if I don't feel like working out, I often take a yoga class for some "me" time. It has made me a much happier Mom

[sweetcheeks]

Our Y has a limit on the # of children that can be there in one time, as they only have one person staffing the babysitting room at all times. So the max. # of kids allowed is 8. I wasn't too crazy about having someone I don't know watch the kids but they're only in there 90 minutes at the most at a time, so I feel the small amount of time they're in there each week (maybe 4-5 hours total) is not enough for the worker's childcare philosophies to really cause any contradiction with mine, KWIM? I'm right there in the same building and not far away if I am needed. DD actually really enjoys going and DS2 is content as long as he has cars and trains to play with. As a couple other PPs have said, it's worth it for the sake of my sanity -- I need the time to workout by myself, otherwise I'm not the happiest mama.

[sapphire_chan]

I loved the childwatch at our local Y. Lina hated it because I wasn't there. She still freaks out when I put a nametag on her.

: that your Lo is about playtime.

[elmh23]

I considered joining the Y and the childwatch area seemed very nice. In the end, we chose to buy a treadmill instead, but that's mainly because they won't watch babies until 9 months old and I'm due with number 3 in about 4wks. I didn't want to pay for membership and then not be able to use it for 9 months (dh won't be able to help much because he's going back to get his masters.)

[gagin37]

Originally Posted by hotharmony

We belong to our local YMCA and they are great at the childwatch area they have very strict rules about everything from hand sanitizing before coming in to wearing shoes/socks the whole time they are their to how they change the diapers of the babies. If you child is unhappy they will come and get you right away if distraction doesn't work

this has been my experience with our Y as well. ds was unsure at first, but i took my time letting him get used to the place and the people, now he loves it! And i love that hour of me exercise time. He had never been left with anyone before, but i was amazed at how well he did, and how awesome the staff has been.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

check it out and maybe just spend some time sitting in the room. Also, trust your gut. DD was very spirited and i was a bit overprotective of her due to some health issues. I took her to a really fancy gym and the daycare was spotless and wonderful etc.

Well, they had 5 locations and you could use any of them. The one that i used most was great, the people were good and while dd didnt love it she didnt cry either and if she did get upset they had strict instructions to get me if she was crying more then 5 minutes. They came and got me like twice in the 6 months i went there.

The other location had a really bad worker. I came in to randomly check on dd during my workout because i had a bad feeling. The worker had put her into a high chair because she didnt want to sit and eat snack at the table. She said "well, if you act like a baby you can sit like a baby!" She told me this all proud of herself like i would agree that this was a good idea. DD was 2 y/o. She was pissed and i was too. Not only was she trying to force her to eat when it is not required but then shaming her. Ohhh i was so mad. I quit that gym, got my membership closed and the managers heard from me.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

My son LOVES going to the gym childcare. I always pack a special snack with his favorite things like fruit snacks (he calls them gummies), and maybe a chocolate milk. Not that I feel the need to bribe him into going, but it makes it extra special, and gives him something to look forward to.

The staff there is so professional, and he is always engaged with at least one other child and a staff person when I go to pick him up. They are very strict about handwashing and sign-in/out and all of the language I have heard there is very gentle and respectful. I feel completely comfortable bringing him there, and on top of all of that, it is super cheap, which helps a ton. ($3 for two hours!!)

[RiverSky]

An option would be to trade childcare with another mother who also wants to go to the gym. You could ask your friends, then perhaps playgroup members, members of your moms club, or whatever, and if anyone who you feel comfortable leaving your child with would be willing to watch your child while you go to the gym, so be it!

[justthinkn]

Have to second the last post. I have a babysit swap with a friend that we use for other things (classes for her, work time/date night for me), and it's absolutely lovely. To have a friend involved in DD's life, her little boy, too, and that time where we can chat before and after - awesome!

[mosesface]

Another fan of her local YMCA here! Fantastic staff, great activities, clean, safe, and fun. Dd is almost 2 and we go 4 days a week for 1-2 hours. We go at the same time each day, so she has some consistent playmates.

I was a member at another "brand name" gym before the Y and would have never, ever in a million years have left my child in their care. I visited 8 other local gyms before choosing the Y specifically for their childcare facilities and policies. I also love that there are so many classes and activities for dd as she gets older (swimming, dance, yoga, art, soccer, gymnastics, etc.). So it's not just "mommy's gym". It's for our whole family.

Also, my Y has a separate area for younger kiddos and infants and specific time limits for each age group (time increases with age, up to 2hrs). They watch infants as young as 8 weeks one on one for 45 minutes! When this new little one is born and old enough to go, I plan to use that time to enjoy showers by myself in the luxurious locker room!

[its_our_family]

My boys are a bit older but they go in the "older kids" room. There is an adult with them but teens that play with the kids and even do homework.

When they were in the younger room, the staff was great. They go through extensive background checks. AND our YMCA has a monitor in the fitness room. So, even if you aren't in sight you still see what goes on in the room.

My boys can be a handful at times and they love going. I have a good friend with sons that are younger and are in the "small" room and they have a great experience as well.

[MamaPhD]

I go to the mall to do my walking sometimes. Perfectly weather controlled plus more interesting than walking a trail, although I love walking outdoors, too.

Also, I go to a yoga studio that has childcare in the same room as yoga. One corner of the room is for kids and they have toys and two baby sitters. I love that I can get yoga done and keep an eye on my 14 mo DD as well.