Both my threads in this section have been about playcentres - maybe I should avoid them in future!
We have a lovely big playcentre near us - massive multi-level main play area, mini go-carts, roundabout, huge cafe, party area and an unusually nice baby and toddler area with a slide, ballpool, soft play area and soft climbing area. The baby area is next to the cafe seating and fenced in with a gate that is clearly marked with a height-restriction and a notice saying it is strictly for under-2s.
It is a really nice place for the little ones and we do enjoy going, BUT I would enjoy it a lot more if the parents of the babies and toddlers didn't have to constantly "police" the area and evict much older children. The staff come past regularly and do a sweep of older children, and they are strict about the age and height restriction, but as soon as they go, the older children are back. I have absolutely no problem in telling them they need to leave, but it is pretty embarrassing to have to do so while their parents are standing by watching you evict their arguing offspring, and making no attempt to intervene.
I genuinely do not understand why so many parents think the rules have no purpose and don't apply to their children. I can't keep count of the number of parents I have heard saying to their children "you shouldn't really be in there" while holding the gate open to let them in. And they all react in the same way when another parent or a staff member tells their child to leave. They all say indignantly to the child "See? I told you so." It doesn't matter if you tell them they can't be in there if you then go on to open the gate for them and stand by while they rampage around, flattening toddlers, smiling in that slightly ineffective way while everyone else glares and mutters.
Today I had to personally evict about half a dozen 6/7/8 year-olds in front of their parents who just stood their like shop dummies, doing and saying nothing and had to get staff over three times to remove more children who refused to go on the basis "my mum said I could". On one of these occasions I was also trying to extract my 14 month-old's head from under a large ball that they were pushing over the top of him and the two childrens' mothers were still not saying anything. A dad and a gran were also evicting a similar number of children so it was pretty constant. There was another incident were two children of about 5 and 6 had a fight and in the process flattened a 1 year old. The mother of the younger of the two fighting children shouted at the other mother that her child was too old to be in there anyway, but seemed absoluely gobsmacked when the father of the crying baby tapped her on the shoulder and said "er, neither should he".
I don't understand the reasoning of these parents. Do they genuinely think that their child's enjoyment takes precedence over the safety and enjoyment of all other children? Or are they simply so ineffective that they can't prevent their children from doing exactly what they like? Or do they think the rules are silly and are making a point? Or are they just a bit stupid?
I keep looking around and wondering whether these parents are going to be the same throughout their childrens' lives and whether I am still going to be getting irritated by them at the school gates and at birthday parties for the next 17 years!
Someone please tell me that this is normal and that playcentres actually morph perfectly sensible parents into helpless idiots, otherwise I am going to lock us all in the house until DS turns 18!