Gym's playroom, thoughts on what to do...

[Sleeping~Beauty]

To give a little background on myself, I am a SAHM with my children, DS recently turned 3, and DS 19 months. I'm in a wedding in July. I hadn't been a member of a gym since I first got married about eight years back. So this is my first experience with using the kid's playroom at any gym.

So I joined the Health and Wellness Center down the street. It's affiliated with the local hospital and has pilates, yoga, cardio classes, etc. Things I'm looking for. So I thought maybe for the hour the kids could get out and play and hear stories, (we do activities at home of course, and playdates, and mommy and me's), but it would be great because I could exercise, and they can play.

The gym gives me forms to fill out, activity sheets the children like to do, etc. Also, it's a very expensive gym. (I guess all gyms are expensive). So now I'm joined, and the kids seemed to like to play when we tested. I was really nervous since I had never done anything like this before.

There are two floors, the upstairs has a couple of studios. I missed the start of the classes, so I stayed on the first floor and went into where all the machines and treadmills and ellipticals, etc, are.

I am on the exercise machine for 6 minutes when I just know something isn't right. I turn around, and there is my 3 year old, running towards me. The general manager sees this, as do about five trainers, and sales assistants. But no one from the play room knows he is out on the floor!

The general manager comes with me as I take him back to the room. The staff in the room offered no apologies. They said it was busy and he probably sneaked off when parents were coming in and out. The general manager was distressed at the nonchalance of the daycare workers. She pulled me in her office and said that this will be addressed.

I was in shock the whole time. I just kind of nodded, and said I didn't want any one to be in trouble. She said that it is important that this situation is addressed.

I get home tell some family and friends, and they were livid. Then the more I thought about it,the more upset I got. What if Shane went right out the front door, which was right there. The parking lot is there, and people speed by. Or what if someone walked off with him.? Or he got hurt on the equipment? Or made his way to the pool? What if I was on the second floor like I originally planned to be? I know it's all what-ifs, but these things went through my mind.

My brother goes to this gym, and he was floored that Shane wandered as far as he did and that when I went back to the room,they didn't even know he wasn't there.

I guess my question is, what are fair expectations for a gym's play room? Am I overupset, and thinking too deeply into this? Or should I not trust this place anymore? Should I go on and forget it happened? Any thoughts or experiences with this is appreciated.

 

[abaldacci]

I would join another gym with better child care. I would have been scared to death.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Not good! Glad your little guy wasn't hurt!

Being busy is absolutely no excuse for the staff! And for them not to even notice he was out of the playroom AND not to offer an apology is WRONG. I would speak with the manager again. Tell her that the more you have thought about what could have happened the more uncomfortable you are. Tell her you need to have a copy of the WRITTEN guidelines for staff to child ratios, rules for keeping kids safe, etc. Tell her you aren't comfortable leaving your children because OBVIOUSLY the staff are either overwhelmed or there are design flaws in the play area that allow children to slip out unseen.

There should be a cutoff where they have reached the maximum number of kids and won't take anymore in until some have left, and that number should be lower when there are lots of young kids in the room as opposed to grade schoolers. Good luck!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Well, what happened was completely unacceptable. However the manager seemed concerned about what happened and stressed that the problem would be addressed. Next time you go in, ask the manager what had been done about it, and then secretly watch the play area next time you're in there. If you don't feel comfortable, then change gyms or don't take your children there anymore.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

well obviously they need to secure that door in such a manner that it cannot be just opened by a 3 year old.

What also concerns me is -- if he can open the door and just walk out -- Can someone else just open the door and walk in without being seen? They are right in that the employees cannot have eyes on every child every minute. Sometimes there is a bathroom emergency, or the Cinderella DVD needs to be changed, etc etc.

It doesn't sound like a good situation for me. I wouldn't leave a child there until these issues are addressed.

 

[barkley]

i think with any place you are going to leave your child you need to look at the background/training of the employees as well as the health/safety procedures. i've never left mine in a gym because i've never found one that used staff other than those that round-robin'ed into covering it for a period of time during their shift or some low paid person who does'nt have enuf experience to qualify to work on the gym floor (so no background checks, no pediatric first aide/cpr training, no ece training)-that's why the fine print in the contracts say it's not a child care center, they have no lic/oversite by the state or social services and the parents assume all risk in leaving their child (they don't charge for it because charging would entail accountablity and liablity for their employees and facilities). i would be petrified that beyond injury or inattention in the kids room, a child could wander off and fall into a pool, spa, get locked in a sauna, pull equipment onto themselves, not to mention going off with some unknown person (most of the places i've seen have tighter security on towel and locker keys than on retrieving kids).

when dh and i did a gym we traded off going-if we could'nt cover child care we stayed home.

 

[floridafam]

A long time ago, I worked in the playroo of our local YMCA.

We had a "Dutch Door" (where you can open 1/2 of it) so the kids couldn't get out while we were talking to parents, etc.

No child ever got away from me.

I would be upset and probably switch gyms. I'm not sure I could ever trust them again.

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

Thanks for the info and concern everyone. And for your insights.

...they don't charge for it because charging would entail accountablity and liablity for their employees and facilities)

We have to pay separate for the child area.

The manager was very kind, but I think I'll do the nights/weekends thing at the gym. I just don't think I can trust them.