...about behaviour at soft play?

[CurlyBoy]

I'm pretty new to this dad thing as our 20 month old little boy has only been with us for 11 weeks. We've been to several soft play places trying to find the best one but I find I get pretty annoyed at two things.

1. It clearly says socks must be worn at all times so why do some parents let their kids run amok without them?

2. In the toddler area where it clearly says 0 to 3 years why why do some parents let their clearly much older kids play in there?

Am I being unreasonable to be really annoyed by this? Clearly the socks rule is for hygiene and the age ranges for safety. Why do they let their kids do this? Are they simply feckless or do they just not care about other families?

Do I need to get a grip and lighten up or do others feel the same way?

To ans the socks must be worn reasons are
A] Hygiene verrucas, athletes foot etc.
B] Crap carpets are rough and cause friction burns
C] The fast slides [outside toddlers area] can also cause friction burns. [we had no shorts rule long trousers rules, but girls in dresses/skirts were ok [onfused] ]
We used to sell slipper socks at a hugely inflated cost [but these socks gave DC a grip going up the steps and running around.

a) if their children get verrucas it's their problem
b) if the older children are being rough with the younger ones then say something. It is equally annoying when people let their toddlers in with the big kids so they can't tear around doing what older children do because of a tiny one getting in the way.

Just to echo some of the other posters here:

1. socks - this is the least, the absolute least of your worries in soft play. The things that are wiped on plastic surfaces doesn't bear thinking about. It is also highly likely that socks are removed by the children rather than the mothers/carers, although some mothers/carers are amazingly blinkered when it comes to what their little devils darlings are up to.

1. older children should not be playing in a toddler area however, speaking as the mum to the child who was always waaaaaayyyyy bigger than his peers, the children concerned are not always older. For example, my DS at 2yo was wearing 3-4yo clothes. He is now 11 and wears clothes for a 14-16yo!

Congratulations on becoming a Dad, btw.

I agree with most of the above.

My first job was a playleader/ party host in a soft play.

Socks are, as mentioned above, to stop children catching themselves in holes, yes it does prevent make it harder to climb the slide the wrong way and also lots have a fast friction type drop slide and prevents friction burns to the back of feet. (reason most also suggest long bottoms and tops).

congratulations on your boy btw

Now the weather is nicer (ignoring the rain over the next few days!) a child that age loves an open field with ball, park etc. Much more relaxing for parents too.

My advice would be to choose your softplay visiting times. Before DD started school, we just tried to go during school hours, and now we tend to go quite early on the weekend (more or less when it opens - about 10am ish) and I entice DH to join us as they do a cooked breakfast there!

Agree that the older kids in baby bit is annoying. Sometimes it might be because they have younger siblings - I know my DD always used to want to go in the baby area when DS was tiny.

As for socks - my DD is a master at removing them without anyone seeing. She often claims to have stored them in a push along vehicle of some kind and i then have to spend 10 minutes searching them all, only to spot them halfway up the older kids climbing area.

X posts with canyou and wonders if we worked the same place and she was my boss who made me wash and hoover the ballpool

Some people do care, others don't....soft play is just like real life!

I don't worry too much about socks. I thought they were to protect their delicate little toes from the soft play ropes etc.

As for older children in the U3s or U5s then I ask just remind the children that the area is for the little children. Often they don't realise and soon skuttle off.

Contests on your DS!

I take my 13month DS to our localsoft play and he loves it! Especially the ball pool (so no more horror stories please!!!) wenow even have a paddle pool full of balls in our front room!

I do tell the older kids not to play rough though, cos from experience by the time I've located a member of staff and told themsomeone has already been hurt! Only if they are being rough/giddy throwing balls etc not if they are just playing with siblings..

As for the sockthing I don't really notice, and as posted earlier kids do taken them off! I getmore annoyedat the mums and dads who think it's acceptable to go in with shoes on!

Congrats not contests!!! Damn iPhone!!

Youarekidding unless you worked in Irl and I was the bitch manager setting up the place then maybe but in fairness I gave my staff weekends off if they needed it and dealt with the insane BFP MY CHILD COULD DO NO WRONG parents
TBH it was hard job but was a gold mine we used to have to do safe deposit drops twice a day at weekends and we were allowed have Euro 10,000 on the premises.
The children never minded being turfed out of toddlers area it was their parents who complained as it meant older DC could go off and play and they had to mind their toddler themselves.

No wasn't Ireland.

My manager wasn't a bitch and I doubt you were. In fact from the first month she'd cash up and leave so I would do tidy (hence the ball pool clean!) And after a month left me running daytimes on my day off from college. It was quiet in afternoons and she said I could study when jobs done. Loved her. Its very sucessful and still as popular now 14 a few years later. (she also gave me a big discount on DS b'day party there)

I agree about the parents being annoyed at older children being removed from under 5's area. Most left them to 'babysit' younger siblings whilst they have a coffee and chatted

Ah, the socks!! DS1 almost always manages to lose his at some point. He goes in, they're on, he comes out, they're gone.

I spend an inordinate amount of time being barreled out of the way by sweaty youngsters as I try to negotiate balls on ropes, sticky ladders and bouncy floors in a fruitless search for DS's socks. I can never find them. Buried in the ball pit no doubt, or picked up by the other half a dozen sock hunting parents I pass on my travels, thinking it's their DC's.

It's life I'm afraid. You will one day experience it too .

Thanks for the congrats everyone! It's been a long road but we are so happy we finally have a little one!

I think I've been a bit of a so called "helicopter parent". I think it's partly that we had no idea what he's capable of and how resilient he is. It's also because he's not 100% officially ours yet so we don't want to break him!

He loves to take his socks off at home but never seems to at soft play. Too busy I suppose. I just figured parents would find the socks and get their kids to put them back on. Since I haven't had to hunt for any yet I hadn't thought about the realities of this! As for the big kids I'll just have to prefect my death stare and tell them off if necessary!

Agree with everyone else. And no need to use a Deathstare on older children unless they are misbehaving in the toddler area. Little children grow into big children , you know

And congrats. I have 3 boys and at 20 motnhs, they were fab...now 9,6 & 4 and still fab

I don't know what diseases people think their children might catch from other children's feet?!

but also, congratulations CurlyBoy, how lovely. And I agree about the Deathstare.

I never make mine wear socks, never seen a sign at our regular one that they should, if dd aged 2 does she slips A LOT so can't climb well etc!

Soft play is a nightmare, I only go first thing on weekdays and its empty!

We've found that between 1 and 4pm are the best time at our local soft play.

Like I said before I quite enjoy going. I think it's good fun getting in the ball pool with him and playing with the toys and jumping on things. I guess I've never really grown up (at 42!) and feel like I missed out not having places like this when I was a lad. Seriously, I'm NOT hovering... I'm just having a nice time! :)