Gym childcare

[Aufilia]

Looking for information/warnings/encouragement about using gym childcare centers. I really need some exercise. I've been doing a stroller/mom exercise thing since January and I really don't enjoy it. At all. It is so not my sort of thing, and the instructor is way too... enthusiastic. I really want to do some yoga or pilates but I have 2 kids with me all day, so if I join a gym I'll have to use gym childcare. Do gyms even take babies?

[nextcommercial]

Ours does. But, it's a big huge daycare room with four rooms and only two teachers. I watch on the tv thing. Kids are always having fun, never crying, and whatever baby is there is always being carried.

My own child would have never done well in that situation. She was shy, and couldn't really find for herself, so she would have sat down and waited, and never had fun.... which would have taken all the fun out of it for me.

I just think that having kids running around in four big rooms, some are unsupervised, is a recipe for disaster. But, it does look like they're having a fun time.

http://www.mountainsidefitness.com/childcare.aspx This is what our daycare looks like. (only not all new and shiny) One teacher stays in the main room, the other floats from room to room.

[KristyDi]

DH and I recently joined a gym with childcare (LA Fitness). I visited as a guest several times with a friend so I've been a total of 10 or so times now. I've been really pleased with the child care. The room is well staffed with play structures, kid sized tables and chair, and some play yards and swings for the infants. I like the 2 ladies who care for the kids. They seem competent and caring. They don't change diapers and will call you if your kid needs changing. I'm ok with that.

DD likes going there. When we pull into the gym parking lot she starts saying "Play! Play!"

Honestly half the reason I want to go to the gym is that I can be kid free for a bit and focus on me.

ETA The second pic looks like the what in in our gym's child care room.

[34me]

I work at a Rec Center and ours is state liscenced. We do change pants . The only time we call you is if the staff have tried everything and the child is still unconsolable. And the staff really do try everything. I would say 95% of them are parents of 3+ that do it while their own kiddos are in school or their dh is home so that they can make a little money and get a free membership. All the toys are cleaned between kids, there are several rocking chairs, a couple swings and a couple cribs if your baby is sleeping. We take kids from 3mos to 8 yrs.

[Mirrormonkey]

Look into the gyms in your area that have childcare, then visit them to get a feel for the staff. Try to visit during the time of day you would normally work out so you know who will be with your kids. Then make sure that it is ok for you to stay with your kids for as long as all of you need to feel comfortable.
I spend every morning at my neighborhood Y, I love their daycare facilities and the staff are wonderful.

[GuildJenn]

My ex-gym had a room with a glass wall so you could look in any time, which I appreciated in theory. In practice I never really used it but if I were to have a second, I would!!!

[Linda on the move]

They are all different, so visit and find one you like!!!

I really want to encourage you to do this. I didn't take time for myself or exercise when my kids were young and I really regret it. I ended up gaining a lot of weight. (like 70 pounds). I eventually lost it all and I'm in great shape now (and teach yoga!) but I wish that I had found better balance when my kids were little.

[lilyka]

our gym childcare center was great. It wasn't a life enriching couple of hours but the kids had fun and everything was safe. There were occaisionally videos but there was gym with childs sized equipment and specially trained instructors and often kids classes. Babies were never crying. It was a huge room with a soft play area, baby area with a low wall running around it (enough to keep the babies safe from big kids but low enough the teacher could hop over and help outside the area) , a "quiet" room fo playing games and doing homework, art supplies and books, lots of toys, and then a seperate kids gym. It was nice but use of the nursery cost above and beyond the membership. As I recall it worked out to about $2.50 for a two hour slot. if you went more than five minutes over you were charged for another two hours. that was for 2-3 kids. I think one kid was like $1.70. We had punch cards so you had to pay up front. That kind of sucked. It was worth the money though. it was a nice facility.

[ChristyMarie]

Ours is awesome. It took some adjusting and at first I only left him for about 15 minutes. But he quickly got the hang of it. You have to make a reservation so that they can keep the ratios right. Most of the time babies are being carried and I had left instructions that if he cried more than a few minutes to come get me. They always did. The teachers are great and one has become our babysitter.

Now that our schedule has changed I usually go when he's at school and he's always asking when he gets to go to the gym to play.

You just have to check it out and see - they are all different.

[EviesMom]

Ours is in one of the carpeted meeting rooms-they bring out buckets of toys, crayons, coloring pages. My daughter has fun. My son sometimes has fun but has sometimes cried. It didn't take long, though, to learn which people were his favorites there (one woman he LOOOOOOVES and gives her hugs when we see her in the neighborhood too), and what days they work.

I did one random morning and found that the woman there was cranky and cold. He screamed and I came back to check 5 minutes later, he was still screaming, so I took him out. Now we have 2 regular days where he knows the women working and it's convenient. My kids are 2 and 5 though.

With a baby, you'd probably want to check in more often, ask some moms coming out of the childcare what they think of it; ask some moms in the building who aren't using childcare what they think of it, did they try it and hate it, etc.? Gym childcare can vary wildly so it's really dependent on the facility and people working at that place.

[kcstar]

We joined the Y when DS was about 8 months old. It took him a little while to warm up to the place and the people. When he started, the staff ended up holding him much of the time, which was fine by me. As he got happier with exploring the toys, they were able to let him play in an exer-saucer, or later on the floor. They changed diapers, too. The TV was usually on, but it was up high and he usually ignored it in the year we were there.

(Oh, and they offered me the rocking chair to BF any time we needed, I just often found it comfortable enough to sit on the floor by the wall.)

Our new gym childcare is so-so. The space is smaller, and when we've been there's only been one ~high-school age worker, but DS has often been the only child there during our workout times. DS likes the slide, other toys, and the books. If there's a crowd of children there, the TV is often on, and down low where DS won't ignore it. But the workers we've seen have learned quickly that we're TV-limiting, and if DS (and any other children) are fine without it, they'll leave it off.

I would encourage you to plan workouts. You may need to visit the childcare center a few times and stay with your child until they get comfortable with it, but your workout should be a time you dedicate for yourself. DS does better when we have a regular habit, than when we change routines.

[JBaxter]

I use the Y gym ( and am going to muscle makeover today) The ladies are great. One in particular has taken a liking to Jack ( meaning he doesnt throw a super melt down when I leave) I try to go 2x a week for 1 hr at a time. If he is having a bad day and wont settle down then they come get me. I prefer that. Some moms tell them to just let their kid cry which they will do UNLESS it upsets the other children. The room is good size with a area for non walkers they have a DVD player for children shows and have snacks they do ask everyone if the "snack of the day" is acceptable or if you have your own. The usually have animal crackers or gold fish. I provide my own. They have small crafts/coloring pages for older kids. I do notice they have teens in on days school is out and summers when there are more kids.

[phathui5]

We use the free childcare at the Syracuse YMCA 6 days a week. The kids love it and I'm confident about having the people there watch them. There are always a lot of staff working, with a good adult/child ratio. They do arts and crafts, take the kids in the gym to play, go out to the playground, have storytime. It's awesome. The people that work there are always engaged and interacting with the kids when I see them.

[redvlagrl]

My ex gym had two child care rooms - one for infants and one for walkers and up. I only used it when DD was a baby. It was ok...every time I went to pick her up they had her in a swing, even if I had put her in the exersaucer etc when I left. i think they just wanted them to sleep. it wasn't bad care, just not particularly caring care, if you know what I mean. They would page you if your child was upset ofr needed a diaper change.

[RoundAbout]

I use our YMCA childcare almost every day. They have a small indoor play space with a glass window so you can look in, and also a small outside fenced area with tricycles and plastic play structures that the kids use when the weather is nice. It's a very small Y and a very family atmosphere which I like a lot. I workout 3-5, so many of the childcare workers bring their own kids along and have them doing homework at a table while they watch the littles.

Our facility will take up to 2 infants (non-walkers) at a time. The theory is that if there is a fire or other emergency each of the workers can carry an infant and still lead the other kids to safety. They don't change diapers, and I've only had them come get me once because my son was in a bad mood (they didn't say I had to get him out of there, but they just wanted to let me know because he was acting out of character).

PS. They aren't always engaging the kids which is fine because my son is great at entertaining himself, but I really appreciate the fact that there is no TV.

[Landover]

I am as AP as they come, but mommy time at the gym is non-negotiable around here.

Here is what I have found in the years that I have taught group excercise at different gyms, etc...

1 - Most often the big gyms with the disneyland type of facilities for kids make kids feel the least safe. My kids hated the area at LA Fitness (not to mention I saw a 9 month old in a swing not strapped in), and the hated Lifetime Fitness. Both of these places would have been awesome for an older child.

2 - My kids do best when I find a small gym that has a small childcare room. They feel more safe and they get to know the care providers. They become comfy in the small room with the same toys and the same kids for the most part.

3 - My kids love it when they can see me. The place I go to now is a small woman's only facility with a large window in the childcare room. They can stand on the play structure and watch me workout. They love it!

4 - Watch carefully what movies, games, etc they have. I have come in before at other gyms to see my 2 year old plopped down in front of scooby doo (which can be pretty scary).

5 - Get to know the care providers and try to stick with the same routine (morning or evening) so that the kids can get to know them too.

6 - It is best to start going and not take long breaks in between visits. This is also better for you!

I think that is all I can think about right now. The main thing I learned is that those large places often don't know you, your kids, and they are too big for the kids to feel comfy. I love a small place where everybody gets to know everybody.

[PPK]

We used to go to a YMCA and it was fantastic! Seperate sections for infants, toddlers and then older kids. There were always 2-3 middle aged women in each section. Lots of toys, minimal TV presence, and so much care!

Was at an LA Fitness for a bit and had terrible experiences. Usually there were 2 and sometimes only 1 high-school aged girl in the room. All ages were in the same area. Once I was checking in DS and a mom walked out with 2 kids and returned about 30 seconds later with one who didn't belong to her...the HS girl didn't even notice and she was standing right there when they left! Another time I walked in to see a man I'd never seen before screaming NO! and Claping his hands an inch from my 22mo olds face (he was in a hitting phase), but seriously, I gave that guy a piece of my mind and never went back.

If I were to join any gym again it'd be the YMCA even though it was much more per month, no question.

HTH!