How to find a gym with good daycare?

SallyAnneS · March 2013

I have decided I really need to join the gym again. Both to lose a bit of weight and also because it would make me feel so much better emotionally. The problem is that ds does not do well with strangers if I am not with him. We had to drop out of mops in the fall because he would lose his mind and cry and cry and cry.... So I don't see him doing much better in gym daycare. But I really need this and with my and dh's work schedules (I work evenings) it isn't possible to do it where he doesn't come with me.

How did you find a gym with a good daycare? And if you did join a gym and have a child with bad seperation anxiety how did you get lo use to it?

kcisthebombdotcom · March 2013

we joined the y and read lots of positive reviews on yelp/had heard good things from other mom friends. i would ask on facebook and see where people you know take their kids. do some research on your own as well--google gyms and read reviews.

you have to stick with it if you want to help separation anxiety. literally go everyday for the first month. go 20 minutes early so he can warm up to the space with you there. when you say goodbye, keep it brief. hug, kiss, see you soon, walk away. when you first start, only leave for 15-20 minutes. as he gets used to it increase the time away.

id012 · March 2013

I work at a gym and so does another girl on here so maybe she can give u a few tips too.

I say it all the time. Its the only thing that only works I swear lol. You have to drop him off and go work out for 15 mins and the pick him up and leave. The next day do the same thing. The. Bump it up to 20 mins. And so on. It will suck in the beginning but it will all work out and I'm sure soon enough he will be running to the daycare room.

I had to do that with my son. And I work there! He comes with me to work. But when I went to work out I would have to do that 15 to get him used to being there with out me.

Lingering usually is worse for most kids.

When you go to check our the gym go during babysitting hours and they will give you a tour. Talk to the babysitters. See how many different ones there are BC that will help too. If its the same girl every time you go in the beginning.

Dochas · March 2013

id012:
When you go to check our the gym go during babysitting hours and they will give you a tour. Talk to the babysitters. See how many different ones there are BC that will help too. If its the same girl every time you go in the beginning.

The staff is so important. One day when I first joined they Y I thought we were doomed. But it was just that the people working that day were not at all into it. Now there are people that we see often and they really help distract the kids so the parents can get out without a lot of fuss. I did read a tip that said do not lie to them. I always say 'I am going to work out and you're going to play and I will be back in a little while' instead of pointing out toy and totally disappearing. And if you get a workout schedule going there will often be the same kids and caretakers so it will become more familiar.

Cherryblossoms07 · March 2013

I called the gyms in the area and discovered that only 2 offer childcare so that made the decision easier. I asked other moms in the area about the gyms when I talked to them, but had very little luck there. In the end I based my decision on out visit and free trial memberships. Unfortunately the care giver that was there when we joined left shortly thereafter and the new one is not very good. We might be leaving when my membership expires if changes are not made.

eaglesfan700 · March 2013

When I started at the gym, DD was 18 months and it was so.effing.hard to get her ok with it. She cried all the time at first and I would get maybe 12 minutes in on the elliptical before they were coming to get me.

People said not to linger, but it really doesn't help in a gym daycare situation. It is different than a regular daycare, because at the gym if your kid cries for 15 minutes straight, they come and get you, whereas at a regular daycare the kid has to adjust eventually. So what really helped was me sitting in there with her until she got comfortable. She would sit on my lap and then after 20 minutes would start playing with something, then I would slip out

I am not going to lie, it really really sucked and took her a good month to get to the point where I could just waltz in, drop them and leave. I remember how close I came to just giving up, it seemed so hopeless. But I am SO GLAD that I stuck with it because it was worth every bit of effort.

Just do not give up, your LO will adjust. Joining the gym with daycare was seriously the best thing I have done for myself as a SAHM. GL!

Cherryblossoms07 · March 2013

The current woman doesn't really watch the kids. Every time I walk in there she is on her phone with her back to the kids. Plus, she has a child of her own that she brings who is not very well behaved to say the least. He mouths off to his mom all the time. His language is horrible and it is rubbing off on my daughter as well as other kids, according to a couple of other moms who I take classes with.

The_Jen626 · March 2013

amy052006:
Cherryblossoms07:
I called the gyms in the area and discovered that only 2 offer childcare so that made the decision easier. I asked other moms in the area about the gyms when I talked to them, but had very little luck there. In the end I based my decision on out visit and free trial memberships. Unfortunately the care giver that was there when we joined left shortly thereafter and the new one is not very good. We might be leaving when my membership expires if changes are not made.
I'm genuinely, non-snarky curious.  What makes a gym daycare person not good?
I have a feeling my expectations are super low.  My kid plays with some toys, my baby sleeps in his car seat, gets carried around or is in some sort of baby entertainment device.  Sometimes there is a craft.  There is no TV. 

I'm not the OP, but...my gym has about 10 daycare employees and I love most of them, they are great. However, there was one girl that worked in there for a short time that was awful. She worked the Saturday morning shift, and always seemed to be either very tired or hungover. She was constantly texting on her phone, which the other girls didn't do. I'd see her working other days and she was more normal, but two Saturday mornings in a row, she was all pasty and flulike, either sick or hungover. Once I went in there and she was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, eyes closed. The door chimes when you walk in, but she didn't open her eyes or acknowledge me at all. I signed my kid out and went to the manager and complained. I'm pretty sure she was sleeping. Lol. That's how I define "shouldn't be working at gym daycare". She's not there anymore.

hjk5000 · March 2013

I just went through this process last week actually. Basically I called ahead to get all the pricing, hours, and other info and then toured the ones that I was interested in. Most of the chains were pretty similar, Golds, LA, etc. I also looked at the YMCA. The best deal ended up being Lifetime and the childcare and other kids programs were what sold me.

Usually DS is so happy there he doesn't want to leave.

SallyAnneS · March 2013

What are the daycare providers like when you drop lo off? I don't know if I just have high expectations but I want them to immediatly be warm, welcoming and invite ds to get right into an activity. We went to one gym today for a tour and we wemt into the child care area so he could see it while we looked at pricing. The lady seemed nice but wasnt stepping in to help uncling ds from my leg. He lot his s**t and I hadn't even left the room.

But they were also trying to sell , e on the fact that none of the providers had any childhood education but were either moms or babysitters so they had experience. I hate when people say they a are a mom or grandma so they can take care of kids in a daycare setting. I am a mom and I definitely can't handle 10 kids between the ages of 8weeks to 8 years of age. :S

SallyAnneS · March 2013

I have no idea how I made that bold above. Opps.

Thanks for the advice to stay with him for a bit until is comfortable. He would definitely scream for 15 minutes solid. And when we find a gym I will do short periods of leaving until he is comfortable. That is a really good suggestion.

hjk5000 · March 2013

SallyAnneS:
What are the daycare providers like when you drop lo off? I don't know if I just have high expectations but I want them to immediatly be warm, welcoming and invite ds to get right into an activity. We went to one gym today for a tour and we wemt into the child care area so he could see it while we looked at pricing. The lady seemed nice but wasnt stepping in to help uncling ds from my leg. He lot his s**t and I hadn't even left the room.

See, I'm not sure if you can really expect them to do that unfortunately. They're mostly just there to make sure the kids are safe and happy; they're not really a source of entertainment. KWIM?

I'm not saying they shouldn't be welcoming and involved of course. It's just a different expectation than a daycare. I would do a trial run wherever you feel most comfortable to see how your DS adjusts.

jjt616 · March 2013

I joined LA Fitness and I LOVE the daycare and so does DD. every single childcare worker is phenomenal and take such good care of her. I love the machines, classes, pool, hot tub and overall everything. I still feel like it us too good to be true lol

Dochas · March 2013

hjk5000:
SallyAnneS:
What are the daycare providers like when you drop lo off? I don't know if I just have high expectations but I want them to immediatly be warm, welcoming and invite ds to get right into an activity. We went to one gym today for a tour and we wemt into the child care area so he could see it while we looked at pricing. The lady seemed nice but wasnt stepping in to help uncling ds from my leg. He lot his s**t and I hadn't even left the room.
See, I'm not sure if you can really expect them to do that unfortunately. They're mostly just there to make sure the kids are safe and happy; they're not really a source of entertainment. KWIM?
I'm not saying they shouldn't be welcoming and involved of course. It's just a different expectation than a daycare. I would do a trial run wherever you feel most comfortable to see how your DS adjusts.

Mine does and it makes all the difference. They remembered his name right away too. I walked in one day and a woman I hadn't even seen before called out to him. They are fantastic.

Angela814 · March 2013

I think the Y is the only gym near us that offers childcare.

For us it was a bit easier because DD2 was fine going into the daycare if DD1 was with her. When I started going while DD1 was in school, I would just talk to DD2 and let her know she was going to play while I went to exercise. If she cried at drop off, I let her take her paci and blankie in with her. Then I left and worked out, and she was always fine when I came back. You really just have to let them know you'll be back and leave.

I worked full time when DD1 was young, and she went through a period where she cried at drop off every single day even though she loved her teachers and I know she had fun at daycare. There was nothing I could do but say goodbye and leave, so that's what I do now.

SallyAnneS · March 2013

I definitely don't expect them to run it like a normal daycare. But I think anyone that watches a kid should try to engage the kid as the parent leaves the room. For example if I am trying to get him excited about the room and mention that maybe bonnie would like to show him the fun slide she could play along and show him the slide, not just sit there. Kwim?

Dochas · March 2013

amy052006:
Dochas:
hjk5000:
SallyAnneS:
What are the daycare providers like when you drop lo off? I don't know if I just have high expectations but I want them to immediatly be warm, welcoming and invite ds to get right into an activity. We went to one gym today for a tour and we wemt into the child care area so he could see it while we looked at pricing. The lady seemed nice but wasnt stepping in to help uncling ds from my leg. He lot his s**t and I hadn't even left the room.
See, I'm not sure if you can really expect them to do that unfortunately. They're mostly just there to make sure the kids are safe and happy; they're not really a source of entertainment. KWIM?
I'm not saying they shouldn't be welcoming and involved of course. It's just a different expectation than a daycare. I would do a trial run wherever you feel most comfortable to see how your DS adjusts.
Mine does and it makes all the difference. They remembered his name right away too. I walked in one day and a woman I hadn't even seen before called out to him. They are fantastic.
Sure, mine remembers my kids' names too. But it's not their job to pry them off me or run circle time, either. You can't really expect them to operate like actual daycare.
In fact, I have never seen them step in to seperate a child from a parent.

Well, that's what they do at mine. They will come and help ease them into the room. Invite them into an activity. In the beginning they've even nodded at me to go while they walked him over to the trucks. I can't imagine a regular gym daycare doing it and it's why I pay so much to go to the Y. It's likely because it's a big place that offers summer camps and kid's classes year round. There's a director for those and she has a hand in the childcare too.

One day I went the first week, neither women got up or spoke to me. They called me to come and get him because he was crying and acted like they had never seen a 2 year old before. I didn't go back on that day again for a while and now they're both gone.

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