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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

263 replies

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 16:41

I went to a little role play cafe today with my children. It’s only small so probably only capacity for about thirty kids. Fine except today there was a birthday party which was pretty much the whole centre. So after an hour or so of play pretty much every other child there went and sat at a table with food, balloons and cake and were playing party games.

I have had this before at soft play and obviously it happens but at soft play it’s bigger and less obvious and when the children go to eat and play games it’s in a separate room. This wasn’t.

AIBU? I felt a bit sad for mine as they’d struck up friendships with some kids playing and then they were left almost alone!

OP posts:
Tristar15 · 08/12/2024 17:32

One of the most ridiculous posts I’ve ever read 😂
Are you going to come on here moaning every time your kids feel a bit left out? Time to pull up your big girl pants and accept that there will be times that they’re not included, for many reasons, and teach them to be resilient about it.

CatamaranViper · 08/12/2024 17:32

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 17:28

I definitely don’t think we should have joined in the party. That would be entitled! But I also think we were out in an awkward position and the enjoyment of the session was compromised. So I don’t think they should have taken bookings. Yes, they are a business but that doesn’t mean it should purely be about profit.

I highly doubt it's profit they're after, more making ends meet, being able to afford staff wages, pension contributions, utilities, rent, rates, insurance etc. Running a small business is a nightmare these days.

They're hardly Scrooge McDucking into piles of pound coins.

Phase2 · 08/12/2024 17:31

It's just unfortunate that you were the only other non party people really.. so it felt a bit weird. No one's fault just a thing that happens.

Pookie2022 · 08/12/2024 17:30

I had this recently at a tiny soft play, my dd is too young to understand the party wasn’t for her so just went and joined in. Luckily the parents were very understanding about her demands for cake 😂

Onceachunkymonkey · 08/12/2024 17:30

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 17:28

I definitely don’t think we should have joined in the party. That would be entitled! But I also think we were out in an awkward position and the enjoyment of the session was compromised. So I don’t think they should have taken bookings. Yes, they are a business but that doesn’t mean it should purely be about profit.

Op, most kids understand they can’t attend a strangers birthday party. I understand your kids struggled, but you can’t expect a business to simply shut down if they habe a party. Maybe next time phone ahead.

RunningJo · 08/12/2024 17:29

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 16:57

It was that everyone in the room went and did fun activities they couldn’t do. Obviously as adults we understand it but they didn’t and were a bit confused and upset.

As a parent, if your child is upset, it’s then your job to explain that it was someone’s party.
If they aren’t old enough to understand that, then they aren’t old enough to feel left out of something that kids (they even don’t know) moved on to do.

Sorry OP, I think you’re being a bit unreasonable in this instance

rubyslippers · 08/12/2024 17:29

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 17:28

I definitely don’t think we should have joined in the party. That would be entitled! But I also think we were out in an awkward position and the enjoyment of the session was compromised. So I don’t think they should have taken bookings. Yes, they are a business but that doesn’t mean it should purely be about profit.

Pretty sure business is only about profit
this happens all the time at soft plays and other entertainment places
they can’t afford to shut for parties - their costs are their costs

Hobnobswantshernameback · 08/12/2024 17:29

Not purely about profit
ye gods I've heard it all now

Boredboring · 08/12/2024 17:29

I get it op. I booked a workshop for my children only when we booked it it seemed to be at the same time as a birthday party and we were the only ones not part of it. It was really awkward and we felt like we had gate crashed someone's party. Definitely wouldn't have went had I known.

CatamaranViper · 08/12/2024 17:29

How many children do you have OP?

Hobnobswantshernameback · 08/12/2024 17:29

Ha ha ha
you're funny op

Original poster
Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 17:28

I definitely don’t think we should have joined in the party. That would be entitled! But I also think we were out in an awkward position and the enjoyment of the session was compromised. So I don’t think they should have taken bookings. Yes, they are a business but that doesn’t mean it should purely be about profit.

OP posts:
notacooldad · 08/12/2024 17:27

My kids are nearly 30years old. Soft play centres run parties at the same time as public sessions when they were toddlers so it's nothing new.
I honestly can't see what you are upset about. All the children play for a bit and then are called by the party organiser to regroup. It's not sad. You just say oh, it looks like it's that little girl's birthday.......and that's it!

I can't remember feeling sad for my children when it was someone they didn't know having a party, why would I?

Floralnomad · 08/12/2024 17:23

YABU and a bit ridiculous . This is a business trying to make money .

Jostuki · 08/12/2024 17:22

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 16:57

It was that everyone in the room went and did fun activities they couldn’t do. Obviously as adults we understand it but they didn’t and were a bit confused and upset.

It's your job as a parent to tell them it's a private party and if they don't understand then leave.

Cattenberg · 08/12/2024 17:20

YANBU OP. I think that must have been quite awkward! We've been to soft play when parties have been going on, but as you say, the invited children ate in a separate party room. Also, there are normally lots of children playing who aren't at the party.

In future, I'd phone up beforehand to ask if there will be a party on at the same time. Or go to a bigger venue.

AbigailsPartyFrock · 08/12/2024 17:18

Based on the poll currently, 96% of people disagree with you.

Does that change your thinking at all, @Hohohoididnotgo?

TofuTart · 08/12/2024 17:17

ComtesseDeSpair · 08/12/2024 17:15

The play centre is a business. If they have capacity for other children as well as the booked party then they’re going to fill that capacity. High demand periods make up for the lean periods where they aren’t very busy. If they didn’t make the most of it, they’d go bust. It isn’t for the play centre to preempt that your children might make play with some of the party children and then be sad when they had to leave. Many children would be delighted to have the play centre more or less to themselves, no queuing for the best areas and loads more space!

Edited

Cross posted, and yeah, what you said!.

Eddy334 · 08/12/2024 17:17

Wow you seem very entitled that your children SHOULD have got some food and joined in the party. Get a grip

TofuTart · 08/12/2024 17:16

Hohohoididnotgo · 08/12/2024 17:10

No of course I didn’t. I do think the play centre should just have had the party on and not accepted any additional bookings. That’s all.

Show quote history

They're a business, and businesses can't afford to turn paying customers away just because one set of parents might get upset that there's a party going on as well that their child isn't invited to, or a child who (understandbly) might be confused/upset at first but isn't told what's happening in an age appropriate way

ComtesseDeSpair · 08/12/2024 17:15

The play centre is a business. If they have capacity for other children as well as the booked party then they’re going to fill that capacity. High demand periods make up for the lean periods where they aren’t very busy. If they didn’t make the most of it, they’d go bust. It isn’t for the play centre to preempt that your children might make play with some of the party children and then be sad when they had to leave. Many children would be delighted to have the play centre more or less to themselves, no queuing for the best areas and loads more space!

Nc929393 · 08/12/2024 17:15

I thought you were gonna say you were the party host and were annoyed that random kids had been allowed to help themselves to the chips or something. That would be a fair annoyance. But in the situation you describe I don’t think there’s an issue.

Womblewife · 08/12/2024 17:13

You seem annoyed that your kids were not included in a birthday party for kids they didn’t know

RosieLeaf · 08/12/2024 17:12

Yabu, do you have an issue telling your kids that there’s a party going on? Surely they don’t expect to be part of a stranger’s party.

Nolegusta · 08/12/2024 17:10

Do you always feel so....entitled?