Soft play problems - mother oblivious

[Littleonesaid]

At a small soft play with my 3 YO today when I saw a boy turn round and push my DS by his face down the steps. Shortly afterwards the same boy pushed another younger child down the same steps (who tumbled into the child behind him and they both land crying in a heap).

So I approached the boy's mother and told her what had happened.

She smiled and replied "Oh I don't think so, it's not like him" and turned back to chat to her friend. As I was staring at her in surprise, she then said sweetly "I'm not worried because I know he wouldn't do anything like that".

I then removed my DS as I didn't want him to get hurt. As we're leaving I see the same boy grap a toddler by the hair and shove him down the same stairs. The toddler's DM started shouting at the boy, who ran off. The boy's mother was still chatting and didn't even look up at the shouting.

AIBU to be amazed that anyone would be so utterly oblivious to their DC's behaviour. Wouldn't you at least get up and check on/with your DC if you got an inkling they might be misbehaving? She clearly believed I was lying and that her DS was an angel. What would you have done?

I used to work at a soft play part time when I was younger. After cleaning up so much piss and shit there I only take DC if they are invited to a party at one.1

I get precious little time to myself as it is.

Don't we all.

If I can find that in soft play, so be it..

Even if it's possibly at the expense of other parents and/or their DC it seems.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

Pretend that is exactly what the mum in my OP seemed to think. And how wrong she was...

(but I'm sure your 3YO is a paragon who can be utterly relied upon not to push or hit or exhibit any of the usual toddler behaviour)

Well I know because my kid has never thumped another kid in her life!

My DD is timid little Bambi out in the playground, she'd cry helplessly run before engaging in physical contact with another child. She's still gone up to little girls with curly hair to touch and pull. She's also gotten into other kid's snacks. Your child doesn't need to thump another child to be misbehaving.

Soft play isn't time for yourself, it's time for your child to burn energy so they'll sleep a bit earlier so you can -gasp- have more time to yourself.

I have to go on soft play with ds because of his sn. We frequently get followed about by under 4's who don't know how to join in play with children they don't know and want some company. Ds hates this and it spoils his time there. It is not just the hitters and kickers who are a nuisance.

Oh god honking the stragglers.
I always seem to attract other people's kids who want to talk or play.

My 3yr ds1 is tall for his age, and loves older kids so usually latches onto the 6/7 year olds, who don't give him a second glance, that always breaks my heart a little!

We usually go during the summer on hot days, last year I went to one (with ds1), we were the only ones there. It was AMAZING.

Dds, I am sat at our local soft play now. There are two grown men wrestling each other to the top so they can be first.

I just asked them if they are taking the mick.

One has just knocked ds down the ramp. Their wives look mortified.

That should have been ffs not dds