To be annoyed play centre held a party at the same time as open session?

I'm going against the grain and agreeing that I would have found that situation awkward and wouldn't choose to take my children in those circumstances. I agree it's a completely different scenario to a large soft play where only a fraction of the children are at private birthday parties.

If they had said at the desk when you pay to get in 'we have a party on just now but you're still welcome to play' would you have said 'actually no thank you we will not play today', wouldn't that scenario have been even more disappointing for your children?

TheY probably can't close entirely for parties or they'd be operating at a loss, unless the party is for the full 30 kids.

Over 90% of people think you’re being unreasonable. Maybe this is a learning opportunity for both you and your child?

Kind post 👏

Just read this update
Yes if it’s booked out for a Party of 25 and only has capacity for 30 then the kind thing to do is not take bookings outside of the party.

There are going to be incidents throughout their lives where they feel confused and upset because something happens in a way they don’t like or don’t expect, and it’s just an important but normal part of parenting to help them learn how to navigate these incidents so that they have the emotional resilience to deal with them.

Some of these replies are veering into playground bullying territory.

Its absolutely ok to feel sad, and to feel sad about being left out.

Surely a reasonable compromise would be for the cafe to say on entry ‘we’re quite full today, there’s a whole class party’.

To turn around the ‘entitled’ accusations, I’d absolutely give a random child a slice of cake and a class of squash or left them chat. I’d just forewarn mum there was no meal or party bag in it, but they were free to cafe and buy their own food to eat alongside kids.

Ive never gained anything by making a child sad, and life is more fun with happy people. Mum of 5 if anyone asks. Have given random kids in park parties the odd snack with parental permission. No one was bothered.

They can't just close to the public every time they have a party. They'd hardly ever be open. I can see why it's disappointing for your child to be the only kid not in the party, but it's just one of those things that doesn't really have a solution.

Not fair?! It’s another child’s party FGS! It’s not a class event where your kids are being excluded! Someone has booked the venue and paid for their child’s friends to have a party there. They don’t know you, they don’t know your kids - you are so entitled it’s unbelievable! Almost like this is a fake post TBH.

I get exactly what you are saying.
Its a shame the venue didn’t appreciate how hurt kids can be when they so obviously will feel left out.
If only your kids ( plus a few others maybe ?)were being left out that’s very sad.
Why open it to other members of the public if it was basically filled up with a booked party.

Seems like the venue aren’t really thinking about all the kids.
So sad OP
Id avoid it in future

Omg are you joking? Imagine thinking your children are entitled to a strangers party 🤣
Also these things are charged per head so I absolutely wouldn’t invite some random kid to join in.

I don’t think that you are being unreasonable and think it’s quite funny that people are falling over themselves to try to make you feel bad.

I'd love to know what Sir Alan Sugar would make of being told business shouldn't be about profit 🤔. He's been getting it so wrong for all these years the poor chap.

I’d have asked you if your kids wanted to join OP but, in your shoes, I’d have tried to sell it to them as a great opportunity to have the space all to themselves.

It reminds me of the posts about school mums, calling them cliques and feeling hacked off you don’t get invited to join. I genuinely think some people feel this entitled.

Ah mumsnet…how I love thee, never change 😂😂😂

If you want to shelter kids from every tiny thing like this in life then they struggle as they get older. It's actually good for their development to learn that life has disappointments and that it's not all about them.

Also you have more than one child so they had each other, it's not like they were all alone.

I just can't see the issue.

@Pookie2022 we've all had 'demanding toddlers' but most of us also have manners

I wouldn’t invite random children we had just met to join my DC’s party, what a strange request. Imagine wanting to join a party full of strangers, in any case. Mind-boggling.

Surprised me ? it bloody shocks me someone unable to understand the business concept of profit focused. 🤣🤣🤣

Tell your children that it's completely fine that some complete strangers are having a party near them. Then tell yourself. Then call your ma ans ask why the hell she didn't teach you that at their age!

oh I really tried. She was 22 months and there was no barrier between the party and the rest of the soft play, so every time I put her down she just ran back. Honestly some people comment as if they’ve never experienced a determined toddler.

They weren't on their own. They had you to play with.

But surely you just tell them it’s a party?. Distract them with chat about a party they had or been to and let them continue to play, in an area that they have now almost entirely to themselves to enjoy.

I honestly don’t understand how this would be an issue at all.