about these Mums in soft play?

[BobPatandIgglePiggle]

Happy to be told that I am.

Took ds (2) to softplay yesterday and was in there with him (hoying myself down the slide and getting stuck in the rollers which aren't built for women like me) helping him to climb etc

2 mams came into the toddler area with babies, both women had their boots / trainers on.

I caught the eye of one and said 'excuse me, please could you take your shoes off? There are babies crawling'

One said 'yeah, in a minute' her friend said 'I've got no socks with me'

There were no staff - it's in a leisure centre and they were over the far side behind barriers

I told them that they could have anything dog shit on their shoes so could they please take them off.

They both flounced out and 1 took her boots off and came back in whilst the other made a phone call and loudly told the person on the other end of the line about the 'mardy cow at softplay who'd made her take her shoes off'

Wibu and petty to insist when it really wasn't my place?

[SirChenjin]

No - supervision means supervising them on the equipment, not "hoying myself down the slide and getting stuck in the rollers which aren't built for women like me"

[trufflesnout]

Ugh I hate the rollers. I feel like I'm in Chicken Run or something.

[TaliZorahVasNormandy]

SirChenjin At my local, it does mean on the equipment, because in some areas of the equipment, you cant see anything if your standing on the ground, and theres railings so you can see much if you standing at the railings, so yes you do have to join under 4's on said equipment.

[TaliZorahVasNormandy]

*cant

[SirChenjin]

I'm really surprised that adults are allowed to climb on equipment that is designed for toddlers (which is where the OP was). Certainly none of the soft plays I've ever been to (in what feels like hundreds of years of soft plays) have ever allowed adults to play on baby/toddler equipment - which is probably why the OP got stuck.

[treaclesoda]

Are the soft play places where they expect you to accompany the children really big? The ones I'm familiar with are child sized, you'd have to be a contortionist to fit into them as an adult, and if you had more than one adult in there I'd be really worried about safety for the little ones, they could be crushed in there.

You'd think it would make much more sense to have child sized equipment, that way they wouldn't need adults to help them use it.

[zazzie]

I still go on the soft play equipment with my 7 year old as he wouldn't cope on his own and might bite/scratch other children if he got upset. We tend to go to places with bigger equipment as I don't want to get stuck.

[SirChenjin]

I've been to all sizes of soft plays over the course of 16 years - none of them allow adults to actually play on the baby/toddler equipment. You can supervise, but not actually play on them - which is just as well, I wouldn't have wanted a 6 foot tall, 17 stone bloke coming down a slide if my toddler was playing around on the floor.

[treaclesoda]

One of the ones nearest me doesn't allow anyone over the age of 8 or 130cm tall on the equipment...

[trufflesnout]

On a serious note because this is heading into what's actually safe territory - have actually only ever been on one piece of soft play equipment, and that was to help a scared child down a slide. It scared me too - the thing was enormous and definitely not child sized.

Luckily my children aren't that into soft play so I'm not dragged along often but yes, I agree that adults on children's soft play equipment seems infinitely unsafe and a H&S bomb waiting to explode.

[zazzie]

No adults means that some children wouldn't be able to go on.

[SirChenjin]

Me too treacle - and in fact, my DS1 (who's nearly 17 and 6' 1") was recently told off by staff (quite rightly so) for going onto the equipment after his 7 year old brother who wouldn't come out when he was told to.

[treaclesoda]

Slightly off topic but unlike most of mumsnet I love soft play!

My children have never been bullied by bigger kids on the equipment, they all play together. And I've never seen parents arguing with each other either, the way I've read about on here. And my children have never caught chickenpox/d&v/the cold after playing there.

The ones I go to, the parents watch, the children play, everyone is happy. And the one I go most often, the coffee and cake is great too. Its win win.

[hazeyjane]

I don't think I have ever been to a soft play where me or dh hasn't been allowed on. Ds (nearly 4) loves them but couldn't get around on his own as he is disabled, and his sisters always needed a bit of hel with some bits (they have inherited my short legs).

[HaroldLloyd]

In some of the ones I go to the slide is the only way out, well apart from backtracking through the whole vortex of hell again. I've got a 15 month old who needs following.

I do come down the slide as slowly as possible with a face like a slapped arse if that helps.

He's too little to push down on his own.

[Goldmandra]

I worked in one when I was younger and we often had parents who came in with sleeping babies and spent half an hour legging it round having fun before the kids woke up.

The best PTA fundraiser I ever went on was an evening in our local soft play sans children. We had two teams of parents and teacher playing silly games while quaffing wine. It's just a shame nobody videoed it.

YWNBU to ask them to take their shoes off.

YWNBU to be in there playing with your DS.

[Offler]

One of the soft play places near me is hired out in the evening for adult parties. Always been tempted

[zazzie]

My son likes to sit at the top of any slide looking down it but won't slide down. If I wasn't there to move him on there would definitely be trouble.

[treaclesoda]

I'm quite jealous now, I'd love to play on the equipment But without children getting in the way of course!

[BobPatandIgglePiggle]

I simply don't believe people saying their little toddlers are happy to run around on their own.

Ds has gone to nursery from being a baby and is independent and plays with others but he'd be up on the big stuff on his own like a shot and he's just too little for most of it alone.

Some of you must have 4 foot toddlers by the sound of it

[treaclesoda]

I didn't say I don't supervise my toddler, I said I don't go on the equipment. Because 1) its against the rules at the soft play centres I go to and 2) I wouldn't fit anyway.

Why would I be lying about it? I have no reason to lie about it

[Goldmandra]

One of the soft play places near me is hired out in the evening for adult parties. Always been tempted

Go for it. You won't regret it

[BobPatandIgglePiggle]

How do you supervise them on level 2 from the ground? ?

[treaclesoda]

Level 2 is about the height of my shoulder. I supervise him by standing up and looking in.

[SirChenjin]

None of mine used to run about on their own as toddlers Bob - I would stand beside them as they went down the slide, or climbed up something, but I didn't go onto the equipment because it wasn't/isn't allowed, thankfully.