An interesting one this.
Due to the extreme weather, I decided to go for an indoor run today. I hated every minute of it but hey, its 5k in the bank.
When I got to the changing room at SATS there were 6/7 kids, kindergarten age in the changing room. I thought it a bit odd. As luck would have it they were getting changed where my locker was. Another guy was talking to the ‘carer’ that these kids should not be there at peak period or there at all.
I have to say I agreed with him. Now it aint the kids fault nor the teacher/carer, but why is the school sending their 5/6 year olds to SATS at a peak period time?
When I was a referee in the UK we had to do a lot of child protection workshops and of course we were vetted. We were advised that if we had a young linesman under 16, we should not change in the same room. In this day and age it makes sense, so this today was really quite uncomfortable for me.
I went and sat in the sauna until the nippers left.
I spoke with SATS and in a typical Swedish way they did not want confrontation. I said I found it uncomfortable and that for 550 SEK a month I didnt expect to be competing with changing space with the kindergarten kids. The demurely agreed which kind of made me more pissed off.
However when I got back to the office some of my Swedish colleagues were surprised this would bother me so much.
I guess the UK has a lot more child protection laws and regulations in place than Sweden, something I thought I would never say in a country where ‘smacking’ kids for being naughty has been banned for a longtime.
What do you think?
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t really understand the problem. As you know, I have 2 boys and I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable about them being in a changing room with other males around. They’re also members of a gym, for which I pay a princely sum, so are just as entitled to be in the changing rooms at peak time as anyone else. Which part is uncomfortable to you? The fact that they were there, taking up changing space or the fact that you are scared about being accused of something? I can reassure you that most parents aren’t suspicious of everyone we see!
If they are with their carer then they are covered by child protection procedures, aren’t they?
Rebecca you raise some good points.
I have an hour to get in the gym, change, run, shower and change and get back to my desk. You have two boys and you know more than anyone how long it takes for them to change, unchange etc. This was 6 or 7 kids and one adult. One kid was coughing really badly so the other kids were left to run around whilst the carer looked after him.
So yes I was peeved that I couldn’t actually get to my locker because of the kids. Other Swedes were also put out over it. The kids were very sweet and friendly though one was chatting to me about my Hammarby water bottle.
My other grievance was the kindergarden seem to have a commercial arrangement with the gym. This certainly wasn’t the case before. If I knew this to be the case then I may have gone elsewhere. They should at least arrange for them to come at a quiet period rather than the peak period of lunch time. Add to that its minus 10 with a metre of snow then the gym is exceptionally busy right now.
Another point was who knows if the carer has Child Protection training, Things are very different in Sweden. Even now the Education Minister is bringing in new laws to ensure teachers are properly qualified.
Had this been a dad with his two lads I wouldnt have been that bothered, but one carer and 6 or 7 kids running about in a very busy changing room. It just didnt feel right. As I blogged, I have done a lot of Child Protection workshops through refereeing and this went against all advice and guidance we were ever given.
I had the same feelings as you when we first moved to Sweden from the UK, you are not alone. I think though with less people in Sweden they do not feel children need to be protected as much. I guess things are more innocent in Sweden even if its makes us English feel awkward.
I agree with you Shane, it would have made me uncomfortable also, and I am saying this as a mother too. Talking of the child protection issue, we went to see a school the other day, & I couldn’t believe it when I asked if they have an entry pad system so that not just anybody can walk into the school. The headmistress said “No, there’s never been a need for that in Sweden”. I couldn’t believe it! But I think you’re right-we are used to a much tougher society in the UK, and it can make you feel weird when we see people have much more mellow attitudes about things that we would feel the need to be more pro-active about.
On another note, I would find it damned annoying if kids were running about daft in a changing room at the gym!! What a crazy idea by whoever was in charge of them, to take them at peak time!!
I actually felt really sorry for the carer. He did not like being in that position either. I made it clear I understood his position. The other Swede said he had tried to speak to the headmistress but she never returned his calls.
Julie, you are going to love the fact that Sweden is so much more safer than the UK in many ways. Its one of the benefits of living in Sweden. People laugh at me as I am paranoid about security. I remember with my ex freaking out because we left our stuff on the backseats of the car in a car park. I said we should put them in the boot and she didnt get why!!!