Soft play - wwyd? - Advice for a first time mum

[MamaBear17]

I am a first time mummy who has the tendency to be a little over protective and anxious when it comes to my PFB. I'm looking for opinions/advice (see below) but please do not be mean to me - I'm still learning about this whole 'mummy' thing and I know I worry about stupid stuff.

Anyway, my dd is 13 months old and we went to a 'Wacky Wearhouse' for the first time today. We were the first ones there and spent some time chasing each other around the soft play area. DD loved it, she is a very confident little thing who crawls and climbs brilliantly and is beginning to get to grips with walking. Other babies came along and I spent the session sitting in each area with dd being a complete helicopter mummy. When the other babies arrived I felt a bit like dd wanted me to bugger off and leave her alone. My question is this - would it be okay to let her go into the soft play area alone and supervise her from the sidelines? Please note, by 'supervise from the sidelines' I mean stand along the side of the area and watch her properly and jump straight in if she needed me. The reason I am asking is because all of the other mummies sat watching, although their children were older than dd. The play area is split over three levels so it would take a minute or two to get to her if she was 'upstairs'.

So, wwyd? is 13 months too young to not be in the play area with her?

I think 13 months would be too young to be in the upstairs bit on her own.

I would probably be in there with her at that age, and I'm not normally known for being over protective

I think you did ok! Most soft-play places have an area for babies and toddlers on one level, with a ball pit and a few soft bricks to climb on. I would stand by the side in an area like that.

If there was a danger of the baby being trampled underfoot I'd stay closer for a bit, but I don't think your 13 month old is ready for the 3rd floor just yet, so don't feel you have to rush it .

I hovered at that age and probably did for quite some time after that, especially if it were busy and there were alot of older, giddy kids. Some of those soft play structures can be pretty strenuous to squeeze around for a grown up, so I used to tell myself it was my workout for the day!

I never played with ds in soft play - just left him to it and drank coffee and enjoyed the peace.

I think it's fine to pop them in the baby area, which is usually all on one level and enclosed. Both mine played happily without me 'in' with them from about that age.