The Change Room Debacle

My last covid tolerant nerve just snapped.

Swimming lessons are back on at the Okotoks Rec Centre, and I got 3 of my kids signed up as soon as I could - SO EXCITED FOR SOME NORMALCY (not to mention learning how to prevent drowning - which is a bigger danger than covid. How many kids are going to drown in the next couple years because swimming lessons were shut down for so long? But I digress…)

The lesson was great. But then. The change rooms were closed.

The parents and their little kids were expected to towel off as best they could on the pool deck, and then put their clothes over their wet swimsuits, and go to their cars. In Alberta, in March, in Winter.

My husband questioned this a few times….. the other parents looked awkward… but everyone obeyed. (Apparently they've been doing this all winter and everyone has been fine with it? I am very disappointed in humanity. It's one thing for me to do it myself, but I will not teach my daughters that being treated this way is acceptable.)

EXCUSE ME?!

I phoned in and told the lady this has to be some kind of human rights violation. Under no circumstances will we be doing this. She eventually told me we could have access to the change rooms for five minutes if we NEED IT. And then she says they’ve been doing this all winter. And people have just been okay with this???!!! I am so disappointed in humanity. To do this ourselves is one thing, but to allow our children to be denied access to a change room? No. Besides, let’s not forget that this is about a respiratory disease - but freezing young children so they can get pneumonia is fine??

At this age, kids are learning about the world, about their own dignity and self worth, about privacy. I REFUSE to allow mine to believe that being treated like this, being denied access to a necessity like this, and then driving home in the winter for half an hour freezing because they’re still soaked is acceptable.

This is not normal or okay on ANY PLANET. I am DONE.

*******UPDATE!!!!********

Speaking up WORKS!!!!!!! My phone call which included the words “human rights violation” obviously resulted in a staff meeting because today we were instructed to go ahead and change in the change rooms!

PEOPLE!!! DONT BE AFRAID! All they’re doing is seeing what they can get away with, but they’re so terrified of litigation that they’ll back right down to even a slight amount of pushback! I beg all of you - politely, firmly, clearly STAND AND SPEAK FOR TRUTH ❤️🙌🏻 And.....

ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILDREN!

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These rules are glass walls that shatter when anyone has the nerve to tap on them.

You can read my review here: https://goo.gl/maps/XxcgZycAsJZjA26M7