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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to hate soft play

108 replies

EmmaandJacob · 20/05/2012 20:55

I hate soft play, don't know why just can't stand the germ filled horrid places!!!
I am not a germaphope in any way, and I don't mind lots of kids running around, I would just rather go to the park, play in the garden or play games inside if rainy. I have a 2.5 ds and a 3 month old ds, my mum friends make comments implying I ama being selfish and need to get over it, not in so may words just comments like but those places are for the children and 2.5 can run around enjoying himself while you concentrate on ds2 have been a few times now and just can't learn to love the place!
X

OP posts:
upahill · 20/05/2012 20:57

YANBU
I was so glad when mine grew out of them.
They bored the arse off me!!

scuzy · 20/05/2012 20:59

yanbu if you dont like them you dont like them. i do.

scuzy · 20/05/2012 21:00

then again ds only goes when there is a party on i do prefer the park myself.

LingDiLong · 20/05/2012 21:00

Nope YANBU, I hate them too. They're bloody expensive as well. I tend to take the kids as a treat in the school holidays but wouldn't bother at the age yours are. Your eldest is probably just as happy in the garden!

FoxyRevenger · 20/05/2012 21:02

Ew I never take my daughter. She's been once, for a party. I can't think of a worse thing to do than chase her round a shitty old barn full of rampaging toddlers.

buggyRunner · 20/05/2012 21:02

I can't stand them- full of kids whose parents ignore them misbehaving.

emsyj · 20/05/2012 21:03

Soft play is for the parents not the kids. DD is fairly indifferent to soft play but I like the chips opportunity to chat in peace.

Kellamity · 20/05/2012 21:03

Hate them YANBU

Used to take DD1 and DS but DD2 never goes. Dirty smelly places. We go to the scrapstore instead and do junk modelling!!! Grin

Newtothisstuff · 20/05/2012 21:05

Omg I hate them too, they are filthy and smell of cheesy feet, the one near me when I lived up north was closed down by environmental health because they found all sorts in the ball pool urghhhhhhhh

ReindeerBollocks · 20/05/2012 21:07

This is going to be unanimous. YANBU.

mistressploppy · 20/05/2012 21:08

I quite like the one near us, it's clean and looks like fun

cutegorilla · 20/05/2012 21:08

YANBU

emsyj · 20/05/2012 21:08

"Omg I hate them too, they are filthy and smell of cheesy feet"

Not my local one Newtothisstuff - my preferred soft play smells of chip fat. When we come home, we both smell of chip fat too and have to wash everything we've had on and shampoo our hair.

FarelyKnuts · 20/05/2012 21:10

YANBU. I cant stand the noise of them. 100's of screaming kids running past at various levels of wound up to 90. Much prefer the park

fishface2 · 20/05/2012 21:11

Yanbu. I was just thinking today that I would never host a party in one. They often smell like wee!

fluffypillow · 20/05/2012 21:13

I quite like 'toddler gym' at the leisure centre near me. Lots of soft play, but set up in a circuit, it only lasts for 45mins (with singing, bubbles, balls ect...), and it's clean! I hate the soft play barn places though............your feet stick to the carpet ...... ewwww!

YANBU

BulletProofMum · 20/05/2012 21:14

They are full of feral children.

They are the worst, most cop out place for birthday parties

MarySA · 20/05/2012 21:14

I totally hated them. Thank goodness when the kids were too old. I had a migraine for days afterwards.

Kellamity · 20/05/2012 21:15

Yep chip fat, that's what ours smell off yuk!!!

fuckwittery · 20/05/2012 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Magneto · 20/05/2012 21:17

Our local one is quite nice. And it's warmer than the park where I spend all my time standing next to the climbing frame where ds installs himself for the entire session and refuses to do anything else. I can't leave him incase he falls.

Whereas in soft play, he installs himself on the nearest ride on (you know the ones you put money in) but he does not yet know about the moving when you put money in so all is good. I get to sit in a nice comfy chair about 3 feet away and mumsnet relax.

Bingdweller · 20/05/2012 21:19

Depends on the ones you go to... We have several nearby - 2 are a no-go (smelly & dirty) but the rest are surprisingly good. One local to us has won national awards for their menu (healthy, fresh & made to order food) and is spotless.

We tend to use the local council run softplays as they are free with DC sports membership and are clean and in good condition. They are also a saviour for me when DH is offshore for 6 week spells and DC (5 & 2) are going stir crazy in the house and bad weather outside.

YANBU about other peoples unsupervised brats darlings though!

Clarabumps · 20/05/2012 21:20

I fecking hate it as well!!My kids love them but I am counting the seconds till I can leave. Chip fat and snottery noses! YUK!

knowotumean · 20/05/2012 21:20

yanbu -
I am the biggest scuz but they make me shudder at the germiness

wereofftoseethewizard · 20/05/2012 21:21

Love them , going again tomorrow and been today ( different group of friends ) much better than the park as there you generally have to play with them and it gets cold.
Soft play I sit on my arse, natter to my friends or read in peace with a nice hot cup of coffee.
Kids happy, I'm happy.