about soft play violence!

[AngryAnderson]

Went to local soft play on Tues with a group of friends. Mixed age ranges 0f kids from going to school in Sep to babies, and mixed boys and girls. I am still a bit about both the kids and the mums!

All the kids very physical, lots of pushing, hitting, etc, mine included .

All mums and dads sat down letting children play in the play frame by themselves. I don't know what to think. I thought these were good mums but they didn't seem to notice that there was all kinds of stuff goign on.

As my youngest is a bit too small for big frame and I went in with him, I saw much more of it but I don't know if am BU as I saw stuff which other mums didn't.

Or am I BU cos kids will play rough on occasions? Or am I BU to be hovering! I thought I was too soft on mine but other families seem to be letting kids get wawy with far worse than mine!

Its making me think I don't want to hang round these friends as too hard to explain why X is hitting but my DDs get told off when they do.

Thats what soft play is I'm afraid...the work of the devil!!

Is this your first child?

Were they properly fighting or just play fighting?

I remember playing Gladiators when I went to soft play places as a child, great fun

If I thought that my DC would need supervision, I would supervise them. If they were behaving appallingly then we would go home. So YANBU; hitting is not acceptably in any situation other than being attacked by someone setting out to do you harm.

As it is, DS is only 2yo so needs help at softplay anyway. And I like going down the wavy slide! :o

Fut, no, I have 2 DCs. I did think i was maybe being a bit PFB but oldest DC went thru a violent phase and we tried to stamp on it really hard to nip it in the bud. Just really surprised that "good" mummies seemed to be letting DCs hit and push.

I wouldn't necessarily drop these friends but I would avoid soft play outings with them. Clearly they aren't interested in supervising their children in an environment that is fairly notorious for encouraging hyped-up and wild behaviour anyway.

It wasn't really fighting, they're only littlies, but it was hits and pushes and then retaliation and crying! Usually the cyring is mine

When DS was little I would take him
In the large frame and hate all the big kids storming past us. Now I have a big kid, DD will be staying in the small children's area until she is old enough to go in the big one. Older children always have to share with little ones & be super careful in playgrounds etc. I firmly believe they should have the older child's part of soft play to tear around in and be as mental as they like.

Actually, I will probably just not take her to soft play for as long as I can, because they are all hideous!

Tbh, issue was more that children we are frtiends with were being rough and not playing nicely, ie games of running waway from one child. have seen this b4 in public play areas but not where the kids are supposed to be friends

What's a 'good' Mummy??

I hate this tbh. I avoid soft play like the plague. My DS has ASD and he does not understand about 'gentle' rough play iyswim. So when we are in soft play and another child pushes him, he thinks that gives him license to bite/ kick/ nip/ something really painful, then I get into trouble.

I never leave his side at soft play, or never used to, before I stopped going completely about a year and a half ago. I hate it when someone hit DS and he would retaliate then he'd be the one being taken out and told off while the other child carried on, parents unaware. ALTHOUGH I might just be a teensy bit that they can do that and I can't leave DSs side for a second. Even at home.