Play Centre Etiquette

[Kafri]

Right mums, what are the rules in these places??

DS is 14 months. He's not walking confidently so I keep him to the baby bits of the centre. We were at 2 different ones last weekend - one said baby bit was 0-3, the other 0-2.
DS was pushed around by older kids at the first one and at the second one I didn't dare let him near the slide as there were that many older kids in it clambering up and down the slide.
The staff kept announcing over the tannoy for kids older than 2 to come out but they just left for 30 secs and then straight back in.

A friend knows one of the mums who was at both play centres and has said that her little girl is renowned for being boisterous. Her mum was sat with her head in a book the whole time. Surely if you know your child is older than the age limit and is also boisterous you'd make an effort to keep them in the older kids bit so they can't hurt the little ones who are unsteady on their feet?

[KatyN]

I asked some big boys to play away from a little tot yesterday in a play centre. I wasn't with any of the children involved but I did it nicely and explained the problem to the big boys.

I think you can ask the boisterous ones to play elsewhere if you do so kindly and point out where else they can play. However I think you have to accept there will always be someone bigger and rougher in a play centre.. Even if they are just a few months older!

K

[Kafri]

I think it was the Sunday one that bugged me. It was the first time we'd been to that particular one and DS couldn't get on the baby bit. The kids in there were well over the 2 year limit.
I'm not mean I don't mind them having fun but when it's cost me 4quid to get him in somewhere, it would be nice if he could get into the bit he's the right age for.

I just couldn't help thinking that when DS is bigger, if they're announcing it on the tannoy for older kids to come out, I couldn't just sit there and watch DS run straight back in - I'd be belling him myself to play on the older kids bit.

I'm not generally pfb about him. I don't pander to his every whim but if would be nice if we pay to go somewhere he actually gets to use it without being thrown around and knocked off things or pulled away so bigger kids can get through.
I wouldn't care, the big slide looked far more entertaining than the little soft play one anyway.

[mummyxtwo]

It's always a pain when that happens at soft play centres and some police it better than others. I do think it's the responsibility of the parents to supervise them and ensure they aren't rampaging through the section for smaller children though. Some parents completely ignore their offspring and while I totally understand the need for a break and a sit down, it can be carried a bit too far. I remember one older boy constantly harrassing the little ones when ds1 was about 3yo. I found ds1 cowered in a corner with this other boy slapping him, and his mum continued to turn a blind eye. Quite annoying when you wouldn't let your own child behave like that, or would at least intervene if you saw them behaving badly. Rather than approach parents, which I am generally too much of a wuss to do (unless my maternal protective instincts have been provoked and I am on the warpath!) I just tell the older children "this bit is for the babies, guys" and hope they clear off.