WIBU to take DS on trip to motorway service station

[craftsy]

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.

Do it, do it!

I used to take DS to IKEA to kill an afternoon when he was a preschooler, he loved all the room set ups and there is a play bit in the cafe so I could drink my coffee in peace. He still loves a trip to the car wash at 7.

When our kids were little my friend and I used to take it in turns to plan days out that were free.

My best day was a garden centre where they have fish and loads of train signs followed by lunch at Manchester airport and playing on the moving walkways between terminals.

Her best day was a train to Liverpool, ferry across the Mersey and bus back.

The kids loved both of them.

The worst was when we saved up to take them to Chester zoo and their favourite animal was a pigeon!

We used to go to car auctions for a 'night out' when I was a kid It started because we were looking for a new car but we carried on going after we'd found one just for something to do! We'd leave jacket spuds cooking while we were out and have them for supper when we got back at about 8.30-9pm. Not ideal for kids I'm sure, full of exhaust fumes and meant we had quite a late night (auctions were on a Thursday) with school the next day but me and DB loved it.

The whole point of having wheels OP is that you can do stuff you couldn't do before, I think it sounds a nice, low stress way to spend a couple of hours. Just remembered we used to take DSC to a big holiday supermarket type place near us on a Sunday morning too, they had a big old American car on display in there for some reason which you could sit in and a couple of those 50p rides you get in shopping centres, kids loved it

I used to park at the train station just to watch trains, or go past road works on purpose when my ds was small.

Anyone worrying about how to fill the school holidays with hardly any money should read this thread. Look how many of us have really happy memories of everyday stuff, that felt like such a treat when we were children. Kids remember all sorts- sweet.

Ooh just remembered we used to go to caravan dealerships as well when I was little, I loved an afternoon mooching round new caravans

Do it. Don't see a problem.

Amazing ideas! Definitely visiting the services over the next few weeks!

Yes graffiti, some lovely memories coming back for me

Beaconsfield services was fairly regular on my rotation - they have a nice play area around the back of the lake. YANBU at all.

As a 17 year old teenager I spent many happy hours at a service station! Midnight coffee and McDonald's and no requirement for ID (fake or otherwise!) ;)

When my friend was ill in hospital I often looked after her little boy in the hospital grounds to give her hubby some time with her. We spent many an hour watching the helipad which was overlooked by the car park. (It wasn't scary or anything as not close enough to see blood and guts in any detail!)

We frequently spend the afternoon in Pets@Home, looking at the small furries, the fish, and any passing dogs. Watching dogs getting groomed through the window and squeaking the toys to find the best squeak.

We have no pets. It is still DD's favourite outing.

I loved service stations as a kid and used to beg to be taken there. Always unsuccessfully. It's a fab idea do it!

Oh I remember going to the Caravan and Motorhome Show Hiding . I absolutely loved it and I still get overexcited about a cheap weekend away in a caravan now!

In the Olden Days when shops were closed on Sundays our parents would take us out window shopping on a Sunday evening. Clearly it was a way of killing time between dinner and bedtime after the weekend but we absolutely loved it .

And a highlight was going to Bejam on a Thursday night! Happy memories .

My parents were divorced, and my Dad sometimes took us to service stations as a treat! I remember loving playing at the playground, then having a meal. I look back on it fondly.

I love caravans Heman, they all have 'that' smell, even when brand new, very nostalgic for me as we had wonderful caravan holidays when I was a kid. I'd love one now but can't afford one

Fab! When my boys were small we used to get on the bus into town, travel (2 or 3 times) up and down the escalator in the shopping mall, then get the next bus back home. Killed an hour or two, was cheap and they loved it

Caravans are great.

Motorhomes are fantastic as well. The driver's chair swivels round. So much to explore.

Dd1 used to like to go to B and Q when she was little and just look at all the interesting things like door knobs and reels of chain link and stuff. Our nearby garden centre also has tropical fish for sale so we used to take the dcs to look at the fish!

My 5 year old an while away an hour and a half minimum wandering round ikea sitting on the various sofa / bed / office chairs then she likes a 60p hot dog. Bargain day out.

We used to because it was the only Burger King for miles around and that was my pregnancy craving :) XP used to stay for ages on the fruit machines.

OP, you've made me feel all nostalgic for those kids of days with my daughters :)

I'd love a caravan or a Motorhome Hiding and Orlantina. They are SO exciting and I'm sure that goes back to just wandering around showrooms and lovely holidays that were probably crappy to our parents. All the hidden things!

I can remember a caravan holiday in Hayle when I was about 8. It told AGES to get the on the Holiday Route and mine and Dsis's bedroom at the caravan was sooooo teeny, I couldn't get out of the top bunk without sliding down the wall .

DS used to love a caravan holiday too. All the lovely things to do and all he wanted to do was get back to the 'Caffavan' and climb up and down the steps .

My exH and I did this with our DD (now 34) when she was younger a few times. And DD now does this occasionally with her DD,who's 10. I went with them once to the Reading services,and we had something to eat in Burger King,then had a laugh sitting on the 'massage chairs'.