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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WIBU to take DS on trip to motorway service station

193 replies

craftsy · 01/07/2017 13:36

Having a very lazy day after a night of crap sleep with 4yo DS who was very unsettled with nightmares from 2-5am. I have a mound of housework and a bit of shopping to do but am quite tempted to just get in the car, drive 10-15 to services and let DS play in the small soft play area for a bit. And possibly have a junk food lunch.

DS is going a bit stir crazy but it's raining here, so going to a playground or the woods would be a washout. We could go to soft play but they would all be packed and a bit hellish. We'd have to stay for 90 minutes, DS would want me to play with him and I just don't have the energy for it. And the food is dire in all the soft play places I know of. In a service station, DS would play for a while, lunch would at least taste decent, it wouldn't be too noisy. We could leave after an hour and I could do my shopping on the way home and make us a healthy supper to compensate for the Burger King or Subway lunch.

Pros are that DS would actually probably love it and find it a very exciting adventure. While I think I would find it less tiring than soft-play. Cons are that as someone who only very recently has a driving licence, I know me of a year ago would think that going on a day out to a motorway service station is the most bonkers excuse of a trip ever. It's also possible that DS would prefer some other outing and I'm just a bit giddy with my new found power of transportation.

OP posts:
Beelzebop · 01/07/2017 13:37

Go for it, why not? X

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 01/07/2017 13:37

Do it! Who cares if it's bonkers. DS will not care. :)

Mysterycat23 · 01/07/2017 13:38

What's wrong with a day trip to a soft play area with lunch and ample parking?

Sounds like a plan! Stuff what anyone else thinks. They are just jealous they didn't think of it first. Grin

Caulkheadupnorf · 01/07/2017 13:38

Is there a play area there?

WorknameJimEllis · 01/07/2017 13:40

I love service stations

Do it

If I was at all arty farty or creative in any way I'd do an art installation inspired by service stations. Ow write a song. Or something.

Have fun.
I line a good 2 hr drive from the nearest one :(

MagentaRocks · 01/07/2017 13:40

I took my car through a car wash where you drive through the brushes when I had my friends kids with me. They loved it and thanked me for taking them! He would probably love that.

ToTheCrystalDome · 01/07/2017 13:41

Do it! Sounds like an adventure for both of you!

Rinkydinkypink · 01/07/2017 13:43

I don't see the problem! Perfectly reasonable.

LittleWitch · 01/07/2017 13:43

My dear late grandmother used to take me and my sister on the bus and we would sit upstairs right at the front. We would go from the bus stop near her house to the bus station in town and back again. We absolutely loved it. This was in the 60s mind when there weren't screens and things...

Orlantina · 01/07/2017 13:43

People used to. When they were introduced, people used to visit them.

fourcorneredcircle · 01/07/2017 13:44

You are a genius.

Thank you.

craftsy · 01/07/2017 13:45

Is there a play area there?

It has a small indoor play area to the side of the seating of a small food court with Burger King, Subway and Costa concessions at the edges. It's small enough that he'd be happy to play by himself for a while or with the few other children that might be there while we are.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 01/07/2017 13:47

Which services do you have in mind , some are very nice now .

TomaszCanSchafernakerMeAnytime · 01/07/2017 13:48

I do this often, my nearest one is only about 3 mins drive away. It's got a Nandos, M & S, McD, KFC, Starbucks and loads more food choices. Lovely outside play area too.

Janek · 01/07/2017 13:49

Is the journey home as easy as the journey there? I once dropped a friend off at leicester forest east, where her mum picked her up. I though i could just drive down to the next junction, go round a roundabout and come back, but it wasn't that simple and i got hopelessly lost on the A46...

But if that's not an issue, it's a great idea!!!

DailyMailReadersAreThick · 01/07/2017 13:54

Do it!

Kids like the strangest places. My boss's son asked to go to the recycling centre for his birthday Hmm

craftsy · 01/07/2017 13:56

Right we're off. May turn out underwhelming though as when I told DS to go to the toilet as we're off on an adventure, he immediately asked if we were going to Disneyland! When told no he asked if it was Legoland! Motorway service station outing sounding more bonkers by the minute!

Still though, I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow and need petrol for it. So at least I'll get that done. :)

OP posts:
MOIST · 01/07/2017 13:58

I once took the dds through a car wash as a treat. They both freaked out and we were trapped. It traumatised them Grin poor dears.

Groupie123 · 01/07/2017 14:08

Dad used to take us to the car wash as a day out. Lol we'd go through several ones. Grin

SandyDenny · 01/07/2017 14:15

When my Dc were pre school this was a perfectly normal thing to do, is it not now?

It's not really much different to going to a soft play, in fact it's better as you have more space, more food choices, lots of service stations have outdoor play areas too. I can't think why you wouldn't just do it.

My Dsis used to live near an airport way before 9/11 and it was also prefectly normal to take children to play in the soft play provided by the tour operators. She was on the bus route to the airport, the kids loved a day trip there.

SandyDenny · 01/07/2017 14:17

Just seen your latest post, do NOT buy your petrol there unless you're lucky enough to have more money than you know what to do with Grin

Thingywhatsit · 01/07/2017 14:20

Do it - I take dd to the local airport )live 5 mins away and let her play in the free small soft play in the arrivals hall! Sometimes I even take a packed lunch! Even with airport parking it's cheaper than having to go into local town, pay to park, pay for softplay and then deal with everything that goes with being in a big softplay place!

OhMrBadger · 01/07/2017 14:29

This is very enlightening! I had no idea people visited service stations without actually needing to IYSWIM. Brilliant!

It's reminded me of when we used to occasionally visit a nearby airport when I was little. I loved watching the planes taking off and landing and i had my first ever Mars bar there. Happy days. Grin

spaghettithrower · 01/07/2017 14:32

When I was a kid a friend lived near the motorway services (accessed via a footbridge). We liked nothing better than being allowed to walk over the footbridge and play in the play area. (On our own at 9 years old - still alive to tell the tale - but can't imagine letting children do that these days 30 years later!)

hazelnutlatte · 01/07/2017 14:34

I do this all the time - although my local motorway services is not your average service station - indoor and outdoor play areas, lovely outdoor seating around a lake, nice food and a posh farm shop!

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