14yo son and steam room/sauna

Spendless

Recently we stopped overnight at a hotel to attend a family event. I went swimming with the kids and there was a steam room and sauna at side, which son said he's always wanted to try. He wasn't able to as the age limit was 18. I said I had a vague feeling that I'd read of some that will allow 14yo's in accompanied by an adult and sure enough Center Parcs does this. I am tempted to book a half day next time an offer comes up, but I also think will he decide he doesn't like it after 5 minutes and it'll be a waste of money, or he'll feel uncomfortable because it's mostly women in there.

Has anyone done this with their mid-teen son or any other suggestions re where we could go?

surveyqueenuk

Do any of the council pools/leisure centres have steam rooms/saunas at all? Might be worth a look, I know ours do single-sex sessions and youth sessions.

browneyedbazzi

Where in the country are you?

My health club has a pool, steam room and sauna and you can get a guest day pass (kids are allowed it accompanied by an adult at particular times/days of the week). There might be something similar in your area. I don't know what Centre Parks costs because I've never been, but I think a day pass at my club costs about £10.

Spendless

I'm in South Yorkshire. I've just been googling but looks like one potential council ran one has closed and can't currently find an age limit on the other.

TheEffect

Check out your local gyms. My local Virgin Active has 3 steam rooms, and they are always giving out free 'day' passes for non-members to try it out.

Off topic, but this thread reminded me of the time I went to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Drinking alcohol for most of the day, a lack of water, and way too long in the steam room, well... wasn't a great combination.

PasturesNew

He probably thinks they're full of half naked Swedish girls ....

C_Mababejive

Ive only been in a steam room once in a posh hotel when on hols with OH. We just wanted to check it out. After 5 mins a guy walked in ,sat down and dropped his towel. We felt he thought something might happen for him. A friend recently told us that their daughter who is 19 went in a hotel sauna having used the gym/pool and a guy came in,dropped his towel showing a full erection and made an ..ermm,.,.improper suggestion to her. My point is, it seems that some undesirables see sauna cabinets as hook up locations so take care with children.

Savvy_Sue

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Ive only been in a steam room once in a posh hotel when on hols with OH. We just wanted to check it out. After 5 mins a guy walked in ,sat down and dropped his towel. We felt he thought something might happen for him. A friend recently told us that their daughter who is 19 went in a hotel sauna having used the gym/pool and a guy came in,dropped his towel showing a full erection and made an ..ermm,.,.improper suggestion to her. My point is, it seems that some undesirables see sauna cabinets as hook up locations so take care with children.

DH takes a sauna nearly every other day, and I sometimes join him. He'd prefer not to wear trunks and that is the norm in some European countries (not just costumes optional, but nakedness required).

However, I've never seen any inappropriate behaviour or heard improper conversations: hotels / gyms, here / abroad, naked / costumed.

Best bet, once you've found a sauna which will let a 14 year old in, is to find a chap to take him, one who knows his way around a sauna and steam room. The key thing is to make sure you cool down properly between each 'hot' session, and at the end, otherwise you will feel bleurgh.

and whatever you do, do NOT allow him to look up 'sauna' in the yellow pages and phone around to ask for prices and opening hours. :rotfl:

DKLS

He should be fine in this country, but europe can be trickier for a hormonal teenager.
I was invited to a Directors house for a BBQ in finland whilst working there, he invited me to a sauna, and in there was his stunning wife and two teenage daughters without a stitch on, I didn't know where to look and it took all my effort to keep focused especially when the wife beat me with birch twigs!

Savvy_Sue

DKLS wrote: »

He should be fine in this country, but europe can be trickier for a hormonal teenager.
I was invited to a Directors house for a BBQ in finland whilst working there, he invited me to a sauna, and in there was his stunning wife and two teenage daughters without a stitch on, I didn't know where to look and it took all my effort to keep focused especially when the wife beat me with birch twigs!

:rotfl: Finland is where DH was introduced to the sauna. Generally, he says, men and women sauna-ed separately but that may just have been the couple he was staying with.

When you meet naked people, best advice is to concentrate on the face. That way you stand some chance of being able to recognise them should you meet them with their clothes on.

dandelionclock30

Theres a Turkish baths with steam room near where I live and the all mens sessions had to be shut down due to basically it being used for gay sex/cruising etc.
If men want to go now they have to go to the mixed sessions and keep their trunks on at all times. I think its sad that places like this are spoilt for genuine people by the selfish behaviour of others.