Swim diaper (aka baby) ban in community pools

[Bobbys]

I am not sure where to post this.

My community has banned non-toilet trained children and swim diapers from using the main swimming pool. There is a kiddie pool that they are allowed to use. This is discriminatory. The community would have to bar all incontinent people from using the pool to be in compliance with the law. (P.S. My community said they would rather do this than allow for babies wearing swim diapers and rubber pants to be in the pool. How nice, right?) I will be contacting HUD to gather more information Monday.

My question to the collective brain is: What are your pool rules regarding swim diapers and babies? Has anyone ever had similar issues?

[illumini]

My mother's community has the same rule. I'm there so infrequently I don't fight it. I'm interested in hearing what you find.

[Bobbys]

If your mother's community is 55+ and there are different provisions.

[rhiOrion]

oh that would make me so mad. my dd loves water. it's not like big kids and some adults don't pee in the water

[Pookietooth]

I think the worry is more about poop. But that would still make me mad. No such ban at our apartment complex's pool

[rhiOrion]

do swim diapers leak poop often? my dd has never pooped in hers

[Addie]

We use a university pool. They have family swim hours on the weekend, where kids are welcome in the dive pool. No rules against swim diapers, there are always plenty of kids wearing them.

Our city public pools have no regulations against swim diapers, either.

[ecoteat]

If your baby isn't likely to poop in the pool (my dd never pooped in water that I can remember), just take him in there with swim trunks. If he pees, probably no one will notice. Or would people be fiesty enough about it that they would insist that a baby that young couldn't possibly be allowed in while following the new rules?

[Knitting Mama]

The only ones I've heard of with bans specifically ban the disposable kind of swimmie diapers because they can cause issues (not sure what issues). I believe the pool at my parents' has a rule against non-toilet trained swimmers, but it's literally never enforced, and I take Cecilia (3 months) in there every Sunday in her Imse Vimse swim diaper.

[bcblondie]

What a load of crap! (no pun intended)
As a lifeguard I can tell you, the normal levels of chemicals in the pool can easily deal with pee, and small amounts of poop. And even if a child poops, you scoop it out, super chlorinate, and bring the levels back down. Takes like 3 hours.
I would be marching out front with a sign, thank you very much.

[lotusdebi]

My gym pool has this rule. Kids in swim diapers (doesn't matter what kind - they're worried about poop) only permitted in the baby pool. I tried to get my little one to potty-train last year so my big kid could use the big pool, but that didn't work out. Thankfully, he potty-trained just in time this year!

I stopped going to a county-run indoor pool because of this same rule. They didn't even have a baby pool for little ones. Kids under 2 aren't permitted at all. I hate the way they run that place anyway. You have to pay for a block of time at the pool, rather than just go and stay for however long you like. And their family changing room is for more than one family at a time, but there's a lack of places to sit to change, and I'm not comfortable changing in front of unknown men. And families with opp-sex kids ages 3 and over are expected to use the family changing rooms. And after swim lessons for kids who can't yet swim, they let the kids go in the main pool without an instructor (or the parents who are waiting - fully dressed - next to the pool) for a while and don't lead them out of the pool after class. I'm very bitter that my tax dollars support this place.

The indoor pool at my local community center doesn't have this rule. We've gone there since my eldest was an infant.

[Jamie*]

Yep, our base pool here has the same rule!! They can only use the toddler/baby pool!

[illumini]

Originally Posted by Bobbys

If your mother's community is 55+ and there are different provisions.

Oh no my mom is young. Nice to know for the future though!

[Bobbys]

The FHA law is explicit when it comes to discriminatory practices set forth by community associations and their amenities. You can read about it here.

I am very angry because my community board would prefer to exclude all
incontinent people (including specials needs adults and children), rather than
set a provision asking for swim diapers and rubber pants so that everyone
could enjoy the pool that we pay for in our dues. They say that by providing a "kiddie pool" that they are abiding by the law. I intend to call HUD to find out
if that's true and then lodge a formal complaint. When I told my board this: one member had the audacity to tell me that I was "screwing the community."

My son has never pooped in his swim diapers while in water. He is six months old and cannot sit up or walk, therefore the only place to take him in the water is an adult pool. He loves it. He is my first and only. So in order for me to enjoy our adult pool, I would need another adult with me to watch him. Furthermore, when he is potty-trained and I have more children, I can't take them in with him. It's ridiculous. I pay for this amenity and I can't use it. I am so frustrated and angry at the board for being completely unwilling to discuss a swim diaper/rubber pants provision.

I'll keep you posted when I make phone calls on Monday.

[Drummer's Wife]

Our local pool just requires some type of swim diaper for infants/toddlers. There isn't even a separate kiddie pool, just about half the pool that is really shallow for little ones. That does seem odd to me.

[bcblondie]

Not to mention, the earlier kids are exposed to pools the easier itll be for them to learn to swim and be comfortable.

[Mamabeakley]

Interesting article. Our co-op pool does have an "adults only" time in the pool (15 minutes out of every hour) but I actually like this since it makes my skinny kids get out of the pool and warm up every so often, and also provides a conveniently identifiable time to leave ("we can stay until the next break period"). I also used to swim at a public (county) pool that had lap-swim times (probably defensible according to the article because there wasn't an age restriction.)

[mambera]

Gee, am I really the only one here who can understand why people wouldn't want poop in the pool??? A swim diaper keeps poo in but not pee, and therefore not 'poo juice' either. Does nobody here think that's even a little bit gross in a public pool?

The pool in our condo bldg actually has a rule against children in diapers but people ignore the rule all the time. I've frequently seen other young babies in it and I do take DD in it in her swim diaper. But I pretty much know that if somebody asked me not to do that they would totally have the right.

If there's a kiddie pool available for non-toilet-trained children I really do not think the OP has a case at all. Think about that: you're saying everybody else using the pool has to swim in toilet water bc you want to take your baby in the adult pool instead of the available kiddie pool?

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

it's not like big kids and some adults don't pee in the water

Say what?? You know someone who has admitted to doing this?

[kimmypoo]

I would just take him in and say he's potty-trained. It's not like they can prove he's not.
Besides, an older "potty-trained" child could easily have an accident. At least baby poo would be contained in a swim diaper.

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by mambera

Say what?? You know someone who has admitted to doing this?

I thought it was a well known fact.