Dear Local YMCA

Oh my. To say that I’m mad doesn’t quite cut it, though I think that it’s mostly the fact that I didn’t sleep well last night, Hubster is working late, Baboo has eaten almost nothing all day again which frustrated me beyond reason, Mouse has been clinging and whining all day and am waiting for some news tonight that’s kind of stressing me out. I did not need this today. And so, yes, I was more than likely less, though marginally so, understanding than I would be on any other day.

To say that I’m embarrassed is also not quite right. Mortified is probably more appropriate.

My kid is the one who pooped in the pool requiring the evacuation of 30-odd people, who raced to the showers in horror after realizing they had been swimming in poop. My child’s poop. I was the mother with the beet red face, dragging her child across the deck, kicking and screaming, snot streaming down her face, praying that the ground would open up and swallow us whole.

Just a few minutes after the girls' swim class started (and the girls take the class with a neighbor friend as well, so yeah, nice) Mouse said “Hey! What’s that brown stuff in the pool?”, and I watched the instructor figure out that it was indeed poop, call the lifeguard to clear the pool. As the girls climbed out of the pool, I realized with a sinking feeling that it was likely Baboo. Sure enough, there it was.


I ran immediately to her and said “Did you poop in the pool?!” which she denied completely despite me pointing it out in her bathing suit.

Baboo has been potty trained for a year now. I can’t even remember the last time we had a poop accident. I thought about swim diapers when the girls started this round of swim lessons, but figured that she’d be ok as she so rarely has accidents. Normally, I wouldn’t care overly much, but when a number of other people are affected drastically and I witness the dirty looks (warranted, I agree) we got as we left the Y, this time I do care. I don’t expect my children to be perfect, but I also don’t want them to think that this is ok. We’ve got a long summer pool season ahead of us and I’d like to nip this in the bud now.


And I feel negligent for not insisting that she wear a diaper for a while longer as she is only 3, regardless of the fact that I thought she'd be fine. I feel like I look like the ‘bad’ or indulgent or careless parent for not putting my little one in a diaper. I feel like I wasn’t following the “rules”, though I know that any child could have an accident at any age. Really, almost any kid “should “ wear a diaper. Maybe she was tired, maybe I wasn’t watching closely enough to catch her before it was too late, but regardless, it’s done and now I have to just feel like, ha, crap for a while and then get over it.

Let me tell ya, bedtime can’t come soon enough tonight.

*edited to add: I did calm down and yes, crap happens. Baboo and I talked last night about how this is not a good thing to do and why. Calmly, without my face flaming. And this morning, I'm done beating myself up over this. I was more upset with myself than I was with Baboo. Swim diapers are definitely on the grocery list though.