Toby Wells YMCA — Local services in San Diego

This review is mainly to let parents of young, potty-trained children know about the Child Watch at Toby Wells YMCA. The Child Watch is in an outbuilding OUTSIDE of the actual YMCA; this outbuilding has NO bathroom attached. So if your young child is fully potty-trained, the Child Watch staff has to take your child from the Child Watch outbuilding to the YMCA building to use an adult restroom with a wooden stool, to aid the child in using the restroom. This young child (2 years old) is then expected to use the bathroom on his/her OWN. YES, on their own! I was told during a tour of the facility that the staff can’t assist your child AT ALL in the adult restroom.

So think of this scenario…a TWO YEAR OLD asks to use the restroom after you drop them there (as a parent, my kid is taken to the bathroom before we go anywhere. So child should not need to go, but this is a two year old) - the Child Watch staff executes taking said child across the street to the YMCA (I must add these restrooms are not designated for Child Watch, anyone can use them), the bathroom is unavailable for use due to occupancy, the bathroom finally becomes available after one minute, the Child Watch staff opens the bathroom door for two year old to use the bathroom, then closes the door for the two year old to do their business (yes, two year old is in bathroom alone). Now think of this developing two year old in a bathroom by themselves trying to push a wooden stool to an adult toilet (the toilet is not lined or cleaned prior to child’s use or specific to only children), the child then sits on this adult toilet (hopefully not getting a disease), then has to push stool to sink and figure out how to wash their hands.

With all these extra steps, my kid has already used the restroom on themselves. AND if your child has an accident, the Child Watch staff does not change your kid. They have to locate you in the YMCA to remedy any accidents.

You only have a 90 minute, REGISTERED Time Slot for Child Watch. I was told another option would be, if your child needs to go to the bathroom, the Child Watch Staff could come find the parent in the YMCA. I don’t know about all two year olds, but my kid wouldn’t be able to hold his bodily fluids that long, if they have to find me within the facility.

The final deal breaker for me in joining this YMCA was being given the option to put my kid in a pull-up during that 90 minute time frame. So all the time and stress of fully potty training my kid is going to be jeopardized for Child Watch. Very inconvenient and an asinine process in my opinion.

I must note that not all YMCA Child Watch’s are the same. As a member of a YMCA in a different state, the Child Watch was completely different and offered better help to parents for newly potty trained children. I’m not sure if this Child Watch situation is isolated to Toby Wells or if all the YMCA’s in San Diego are this way, but in my opinion, YMCA’s are supposed to be family friendly. I am not going to pay over $100 for a family plan and half the time be unable to use the facility because I possibly (I say possibly because my child may not need the restroom some days) may spend the majority of my 90 minute Child Watch slot at Child Watch assisting my kid. I guess this parent keeps looking for family-friendly gyms, which are extremely limited anyway, because it looks like I can’t rely on the YMCA to help me stay fit and healthy.

I gave two stars because the Toby Wells facility is nice, but rendered useless for my family with a young, potty-trained...

We really like this YMCA! Childcare: We have the family membership, so we utilize the childcare every time we go. They have the best hours of all of the YMCA's in San Diego (IMO) and are only closed from 2-3. The staff are fantastic. My son had never been in any form of daycare when we started going so it was a little bit of a rough transition. The staff are absolutely fantastic; they are incredibly attentive and caring when he gets upset, and try to calm him down on their own before they come and get me. Every time they've come to get me I've felt it was absolutely justified, and otherwise they are always warm and happy to see him (even if he doesn't reciprocate). It's been perfect for better socializing him. Classes: The group exercise classes are varied and plentiful. I personally prefer dance-style classes, and wish there were more of them, but there are a lot of options at almost every time of day. The instructors for every class I have attended have been energetic and engaging. Exactly what you want. Individual Exercise Equipment: Fantastic facilities with lots of options here! Plentiful cardio machines of all varieties. They even have 2 of the stair treadmills that are so hard to find! Plenty of circuit equipment, if that's your thing. Both the resistance band style and the weighted style. The small gym has free weights and kettlebells and a wide variety of additional equipment more suited to the "crossfit" style workout. The stretching area leave a little to be desired. It's slightly cramped, but as long as everyone is using the space respectfully it works just fine. Locker Rooms: LOVE that they have free, self-set combo lockers. No need to bring your own lock and plenty of space for a large gym bag. Showers are spacious and hot with decent pressure. They even provide hairdryers and a swimsuit dryer. I haven't used the pool yet, so no opinion there. I also haven't yet taken advantage of the children's classes, but hope to soon. One final note; there is a huge, beautiful playground and picnic area just outside the building. It's awesome. Picnic benches, large grass area, and a huge junglegym for kids.

We really...

Preschool review: Our son attended here a couple years ago at age 3 and his teachers were Ms Ale and Ms Liz. He did well at first and then suddenly hated attending and would cry at drop off. Once upon leaving, I heard Ale yell at him in a very loud voice that I would never use on a 3 year old or anyone else for that matter. When I brought it up to the director Talana, she just dismissed it at her yelling so my son could hear her. Thankfully Ale went on leave and things improved and he really loved his new teachers. Upon her return in the spring, I saw her yell the same way at an autistic child that was new to the class. So we immediately removed our son from the school and lost well over a month of tuition. They also make zero effort to have a parent connection tool. Just a “weekly newsletter” that we also never received. When I asked them to enroll in a preschool application many other schools used, Talana said no. My son is 5 now and we still deal with the shame he experienced at this school. When my son was sick, nobody even cared to ask if he was out like at our other preschools after. It’s really not a warm place. This preschool could be much better if the admin cared enough to listen to the parent’s concerns and not...