Parents not watching their children at soft play centres.

soft play centres are hellish for a host of reasons, and this is one of them. My first child is 12 now and has been to soft play centres many times, and I’ve seen all sorts, including parents who don’t want to be constantly called upon, ‘look at me mum’ or, ‘ watch, come, come up’. Many parents want to grab a drink and sit nose to phone, instead.

I’ve seen urine on slides, dirt balls behind or around the soft play frame, food all over the floor, aggressive kids, aggressive parents, all sorts. It’s for this reason, that I try and steer well clear. I much prefer outdoor play areas.

I couldn't agree more about the lack of basic comprehension skills.

Who said it has to be one or the other? Who said that being seen playing in a soft play with their kids meant being a helicopter parent ALWAYS jumping in?

Again, parents play with their kids, such a non issue.

The lazy ones who spent 2 hours glued to their phones completely ignoring their kids on the other hand...

Local soft play is small, I keep an eye on my children (3 and 8) from the table and will call out if they need help or someone has hurt/annoying them. Though I did have an encounter last week at a different soft play, where a child punched mine right in front of me (parent nowhere to be seen) I put my hand up to stop him and told him off. If he done it again I would've told mine to punch him back.

Big no, with younger kids you go in and supervise. I remember the days looking at parents with older kids having a coffee and thought yes one day! Irresponsible and lazy, also dangerous, honestly some parents...

@bringbackspira exactly! There are a lot of kids, that although are taken to soft play, don't get any actual attention off their parents! Most kids that play independently and are well adjusted aren't terrorising other kids or annoying other parents.

A child who acts up and misbehaves because they want their parent's attention is doing it because they lack that attention all the time. Not just because their parent isn't running about after them constantly in the soft play at that moment. A well adjusted child who has plenty of time and attention from parents knows how to behave themselves and play without adult interaction.

All the children I know behave themselves and play independently at soft play without adult involvement. This is a wide age range. They all have plenty of time and attention from their parents. Soft play is their time to run about with their pals.

🙄

9/10 all the children I've encountered since being a parent who act is disruptive way like this are craving attention from their parents! The amount of times kid's at soft play try and show off and get your attention because their parents are sitting on their phone or laptop!

Mixture of both...the 4 year is certainly ok to be on his own in soft play...the 2 year old needs watching.

@Rfthyhuj

Believe it baby 🙌🏻

I can’t believe people feel so strongly about people playing with their children in the soft play, then.

@Rfthyhuj

I can’t believe people feel so strongly about people playing with their children.

Again with the total lack of comprehension/woeful misrepresentation. Where have I said I don't think people should play with their children? 🙄 This is specifically about soft plays.

If you jump about in a soft play when there are only 3 other children in there, fine. Knock yourself out.

I think it's ridiculous of adults to climb about in them when soft plays are busy. Previous posters have said their local soft plays have signs up saying adults are not allowed. It's a bloody liability when a 15 stone man is knocking children over because the place is rammed. Save playing with your kids for where it's appropriate.

My nephew can be trusted, he just likes me to go in and play with him. Loads of parents do it, and I’ve never seen them get in the way. The kids like it.

At ours the smaller children are allowed on the big side with adult supervision during the off peak school hours. I can’t believe people feel so strongly about people playing with their children.

@Rfthyhuj

If a child can't be trusted to play in there on their own then they shouldn't be going. That is like the soft plays I remember going to when they first opened in Scotland, with drop slides and so on. Adults did not go in.

It’s the same in playgrounds but yes, worse at soft play centres.

I went to a soft play place recently for dds friends birthday parties. There’s a little part that had balls and basketball nets in it. We went in and this lad (about 6/7 years old) started full pelting the balls, kicking them as hard as he could. One ball hit dd on the back of her leg, one hit me on my shoulder. I gave him a stern telling off but he just looked at me & carried on doing it, so we left. He ended up hurting another lad about 5 mins later who was crying in pain, rubbing his back. A random parent went up to the crying lad to comfort him & ask where his parents were. They were completely oblivious, sat at a table chatting. The lad who was kicking the ball eventually got turfed out by his dad but it went on for way too long because no one was paying attention.

Good! Somewhere with some bloody sense

@Epicaricacy

Another poster who lacks basic reading comprehension skills

but no, playing with your kids doesn't make you like a total bellend.

It's quite clearly context specific. You don't need to play with your child in every single situation in life. Soft plays are for children to run around in, not full grown adults.

I really don't think it's superior parenting to insert yourself into children's play in a place that's not intended for adults. It's important that they play without grown-ups too and develop that independence.

They can play with their parents at home, the beach, the forest, the park, the playground, trampoline and inflatable parks etc etc etc.

Well, at my local soft play, there is a big sign, saying 'no adults on the equipment', so we don't have much of a choice! It's on multiple levels and the kids just disappear into it, and the adults cross their fingers and hope for the best!

I am soooo glad my son is past that stage. I have quite a few incidents but the one that sticks in my mind was the six or seven year old boy that walked up to my son and shoved him over hard before I could react. My son got up smiled at me and toddled off. The boy turned to me and said “why isn’t he crying? I wanted him to cry” 😡. When he went for my son again I took him back to his childminder and told her what he had done, she just shrugged.

I am sorry but moaning about someone for playing with their kids rather than sitting on your arse and ignoring them? Not the superior one here.

But yes, it’s my pet peeve. My older boy is 5 and I can now trust him but only recently! And I still keep an eye from a distance/check in on him regularly. But he is generally quite sensitive and the worst he will do is generally find some poor unsuspecting child and chat their ears off (unless you are his brother 😅)

I remember once chatting to a couple of other mums at soft play as we were watching our kids from a short distance- there was one kid being an absolute terror and we were moaning about parents that don’t watch their kids.

then one said “omg and now that child pushed that little one down the slide!” And I realised it was my older child pushing his brother right on cue 🤣

if your children haven't mastered basic manners and only behave like total bullies, then yes, you should be in there supervising and being feral.

You know the difference, all the kids do. Most children know how to take turn but sadly there's always a little brat trying to spoil the fun. We all know what kind of parents they have.

nice try
but no, playing with your kids doesn't make you like a total bellend.

Most normal adults are able not to shove little ones out of the way and not to be a nuisance you know?

Kids play with kids, sometimes play with their parents, big deal. What makes you superior for "playing in the sand" 😂😂

Other children who try to jump in and play with the only adult giving their kid some attention are a nuisance. Too much effort for their parents to play with them for a bit, how sad.