To tell off another child at soft play?

[Embarrassedatsoftplay]

I saw a 5/6 year old repeatedly slapping my DD who's 2 years in the 0-3 area of soft play. I ran over immediately saying 'hey!' As she kept slapping her. I picked up dd who had been pummelled to the floor by other child and had red on one cheek and scratch marks, turned around, couldn't see parent and said 'you don't hit another child like' that in a shocked/raised (not shouting voice). I realise my panic transferred into the voice and I feel awful I didn't deal with it in calm and collected way, and just pick her up and find member of staff to deal with parent (who was in corner with headphones on, on phone facing away from soft play). This is first time I've seen DD be hit like this and I can see scratch marks on neck and arm but face has returned to normal colour. I know you're not meant to tell other people's kids of and I'm shaking/feeling awful.

So you're happy for your toddler to get accidentally kicked because you are encouraging and letting them to use the play equipment incorrectly.

Yet. If they just used the public play equipment same way that everyone else is, there is a much smaller risk of them being kicked or hurt but because you don't like rules and are free spirited, you take option A.

Strange.

Cheep the consequences of a slide collision are hardly going to be severe!

I have done this before. Some kid ounshed my daughter full force in the face. I told him off..his mother was sat watching the whole thing too..as evidenced by her deciding the second I told her son off that she would get involved and strut over to tell me that it was her job to tell her child off if he is naughty.

So I pointed out that she had seen him 'be naughty; and done fuck all about it so I had no choice. That if she parented properly her kid wouldn't be told off by random strangers. She didn't like this..but her mate was on my side and managed to shut her up. Luckily as I wouldn't have gave in. Stupid entitled lazy person that she was.

YANBU. You were very restrained.

You don't sound free spirited to me.

You sound like people that go out of their way to cause an issue so they can be all aggressive about it.

People have touched my children countless times to help or stop them falling in playgroups - would you just stand by and watch another child face plant off something in case the parent got arsey about you touching them?

Some kid ounshed = some kid punched

JustAKitten Give everything you've said, you're an irresponsible parent and your son will suffer because of it. When the consequences of your behaviour ends up in him, you will wish you never acted as you have.

Monkey similarly why can you tell my DS how to play?

Mrs because I'm not overly risk averse. I don't think neurotic worrying is good for kids

JustAKitten So let me get this right. Children HAVE to take turns? According to who? BUT the rule of not climbing up the slide is ok to ignore?

So children have to play by your rules but it's ok for your child to ignore the rules of the soft play?

Spread Not at all. My son is happy and is allowed to explore at a rate that suits him rather than being forced into a box.

JustAKitten

Thats fine but when your kid is kicked in the face by a group of kids dont moan after all theres no right way to play and if they dont want to let your kid have a go thats fine becuase theres no right way to play

Taking turns is fair. It's not a "rule" in that it's illegal not to, but it's logical to allow each child a certain amount of time.

I go by the least rules possible that can result in a fair outcome.

You can just imagine JustAKitten ordering all the children around daddypigesque "too many children on the roundabout". Yeh because I'm really going to helicopter parent my 8 year old so your pfb can walk up a slide backwards. There are 8/9/10 yr olds down the park with no parents.

Embarassed you did nothing wrong and were very restrained. I think you came across a child, who's parents were just letting them express themselves by choosing to play in the way they like.

JustAKitten

"5 when you're comfortable with the risk. I'm comfortable with a level of rough housing and so once DS can speak and is slightly older, I have no problem.

But I also wouldn't moan if another child fell on him. If that bothers you, then you need to supervise."

You are wrong about this - it is reasonable to expect children to follow social norms at soft play the same way you expect adults to follow traffic rules or any other laws in wider society.

It is not up to me to supervise my 6 year old (say) just in case you have decided to let your 3 year old (for example, if that is the age at which you become comfortable with the risk) break the social contract all the children are implicitly aware of at soft play and put my perceptive, considerate child at risk of being upset that he has accidental hurt your oblivious, careless, thoughtless, self centred one.

The only reason anyone can back off and be hands off when their children are playing around other children is because the unsupervised children have learnt how to play considerately and co-operatively.

You sound as though you have no intention of teaching your child to be thoughtful aware of the social contracts that enable society to function, on a micro scale at soft play and perhaps on a macro scale either...

That's on you, not everyone else.

I'm out. You can't be serious, JustAKitten. If it somehow turns out that you are, I feel very sorry for your poor son. He deserves better than that.

CheepOrn DS was actually there first, they climbed up after him. I gave him a couple of minutes and helped him up.

I really don't see why that's terrible

But kids dont have to play fair JustAKitten because there is no right way to play

The other day, DS was trying to climb up a slide and other children kept coming down and not letting him go up.

Eh? This is so weird. Why on earth did you not tell your son to use the slide as its meant to be used? You cannot blame other kids for going down a slide when your child is trying to climb up it...as he shouldnt be climbing up it to start with?!

Spread and I feel sorry for your kids with an overreaching mother who swoops down like a hawk and intervenes in other people's business.

kitten You are so wrong and you're teaching your 20 mo (who is not a baby) that is is ok to climb slides. IT IS NOT ok and there really is no excuse for it.

My 1 & 2 yo's are reminded constantly, regardless of whether they know it's wrong or not. You teach them.

What are you going to do when your son is a little older and your backs turned for a second and a child comes along, uses the slide correctly (slides down it) and wipes your son out who's stupidly trying to climb up it.

Anyway soft plays around these parts have very clear signage stating NO climbing and NO standing at the bottom. Also most parents are constantly telling their children to stop playing by the bottom of the slide in order to let the next person have a go!

Amen.

Monkey that's not about a way to play it's just how you should live if you're not a douche.

I really think that someone who doesn't care about her 20 month getting kicked in the face is on a wind up. I actually have seen a kid in A&E with concussion and a broken arm from a slide collision. Obviously that's extreme but it does happen.

Free spirited aka the rules don't apply to my kid.

Binky as you've said it's rare.

Of course I care about DS, but I accept that there's a risk of a collision when he plays with others.