about food in soft play

[ShadowFall]

I took DC to a local soft play place.

There are 2 soft play areas, one for over-3's, one for under-3's, and a large cafe adjoining both soft play areas. They have the normal sort of signs up saying food only allowed in the cafe (not in the soft play bit) & only food bought from the cafe to be eaten in the cafe, except for baby food. There's an outside covered picnic area where people can eat their own pack lunches.

I was in the under-3 bit with DS2, and a couple of other mums were in there too. One of them had a couple of tupperware boxes open with food in for her baby - breadsticks, cherry tomatoes, raspberries - and the baby was helping himself to the food and dropping a fair amount of it as well (I don't think the baby can have been much older than 1 yr).

It was bothering me to see the food being eaten there, as it looked messy and unhygenic - but - and this is the bit that's having me wonder if I was being unreasonable to not want them eating proper food in the soft play bit - there were also mums breastfeeding babies from time to time in that bit of the soft play, and that wasn't bothering me at all. Although I can't work out in my head why I was fine with the breasfeeding in the soft play but not with this baby being given solid food in the soft play.

AIBU to think that this mum should have taken the baby to the cafe bit and fed him there?

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

If there's a table and chair area I really don't get the issue. If you mean they were camped on the plastic that's silly for space reasons not anything else.

They do have cleaners and they may have even cleaned up after themselves. You seem po faced for no reason tbh.

[Lottiedoubtie]

No Yanbu it is grim that a small child is allowed to make food mess in the play equipment. It also inhibits the play of the other children around them.

Food to be eaten in the eating area.

BF different as (providing there is enough space) as there is no mess.

[MrsRogerSterling]

So long as the mother picked up the dropped food when finished it wouldn't bother me.

[ShadowFall]

They weren't in the cafe bit, they were in the actual soft play bit where the plastic and soft toys are.

[BonaDea]

I don't think you are being unreasonable. Babies are messy eaters and there is a clear sign saying no food in the soft play area. It gets messy!

Breast or bottle feeding is completely different in my view because the vast vast majority goes into the baby and none on the floor. Also milk is given whenever it is needed whereas the snacks you describe could wait or else be given in the cafe.

[LettertoHermioneGranger]

Yes, the mum should have taken the child to the cafe and fed him there. Those are the rules.

Breastfeeding a baby is entirely different - at worst you have some milk leakage which is usually caught by a blanket - actual solid foods leave crumbs, squashed bits on the floor, it's entirely unhygienic. Also, there are always allergies to consider. A toddler allergic to tomatoes could come by and find a fallen one, what then? Mum might not see it since she's not expecting food in the soft play part. Or baby being fed runs off with peanut butter on his hands and contaminates everything.

I would have said something, or at least asked the soft play workers to have a word.

[lazyhound444]

YANBU. That's minging and one of the many reasons why soft play is the ninth circle of hell. So glad my DCs are well past that now.

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

Ah ok that's totes diff then if actually sat ON the toys/matting.

Either dead as a dodo there or they v stupid. Both probs. Rather grim. Agree 100% then :)