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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate parents who don't wear socks at soft play

115 replies

WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 12:34

There were four of them this morning, and I asked them all if they knew they were supposed to wear socks. One said she was just running on to pick up her daughter who had been pushed by a boy. Fair enough, but does your verruca/athletes foot know that? Of the other three, two gave me evils for the rest of the session and one ignored me and went back on with bare feet so I asked the staff to have a word.

Is it me being an officious twat or should adults follow health and safety rules where children are involved?

I feel even more rabidly about non poop scooping dog owners

OP posts:
babysaurus · 28/06/2013 13:41

I am clearly in the minority it seems but, OP, yanbu! It would bug me too. Yes, there are far more germs etc about but still! Putting socks on is hardly an effort is it?!

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 13:41

Maybe it's the soft plays I go to, but they sell socks at the entrance for those who aren't wearing any and make it clear that socks are required. Maybe the rest of you go to different dirtier ones.

And as another poster said, you can catch skin conditions on your hands too.

[shrugs]

OP posts:
LadyRabbit · 28/06/2013 13:44

YAB a bit U
And I'm confused at how your mind has jumped from sock policing at soft play to dog shit. Interesting.

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 13:44

property it isn't my opinion, its the rules of the soft play. Maybe you should read the ones at yours next time you go.

[smiles sympathetically]

OP posts:
Nagoo · 28/06/2013 13:44

OP you hate me.

That's not nice :(

I suppose I could just not bother supervising my children and leave them to shriek somewhere on the top level....

WorraLiberty · 28/06/2013 13:44

Were you overlooked at school when they were picking Prefects?

ballinacup · 28/06/2013 13:46

Our soft play wouldn't let you in without socks. They're very anal retentive particular about it. Parents/carers/children entering wearing a sandal/no sock combo are asked to show the socks they intend to wear once they get inside. If anyone has forgotten, kids socks are a very reasonable 50p a pair and adults are £1.

Owllady · 28/06/2013 13:48

it depends whether than parents were barefoot and had wet themselves in the ball pool tbqh

JollyShortGiant · 28/06/2013 13:49

All our local ones have signs up saying that everyone should wear socks at all times. Why don't women take socks with them to follow the rules? It makes it quite difficult to explain to small children that they have to follow the rules when they can see that some adults don't bother.

QueenMaeve · 28/06/2013 13:50

I dont own any socks. I wear tights, bare feet or those little nude footies for pumps.

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 13:50

LadyRabbit just because that's something I wouldn't want DS coming into contact with so I would mention it if I saw it happening

OP posts:
GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 28/06/2013 13:50

If I'm wearing sock I'll wear them to go on the equipment. If I'm wearing sandals and I think of it before I leave the house I'll put some socks in my bag. But if I'm there and have not thought about taking socks I'll just go on without them. No big deal IMO. You really shouldn't have said anything.

Pennyacrossthehall · 28/06/2013 13:51

Human skin (the main covering of feet) is not inherently unclean and/or disgusting. As has already been pointed out, there are much more worrying aspects of soft play areas: urine, faeces, vomit and boogers, to name a few.

My kids appear to have not only survived but also enjoyed them.

Abra1d · 28/06/2013 13:52

The latest advice with verrucas is not to cover them up in pools, etc. I don't cover mine up at the exercise class I do, because plasters just come off and socks are dangerous, but I do bring my own mat and stand on that.

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 13:52

No Worra I was Head Girl.

Guess you were the one spitting chewing gum in the corridors Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 13:56

Nagoo I did say upthread that hate was probably too strong a word.

All you have to do is wear socks it's the rules

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 28/06/2013 14:01

I would have been too busy flushing your head down the loo Grin

ChunkyPickle · 28/06/2013 14:03

I find this obsession strange - in Asia it's normal to see people trying on shoes in shoe-shops without socks, everyone takes their shoes and socks off to come in the house (delivery men included), and I'm pretty sure that there's not a verucca epidemic.

If you keep getting them, I would suggest that it's the virus in your body re-asserting itself, not that you're catching fresh ones, and if you have athlete's foot, then you should probably be getting your feet out a bit more anyway since it's sweaty conditions that will be causing your outbreaks!

Socks on soft-play just seem horribly slippery and dangerous to me, but then, seeing what happens when a kid throws up in a ball pit means that I tend not to go anywhere near them with DS anyhow.

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 14:05

Worra that would have earned you a horrible Chinese burn when the Head wasn't looking. [grin{

OP posts:
Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 14:22

Chunky I don't have a verruca, had one years ago after school swimming lessons but got it put with a knife after a hot bath!

OP posts:
Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 14:23

If socks were sloppy and dangerous then the soft play h&s rules would tell you not to wear them.

OP posts:
Quangle · 28/06/2013 14:28

Oh lordy. I cannot imagine even giving a shit.

Sorry OP. I probably don't do this because I'd usually be wearing tights so would escape your wrath but of all the horrible things that can happen, this is about 1,345,837th on my list. How do you go swimming, incidentally? I do note that verruca socks seem to have fallen out of fashion which is a shame as they were a great look.

Original poster
WitchOfEndor · 28/06/2013 14:33

Quangle I swim with DS often and just hope that people with skin conditions take precautions as I would if I had any. If the pool required everyone to wear socks then I would.

OP posts:
PastelMacaroons · 28/06/2013 14:39

This is a huge bug bear of mine,

soft play is sweaty and horrible and nasty and smelly, little tiny crawlers and toddlers are there putting things in their mouths, they do want Mr Crud who loves his bear feet smearing feet cheese everywhere.

Especially with huge great fucking signs saying

Wear socks"

does anyone who goes barefoot wonder why they say wear socks?
Do they think soft play owners just like looking at what different socks people wear?

Op, do not make a fuss, quietly go up to staff, and say someone not wearing socks and get them to sort it.

Obviously they have done lots of health and safety checks and decided its safe to wear socks and the benefits of wearing socks to protect against foot nasties, far out weighs - any possible danger of slipping.

Quangle · 28/06/2013 14:44

Obviously they have done lots of health and safety checks and decided its safe to wear socks and the benefits of wearing socks to protect against foot nasties, far out weighs - any possible danger of slipping

I'm going to say I doubt it Grin. I doubt they've done the assessment and I doubt it would come to that conclusion. Slip leading to head injury leading to brain trauma versus a verruca...

Not recommending no socks but this is passing me by a bit as a pressing issue.