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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

soft play area toilet accident

130 replies

harrasseddotcom · 17/05/2014 11:19

Just a quick one. My friend took my (usually toilet trained) 2 year old daughter to one of the local soft play areas and my daughter had a toilet accident in the ball pit. The owners have now sent me a cleaning bill. AIBU to not pay it considering I wasn't there and responsibility for my dd lay with my friend, (although dont think she is liable neither, surely this is hazard of running a soft play area and should be calculated into running costs?). Plus atm I am living hand to mouth so don't have the money to pay anyway.

OP posts:
TaliZorahVasNormandy · 17/05/2014 16:53

My dd is nearly 7 and she has an accident last night, she was asleep didnt make it to the toilet. It happens sometimes.

YANBU to refuse to pay, they should have regular cleaning anyway.

RedRoom · 17/05/2014 18:09

I don't think you should pay. There was nothing in the T's&C's of entry to say this was payable: they can't just make up charges / fines. How would they enforce it? It may be seen by some as right to offer to pay, but you can't do that if you don't have the money to start with.

I'd expect incidents of vomit, nose bleeds and toilet accidents to be part and parcel of cleaning a place frequented by toddlers who are jumping about enthusiastically. Not nice, sometimes avoidable, but we are talking about little children.

windchime · 17/05/2014 19:48

The soft play I know gives the floor a cursory mop at the end of the day, then leaves the bucket of filthy water and manky mop near the door all night/weekend, in full view of everyone walking past. Lovely.

CrohnicallyHungry · 17/05/2014 20:01

I have Crohn's, does that mean I should wear pull ups just in case?

ohldoneedtogetagrip · 17/05/2014 20:05

DH owns a softplay (shock horror Grin) and kids having toilet accidents are not uncommon. On way would we sent a cleaning bill, we see it as an occupational hazzard-all staff are expected and trained to clean the equipment.
For that reason we no longer have a ball pool. They are full of unmentionable things when you try to clean them. there is a special machine to use like a big hoover which washes the balls, but within a day they are needing done again.
I would not be paying the bill OP.

sunshinecity17 · 17/05/2014 21:20

I think you are liable.You were negligent sending her in knickers when she clearly is not reliable

TheScience · 17/05/2014 21:24

Should the unreliable 4, 5, 6, 7 year olds who have had accidents not be in knickers either then sunshine?

SpamTroll · 17/05/2014 21:30

I think you were liable and that you should pay. If you can't afford it then that's a different matter.

If my kids did that I would consider it my fault and I would pay. I think £55 seems a reasonable amount but I might ask for breakdown of the costs.

UncleT · 17/05/2014 21:33

Harsh. It's not like an adult being negligent by getting too pissed and spewing up all over the place! They're know do, there will be accidents - they should know that and plan accordingly. Agree with the original proposal of a polite rejection letter.

UncleT · 17/05/2014 21:34

They're kids* (darn fat phone fingers)

sunshinecity17 · 17/05/2014 21:41

They're know do, there will be accidents - they should know that and plan accordingly*

so should the OP!!

Floggingmolly · 18/05/2014 10:05

Should the unreliable 4, 5, 6, 7 year olds who have accidents not be in knickers either?
If they're unreliable they shouldn't be in any sort of shared space; be it ball pool, swimming pool, trampoline, whatever... If there's a chance of them spontaneously sharing bodily fluids with a gang of other unsuspecting kids, then you err on the side of caution, surely?

insancerre · 18/05/2014 10:11

Ignore the bill.
Don't pay it.
What could they do/
ban your DD?
As if you would even go back there anyway
It woud be a good daily mail sad face story though

TheScience · 18/05/2014 10:30

Really Floggingmolly, so any 5 year old whose ever wet their knickers shouldn't be allowed to go swimming or to softplay?

Floggingmolly · 18/05/2014 10:31

Not without a swimming nappy or pull ups, no.

TheScience · 18/05/2014 10:34

That would make school swimming lessons interesting.

sunshinecity17 · 18/05/2014 10:58

Really Floggingmolly, so any 5 year old whose ever wet their knickers shouldn't be allowed to go swimming or to softplay?
If they are still likely to shit themselves, then no!

TheScience · 18/05/2014 11:14

What if they're unlikely to shit themselves?

Indith · 18/05/2014 12:24

"If they're unreliable they shouldn't be in any sort of shared space"

Where does shared space begin and end? School has sand pits and mud kitchens and stuff. Dd wets herself about once a week at school, shall I start sending her in nappies? Because that will really help her to become fully dry.....undoing all the teaching to use the toilet and reteaching her it is ok to piss herself because she is wearing a nappy "just in case".

Some kids do just ditch the nappies one day and never have another accident ever. Great. Fabulous. I'm guessing those who think kids should be put into pull ups or that the op should pay have had those sorts of children.

Some children. Rather a lot of children in fact, still have accidents. Some of them are still having accidents years after "potty training". Heck I remember I was still having accidents in year 3 at school. It is normal. Perfectly biologically normal and places that are primarily aimed at small children should be prepared to clean up after them as a matter of course.

Aeroflotgirl · 18/05/2014 13:39

Omg I am aghast at some posters on here! Running a facility for young children is part and parcel that accidents could happen fgs! We should all wear pull ups in case we have an accident. Accidents are that, one off rearities. If the owners expect patrons to pay for cleaning, they should dame well state that on entry and by putting up clear warning signs,which did not happen here. They haven't got a leg to stand on legally. Don't pay.

starlight1234 · 18/05/2014 14:02

My DS was toilet trained at 3 and pooed himself at school in reception ( sure he would love me sharing this with MN) he was just engrossed in what he was doing. He had not had a wee or poo accident when awake after 1st week of been toilet trained and out of nappies at night a fortnight after day ..by the way he still has the odd night accident at night when tired or unwell maybe he shouldn't go to soft play anymore.

As for putting them in a nappy once they are trained no you don't need to put them in a pull up in case...what does that teach them?

BolshierAyraStark · 18/05/2014 14:19

This thread is grim-soft play is a no go for a while me thinks...

zoemaguire · 18/05/2014 14:26

Floggingmolly is

zoemaguire · 18/05/2014 14:30

Oops sorry posted too soon. Floggingmolly is On planet loopylalaland! I can't believe anybody with children (or indeed any brain cells) would suggest that all under 7s should be banned from all shared spaces or put in a nappy on the off chance they might have an accident a couple of times a year. That is probably 80% of them at a conservative estimate. A nappy, on a toilet trained 6 or 7 yo?!?!?!? Hahahaha!

fuzzpig · 18/05/2014 14:47

YANBU.

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