To expect mums not to hang out in the soft play ball pool?

[MammyT]

In the local soft play, a group of about SIX mothers of small toddlers sat in the ball pool of the Under 4s area and had a long chat for about an hour. Then they moved upstairs in the climbing frame to loiter elsewhere.

My kids (also toddlers) wouldn't go anywhere near them so the slide and ball pool were out of bounds to them. In any case, there was no room for the kids to get through the group of mums.

AIBU to expect that these mums sit in the ballpool for under 2s, or even go to a local cafe, and leave the actual frame for kids who can (mostly) wander unsupervised?

Ask the staff to ask them to move to one side and let the children have free rein of the equipment.

Did they not have children with them?

Yes they had toddlers, of about 12-18 months old at a guess.

I didn't mention it to staff at the time as the place was quite empty (bar all the mums in the ball pit!) and it would have been quite obvious that it was me who complained

If you get in too, with your toddler, would that work? At least you would all be playing.

If the other mummies shun you and get out = problem solved!

YANBU, they could have sat just outside the ball pit surely.

That's so weird of them! Who does that? I would have asked the staff to remove them too.

Bugger them...who cares if they know you complain...they don't care about anyone else.

I don't think the staff would have had to say that anyone actually complained, surely they could have just asked them to move? Anyway, I think they needed their heads examined to actually sit voluntarily in a toddlers ball pool. They are vile. Have you ever seen what they look like when you take all the balls out for cleaning?! Bleurgh!

Indeed. Just tell them ball pools are full of piss and they will move sharpish.

Maybe you should just teach your toddlers not to be so scared of other mummies and babies?

The place wasn't busy, they were in there with their kids and they don't have crystal balls so wouldn't have known your kids wanted to play but were to scared of them.

My toddlers are fine when they meet adults doing normal adult things, but hanging out in ball pools is not normal adult behaviour!

They'd also be shy of 12 year olds, which is why kids are separated by age in this particular soft play (under 2s, under 4s and under 8s).

Mums gossiping in the ball pool is nothing compared with Dads in the upper reaches of the indoor play-centre structure, micromanaging games and shepherding their spindly kid through the cargo netting. That's why these places usually offer a coffee bar and some comfy chairs.... Staff should have removed the little coven, really.

At least they are watching their kids. 12-18 month old are too young to be wandering around on their own, even at a soft play.

The amount of times I've had to extricate someone elses baby from a dangerous situation in a play area is ridiculous..

Be glad they actually know where their kids are, most people who go to my local soft play don't appear to give a toss as long as they can eat their cake in peace.

I wouldn't go in a ball pool if you paid me. Do you KNOW how often kids pee themselves in ball pools?

Oh ive seen this before too. I love going to soft play centres with my DD's and usually go up with DD1 and follow her round if she asks me to, but am always aware that it is really for the children!! So i try to stay out of everyones way. You always get the parents who pay, then go order a huge lunch and sit around talking while their kids are doing god knows what. Then you get those who sit on the equipment talking and ignoring supervising their kids. The amount of times ive had to help someones child and also pull them off mine while parents are having a good old natter over lunch...

The staff should have asked them to move. I don't think i would have complained either if it wasn't very busy..