Soft play etiquette

[Dobearsshitinwoods]

I have a 15 month ds, friends has 2 year old and 5 year old. We went to a soft play with 2 other mums. I over heard friend mock my decision so I'm wondering if I am in the wrong.

At the soft play there is a section for under 3's my ds and friends ds were the only dc out of our group under 3 so the other dc played in the older section whilst my ds and friends ds played in the younger section. I went in with my ds to keep an eye on him and to play with him, thought friend would join me because her younger ds was with me but she didn't. As I went to join them at the table for food I over heard her mock my decision to play with ds, she said that I was mothering him to much that he needed to grow up, basically she thought I was in the wrong for going in the play area with him. Was I unreasonable?

At his age Im worried that he might stand on a younger baby or be pushed around by an older child. So I like to go in with him to make sure he's being nice and behaving, I'm not super glued to his side but I stay close enough that I can stop any bad behaviour before anyone gets hurt.
Aibu? Do I need to back off?

Lots of people have different parenting ideas. You've got to do what you think is best and not be worried about the opinion of others.
I think rather than who was right or wrong in this situation maybe it's worth getting feedback on what other mothers would do for your own interest. At that age I supervised but I let them play by themselves as I liked watching them exploring (and I confess I wanted the break!)

I think you did/do the right thing going in with your DC.

Mine are 3.5 and 22 months, my 3YO wants his sister to run around with him and go on the frame designed for bigger children so I follow them around, helping her up, making sure she doesn't fall down the "down" bits (I can quite easily see her severely winding herself or breaking something), I do give them breathing room and if we're in the toddler area I hang back a lot and just watch but mostly I play with them, helping DS build a bridge/tunnel/house out of the locking panel things they have or playing in the ball pool swishing them around.

I see a lot of parents just sitting at the tables and that's fine for the older ones who are capable of playing nicely/standing up for themselves but I know mine are too little and prefer/need me there.

I'm not a helicopter mum (though I'm sure others will decide I am), I just don't see the point in risking broken limbs/substantial pain when it's unnecessary.

Whatever happened to "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Parent your way OP.

Oh gosh, I was playing with my 7 year olds in soft play the other day. I chilled out with a coffee for a bit then they asked me to go in and play with them.
Why does it have to be a thing either way.
It's just playing with your dc or not as the case may be. As long as everyone is happy it doesn't matter.
I certainly kept an eye on them at 15 months,although I think a lot of this very much depends on the layout of the play area too.

He's a baby! I think I supervised my DD in soft play until she was about 3 or 4!

YANBU at all. It s always better to keep an eye closely on a child that age. Whenever something bad happens at those places the first everyone asks is - where were the parents?! But yet when you go to a softplay, there are so many 1-2 yo without close supervision

15m old is TEENY. I am stunned that anyone wouldn't supervise a baby of that age. Agree she's your 'frenemy' and that you should be re-evaluating your friendship.

But I hate those softplay places. My DD is now a strapping 15, so I haven't had to go to one for ages, unless accompanying a friend with a younger child, but my memory is a fuck-off HUGE space, mostly given over to tables and chairs, with some grotty scaffolding wrapping in a brightly covered foam squeezed around the edges (and I've been to soft plays all over the country, they're all pretty-much like this) and then the STINK of the old-fat smell that gets into your throat, and over-priced drink and horrible greasy food, and every table is 'bagged' and viciously guarded by some Rottweiler parent (heaven forfend if you LOOK at one of their chairs) and kids running riot. The older ones (not being nasty, just over-excited) not in any way giving any thought or consideration to those younger or less able than themselves, so pigging 'turns' or sliding down a slide and then thinking it would be fun to walk up it and then slide down again, or - literally - stepping on a smaller kid.

I'm all for sitting and having a drink and chat with other adults, but at one of those places? Never. Could never get a table in any case. . don't miss that phase AT ALL.

My 15 month old has only been walking a few weeks. I can't imagine not supervising him for quite a while yet....he's still at the stage where his way of making friends is shouting ''baybiee!' at other toddlers and then enthusiastically stroking/whacking them.

Most people I see at soft play with similar aged toddlers are still hovering closely, it's the lucky parents of 3/4 + year olds that I see eat down with tea

"Sorry friend but I think we need some space. You just let your kids run wild with no supervision and its awful, I feel like you don't want to be a mother at all!
I'm just kidding of course, I couldn't care less how you chose to parent but thought you'd like to see how it feels to have someone criticise your parenting.
I wasn't kidding about needing space you backstabbing bitch"

My DD is nearly three and I spend the entire time with her at soft play especially if the older kids whose mums are just sitting there gassing are running around during the holidays or weekends. You are doing the right thing.

She's not really a friend from the sounds of things. I'd pity her. She sounds so insecure in her own choices that she needs to pass judgement, mock or critique those doing differently. Very defense and pretty sad.