Was at a restaurant today that has a separate soft play area. I was with DD who's 2 and another relative of mine.
I will say I have nothing against older children being in the younger areas, I can think of lots of reasons why and generally don't mind older children trying to play/help my DD.
After DD had eaten I took her into the toddler bit of the play area. There was an older girl, who was maybe 6 also there. At first the girl ignored DD. DD loves the slide so was just playing on the little slide bit but coming to me for help.
After 3-4 times on the slide the girl offered to help DD up the steps to the slide so I could sit down so I stayed just outside the toddler bit to supervise.
DD does need a little bit of help getting up the steps of soft play, but this little girl kept picking DD up round the ribs and trying to lift her onto the steps. I went over twice and explained it would be easier for DD if she climbed onto the step first then offered DD her hand to help her up the steps (also thinking of the poor little girls back and knees as DD does sometimes kick when lifted) then they could go down the slides together (it was two slides together side by side IYSWIM). She did this a few times both times I spoke to her but then reverted back to trying to lift her.
The girls mum wasn't around as far as I could see - the soft play bit wasn't busy but it wasn't empty either but there was another room around the corner for teens with a dance room and stuff so assumed the mum could be there. So I decided to take DD back out of the play area telling the little girl that we were going for some ice cream now, and we might see her another time.
Take DD back to our table where my relative is waiting. Half way through DD eating her ice cream, the girl appears at our table again. Trying to talk to me and asking if DD is going back into the play area after she's had her ice cream. At no point where we rude or did we shout, we did politely say "where's your mummy? Don't you think she'll be wondering where you are?" but she just continued to chat to us and ask questions.
So my relative called the manager over when he walked passed the table, told him what had happened in the play area and now we were at the table. The manager got down to the girls eye level and spoke to her, again not rudely, and just said "these people are trying to eat, shall we find your mummy?" and lead her away from the table. Manager then comes back and apologizes, and offers to knock the cost of the puddings off the bill.
As we were leaving the girl was sat outside in the outdoor play area weathers been okish here today all on her own again. I felt a bit guilty as the girl looked really unhappy when she was outside, and I felt like it was my relatives fault that she was outside on her own, and she'd obviously just wanted to play and be friends with DD. Relative wanted to go back and tell the manager she was outside on her own again, but I was worried that would make the situation even worse for the girl and so we just left.
So were we UR for speaking to the manager in the first place? And should we have gone back and spoken to the manager when we saw her outside?