...about behaviour at soft play?

[CurlyBoy]

I'm pretty new to this dad thing as our 20 month old little boy has only been with us for 11 weeks. We've been to several soft play places trying to find the best one but I find I get pretty annoyed at two things.

1. It clearly says socks must be worn at all times so why do some parents let their kids run amok without them?
   
   
2. In the toddler area where it clearly says 0 to 3 years why why do some parents let their clearly much older kids play in there?
   
   Am I being unreasonable to be really annoyed by this? Clearly the socks rule is for hygiene and the age ranges for safety. Why do they let their kids do this? Are they simply feckless or do they just not care about other families?
   
   Do I need to get a grip and lighten up or do others feel the same way?

[5318008]

you need to bring these issues to the staff's attention

something for you to think about:

the child without socks may have sensory issues

[BooBooGlass]

Feckless? Nope. I imagine their toddler just takes great glee in taking their socks off. Trust me, you'll learn.

[AtYourCervix]

softplay is hell. avoid like the plague unless you are

a. really desperate to get out of the house and it has been raining for a minimum of 6 weeks solidly

and

b. able to filter out the noise and all other children and parents.

or

c. really really thick skinned tolerent.

[AtYourCervix]

and congratulations.

[MumblingRagDoll]

The sock thing I don't worry about. Kids get germs...they just do so don't sweat it.

The toddler space...if you see big kids in there, quietly tell the assistants and they'll gently move them on. No harm done.

[Tryharder]

My son starts off wearing socks at softplay but "loses" them somewhere in the ballpit. We are not feckless.

I think 20 months is a bit young for softplay really.

[WincyEtNightie]

I can't get too het up about other children's socks. Personally I try to follow the rules if I can but frankly soft play (and children generally!) is such a germ fest that unless said child clearly has a verucca verrucca growth I wouldn't stress.

Older children in toddler zone - at least when toddlers are in there - is a different issue IMO. But I'm happy enough to tell them, politely, to play elsewhere or at least to mind the smaller ones myself. Yes, one day some overly defensive mother will square up to me but I'll cope with that when it happens.

[vouvrey]

and how exactly do you stop your dcs taking their socks off in the ball pool?

yes it's unhygeinic but if you were that concerned about hygeine then you wouldn't go to a sp at all

sometimes older sibling go into the younger areas to help their siblings out, I think that is perfectly reasonable

[wisecamel]

Sorry, but since you asked, I think you need to lighten up. Keeping socks on a toddler can be a nightmare and some of the four and five year olds might be playing in the little'un section with younger siblings. When mine were little, doing public soft play without one being bitten or hitting another child would have been a successful trip.

[Panzee]

Congratulations.
Just remember that soft play is a jungle. In hell.
Manky feet are the least of your worries. There used to be a thread on here about gross things, and many of them were found in ball pits. :o

[CurlyBoy]

I actually quite like going to soft play. True, I've hardly been out of the house for the last three months and this may be clouding my judgement!

I guess I'm just a bit hung up on the rules and being too much of a "new" parent. I actually hadn't thought of saying something to the staff about the older kids. I'll save that for next time.

AtYourCervix - Thanks! :)

[CurlyBoy]

Thanks also MadamDeathstare and Panzee!

[AtYourCervix]

it's not the socks you need to worry about. it's what's lurking at the bottom of the pall pool eeeeew

[Newrumpus]

As long as your DC is wearing socks you don't need to worry about it.

I have asked older kids to leave the toddler area if they are playing rough but sometimes they are playing nicely with a baby sibling.

And choose your time - when they are very busy these places can be hard and kids get shoved/bumped.

[AtYourCervix]

x post with panzee

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

i was also told that the socks thing is ALSO a safety issue - lots of these soft play places have climbing "nets" to cross over gaps etc - if a little un gets a toe caught but is in full flight running across, you are talking a broken toe, sprained ankle etc - think like catching yourself in a rabbit hole! so socks are worn to prevent this - some trampoline places we go to also insist on socks so that little toes don't get caught in gaps. Just a thought.

[thegruffalosma]

The socks thing I've always thought is for a) verrucas which you won't have to worry about if your child has socks on and b) to make it more difficult for kids to climb up the slide.
If there are older kids in the under 3's behaving themselves I just let them be. If they're being rough and pelting each other, and my psb, with balls then I get a member of staff to remove them.

[Booandpops]

Best to go first thing as it opens to avoid crowds and leave by 11.30. Much more civilised. Also do sf on a hot day it Willbe empty. I'm anti social. :)

[NettoSuperstar]

Congratulations on becoming a parent :)

Soft play is hell, not that much fun, I'd avoid at all costs.

Go to the park, it's better, and your DC is less likely to fall over in vomit, walk through piss, and come to show you a really big poo.

Oh and wherever you go, take a flask, unless you enjoy paying £2 a cup for lukewarm dishwater.

If you want to make friends, take home made cookies, for the other parents and wine.

Good luck.

[AtYourCervix]

about the only reason i am glad i now own teenagers. i need never ever ever be forced to softplay ever again.

[canyou]

I used to work in a soft play and weI would let less senior staff members would put the balls from the under 3's area into a washing machine in the evening, hoover out the ball pit and spray it with disinfectant it was disgusting what was pulled out of there, we even usd to have children pee and pooh in there [vomit]
Guess where my DC never get to go I am a mean mummy
But do tell staff and do not approach other parents who seem to think that their PFB can do no wrong
Oh and Congrats on your new DC

[sneaker]

Ah we had a great time at soft play on Sunday. I would challenge anyone to guess what snack I saw sneaked into the place though ?

[exhausted2011]

why is it a hygiene thing? my child's feet are quite clean!
I always think if they have their socks on, its too slippy

anyway soft play can be great if you find a good one, but can be hell on earth.
children are horrible sometimes, and then you get the parents that ignore them, let them get away with terrrible bullying behaviour, and then you get the helicopter parents with the pfb's.