A classic soft play AIBU

It’s not a “classic” soft play scenario because you took it upon yourself to ask a mum and her child get out of an area of soft play which is invariably very “energetic” - and that is a pretty 😮 soft play event!

OP I have children who now play elite football at the highest level. At the age of seven there is no way their aim was that good to keep the ball ‘low’ and not hit it that hard. They have one speed. And the balls aren’t proper footballs. They are soft balls for soft play.

There is a football goal and you didn’t like that kids were using it and playing football and taking shots? What did you think it was there for?

If it’s too hard or fast you don’t tell other kids to calm down you take your kids out and go somewhere else. This sounds like pretty entitled behaviour to me.

These other kids did nothing wrong. You didn’t like them playing football in a football area with a football net because they didnt have the accuracy of Messi (and just for reference sometimes Messi misses too) you told them to move and got into an argument with their parent.

Sounds like a you problem.

I'm actually most surprised that the mum of a 7 year old is even watching them and not having a coffee across the way. I wouldn't be following a 7 year old around.

The mum may have told the kids to hit the ball low but tbh it's not like telling a child to stop hitting where you would remove them if they didn't stop, in my opinion, it's more that she was being polite and probably had done enough to tell them but they're just playing football in the soft play and I think you should have gone somewhere else.

If your kid is repeatedly getting hurt, you remove them from the situation. You can’t control how that mum parents their kid so you do what is in your control. Take them out to play in a different area and go back when it’s calmed down

How much was this soft play op?

I loathe them and never take my dc. My toddler now goes to a member only one, we pay a fair bit for a session, but it’s well controlled, a member of staff always hovering around , cleaned daily and thoroughly, and only a certain number of kids allowed in time slots, and grouped according to ages.
I pay extra to not deal with the horrible situations I read on here

DS is 9 and likes the football section. Quite often younger children go in and run round, not playing football and invariably get hit. Unfortunately hiding in the goal means you will get hit.

does your soft play not divide in to ages? Our local one has a 0-2 a 3-5 and a 6-12 area. The football area is in the 6-12, obviously they are not checking IDs but the area is to play football .

Yours sounded too little to be in there.

Those soft play balls couldn’t cause pain even if Ronaldo tried

Why didn’t you mention your son was crying in your op?

At 4 years old… if he felt like he wasn’t enjoying the area, he’d have roamed elsewhere.

Sorry but I would say YABU. In a soft play there are so many areas - your children did not need to be in the football court.

Children get to an age where they really get into football but are too young for teams or places where you can go and play on pitches so these areas in soft play are something they can do. Kicking the ball hard isn’t wrong , it’s what they do when they play football. They were using the area for what it should be used for , the 3-4 year olds were not , they were just playing so they should have been the ones who were taken out.

Got to agree with this. There are parts of the soft play that are not really suitable for a big range of ages to be using them together, I would usher my kids away from older kids in those areas when they were too small until the area was clear again.

I wouldn't expect an excited 7 year old at soft play to "keep the ball low" for smaller kids, or keep out of an area smaller kids are in unless it was specifically an under 5's area.

This is why play gyms catering for different ages are a good idea. Even if they do different hours for different times- e.g under 3, 4-6 and 6+ then sibling mixed hour (if you have children of different ages you are more likely to be more tolerant of boisterous older kids). Been there on all fronts- when your children are little the older ones seem like feral dangerous animals, then when they got older you want to actually enjoy your coffee without hearing they’ve barged into the toddler climbing up the slide or who is randomly sat in a busy area.

I think this is a classic case of OP seeing 6yos as giants compared to her 4yos.

OP, the onus is on you to get in and remove your child. It wasn’t the NBA, you could have gone in and got your dc within 10 seconds, but you wanted to prove a point.

YABU if I let my kid hide or play in a football goal I'd assume they would be hit. The older kids weren't using them as target practice and have as much right as your kids to play there. I would have been really annoyed as the other mum with you trying to tell me what to do

Soft play is hellish. It wouldn't have hurt them to wait a few minutes as several little ones were having a kick around, or to be more mindful. Id also have asked DS to stop to allow the other parent to get their crying child. Lots of parents don't really give a shit though I'm afraid.

YABU you should have removed them. The other mum was probably trying to draw your attention to the fact they could get hurt.

I think you probably should have moved your children and let the older ones keep doing what the area is meant for.

When mine were little I steered them away from the football area, I see that as the area for the older children. I thought the older ones should have a space to play without little ones getting in the way.
When they were babies I put them in the baby area as young children run and jump in the main soft play and again, they should be able to play how they like to play.
I think you should have removed your children, if they were sat in the goal scared they weren't making any good use of the area like the boys who were kicking the ball.

I would definitely just remove my kid.

It's not an issue, it's just not 'football' is it? And the other kids were playing football. It's just how that space is going to be used the minute older kids are around and I would think it's my responsibility to take my children out if they were upset instead of challenging another parent - particularly when it was clear that she wasn't going to do anything anyway.

I have one kid who would have loved it and one who would have been lying on the floor crying so I do understand. But just because my daughter doesn't like that sort of play doesn't mean no one can enjoy it.

Mostly I tried to never challenge other parents because I absolutely hate confrontation. Not always the best move either to be honest!

Soft play is shit. I'm back to it now after a few years. I went to one yesterday with a 7yr old she started playing with another 2 girls. After about 20mins I could hear blood curdling screaming and went to check. My dc was sitting in the ball pit joining in with these 2 girls (aged about 6&8) who were just sitting screaming. I said I hope that's not you screaming, it's so unnecessary. The girls looked a bit shocked.
Mums stood (right next to the netting)scrolling on her phone, oblivious.
Don't think I'm suited to soft play
Why cant parents, parent their dc

@DinoNuggetsRUs

I’m with you! Think you said you were there first, the older children came in and were being inconsiderate to the younger kids and were not listening to what their Mum said.
It should be an area for all to play in and if anyone wants to play more roughly, they wait until the smaller kids have gone.
I think I’d have ‘policed’ it without saying anything. Gone in, played with the younger kids and deflected any hard balls.

Exactly.