AIBU - to be annoyed with adults at soft play?

[HLBug]

Your child is fine. Absolutely fine. Not a wobbly toddler but a properly capable bounding 4 year old. You helicoptering and following them around inside the climbing frames is not necessary and now you're just causing a massive obstruction for all the other kids. There is also a high chance of you getting stuck. Please, go and sit down.

If you are sitting down though, please remember it's only 11.10am. That is not an appropriate time for you to eat a large bowl of chips. It's just not. No chance of DS wanting those apple slices now!

It's raining and it's the school holidays...what the fuck possessed me to think soft play would be a good idea?! But it's the adults that are seriously getting on my wick. AIBU??

Exactly what C0untDucku1a said. It's tedious to have to continue to get bigger kids out of the baby area while their parents sit down and do precisely fuck all, ignoring the mayhem.

I type so slow, that post was in response to moving although by now there will be ten more posts and this will make less sense.

Cheshire I don't have anything to compare it to price wise because I've never been to a soft play where adults are allowed on the equipment. All the ones I know have signs up saying that the equipment is strictly for under 12s, along with all the other rules, like not taking photos, not wearing shoes etc. I had no idea until I read these threads on mumsnet that some parents go into the equipment themselves.

But the very best (and busiest one) in my town has a staff member at the top of each slide, in the ball pit, and a few others wandering round. It works well.

It's good for the child's physical development (recommended by his ot)It's good for the child to spend time around other children even if they don't know how to play with them. Ds's special school take them regularly to soft play and lots need 1:1 for physical or safety reasons.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut Because the weather is too bad to go to park? Because it's nice to have an alternative?

Because DS gets bored of the museums/ aquarium and he needs someone his own age to play with and so far soft play has been the best option?

Movingonup they're chips not crack - best thing I've read in ages, made me howl with laughter.

I agree about the helicoptering - however, you don't know if that child has any non-visibal disorders or developmental delays, so maybe it's abit quick to judge just because they appear capable.

Yabvvu about the chips. Anytime is a good time for chips. Hell, 5am wakeup time is a good time for chips (stupid chippys not opening until 11am)

I go in with my Grandson. He's perfectly capable of doing it himself but he wants me to play with him. He likes me to get in the ball pool and then he covers me with balls and he likes me to spin him around on the whirley thing and he loves to push me down the slide and to show me what he can do.

I didn't realise I was being really annoying to other parents (although never go in school holidays) so feel bad now.

He won't want me in there for long so I just try to enjoy it while I can!

Sorry I am a helicopter parent to my 2.5 year old. Only in the sense that I keep an eye on him and am there if he needs me. What annoys me are the parents that sit there and totally ignore their kids. My mum took my DS to soft play last week and one small child got smacked in the face by another (non related child) and ended up with a massive bloody nose. I don't give a shit about other kids, just mine. So I'm there to stick up for him if he cant stick up for himself because he's too small.

They did look like amazing chips...proper big chunky ones with lots of tomato sauce... Sigh. I should've just ordered chips shouldn't I?

treacle I can imagine it's a great option if the parent isn't feeling great, have a baby with them as well or any other circumstance when it's nice to have another adult being in charge.

Not that any around me offer the option.

Cheshire yeah, it's good. Parents are still able to keep an eye on things. It's well laid out and you can mostly see them from wherever you're sitting. And you're certainly free to wander round the outside of the equipment, you're just not allowed on it. Presumably they consider it safer, smaller people less likely to get stood on etc.

Have you missed the gazillion threads about hellish kid's thundering around soft plays hitting others and shoving them down slides while their parents either ignore it or laugh it off? I can understand a helicopter parent there. I don't do it, but if their kids have been attacked before it's perfectly reasonable to be over cautious.
As for the chips, why not? It's just chips. Is it your own child refusing to eat apple slices because a neighbouring table has chips?

Funny how you think 4 is so grown up op
Is your child your first?

Well, I agree about the adults potentially getting stuck, I used to follow my DDs around when they were toddlers but I was relieved when I no longer had to.

But I also hate it when parents just play on their phones or chat to their friends and ignore the fact that their DCs are bullying younger children in the toddler area, for example by blocking the slide.

As for the chips YDABVU!! It has nothing to do with you what other parents eat. For some parents it's their only chance for a treat during the week!

The idea there are only helicopter parents and negligent ones who ignore their children is utter bollocks.

Most parents (ime) let their children get on with it while keeping an eye on their child. There are the odd exceptions but they are the exception.

Yabu. I hate soft play but sometimes one of my children has got stuck, hurt or freaked out a bit which needed me to get involved (much to my dismay....) I agree with pp it's much worse when parents basically abandon their kids on the soft play and let them run riot, push, shove others etc. Having the odd adult is helpful to slow them down.

Chips? Wtf has it got to do with you? You do what you like.

Agree with Fuzzy Owl - I used to go in if there was a boisterous little sh1t being nasty/hurting DD. Now she can stand up for herself so I don't go in, but I do watch like a hawk and give nasty kids the evil eye.

I am so grateful soft play was not invented when my dcs were toddlers - went once or twice when they were older and I could sit by the side - I hated it, so noisy!

Yabu. My son is 2.5 but looks a lot older as he's very very tall and his speech is good for his age, people usually guess his ages at 3.5-4. Also, some parents like to play and spend time with their children.

I also suggest you find ways of telling your child that just because someone else has something like chips doesn't mean they can too. It's the apple slices or nothing. Plus, maybe that time at softplay is the only chance that parent gets to eat in peace.

Well when I was a child we had a huge soft play and me and my friends loved it when my dad would come and play with us racing down the slides etc.
When we go to the soft play with my friends daughter one of us always goes in for a bit with her, it's fun! Can't see it as dangerous adults don't tend to go running through screaming and whacking children out of the way

Sunny here in London today so did soft play this morning. Busy rather than 7th circle of hell busy for the first 30 mins. And now that DS2 has dropped his nap, we can hang out til 12 and everyone else leaves at 11.15 to be home for lunch and nap. Bliss. Chips fine any time. Helicopter parent do my nut. Would almost rather have the unattended delinquent kids as at least I can death stare them and they are generally so shocked they obey

I go to soft play a lot and always go on the big frame with my 2 year old (was 2 in May) she will only go in on her own if it's quiet and I enjoy interacting and playing with my child whilst she still wants me to. If I hadn't been on the frane when I took her today then she would have been pushed down the slides more than once by this one little boy who was pushing all the kids as his mum sat in her phone ignoring him.

The chips thing wouldn't bother me if my daughter then refused her snack she would get nothing until lunch

Then again I'm 5ft nothing so am not too big to get in anyone's way or get stuck

Yanbu. I had a go at a woman at the park the other day for helicoptering around her child on the slide. Loads of kids had been playing happily for half an hour or so, taking it in turns. Along she and her little precious came, and she was up the steps, telling everyone not to push, not to do this or that. The second time she had a go at DS, who had done nothing wrong, I went over and told her to stop bullying my child. She responded with something about her child being anxious. For the first time ever I had a good retort and said I wasn't surprised given she was helicoptering around her all the time and she should just let her play! She wandered off muttering eventually, but not until after she'd blocked the steps to the slide again trying to rant back at me. I just stood there and repeatedly asked her to move, let the children play and be children. Some people are just stupid and sadly, there's no arguing with stupid!