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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be really annoyed out local soft play centre has installed three ipads within the play area

111 replies

Drqedwa · 17/03/2018 21:59

okay so im not even sure why I am so annoyed about this really but I am.

My sons are three and four. I limit their ipad usage to 30 mins a day each. Im not anti ipads but I like them to have limited use of them at this age.

We have a varied week with different activities and one place they love going to is the local soft play. Today I noticed the soft play place have installed three ipads within the main play frame. My sons were immediately drawn to them but there was no way I was paying a combined £13 for then to sit down watching a screen. So I told them they were not allowed play on the ipads unti! 10 mins before home time. My oldest to his credit obeyed but my y youngest spent half the time playing on them. There were loads of children just watching the ipads when beforr they would have been running around using up energy.

I just think children have enough technology eithout the need for ipads in a soft play centre. The very reason I take my sons to soft play is to burn some energy off and do physical activity. Or else they might aswell stay indoors and ssve my money!

The table next to us were also annoyed about the ipads and said to me they csnt see why they needed to be in the main play area and not downstairs or out of the main play area a bit so that parents could more easily control when their child went on them.

AIBU to think ipads werr not necessary in thr main play frame and to be annoyed they were installed?

OP posts:

TheSnowFairy · 17/03/2018 22:00

YANBU.

That would really irritate me too.

FlashTheSloth · 17/03/2018 22:03

YANBU. McDonalds are doing this now. It really pisses me off. Children can play and eat without needing a sodding screen ffs. I'd tell the softplay they had lost my custom over it tbh. Like you say, you are paying £13 for them to play on an ipad. Mine would be the type to be stood at the shoulders of other children, watching too.

M00nUnit · 17/03/2018 22:03

YANBU at all. I think that's awful. Soft play is meant to give children exercise.

Backinthetallgrass · 17/03/2018 22:08

Usually when I take my kids to soft play its to get them away from things like tablets. How annoying!

Original poster

Drqedwa · 17/03/2018 22:10

im actually infuriated. To me soft play is for children to run around and burn off some energy. If I wanted them to eatch an ipad I would givr them one at home. Theres so much to do at soft play. There should be no need for ipads. If they really wanted them installed they could have at lesst put them on the level below so that parrnts could control when they used them.

OP posts:

littlecabbage · 17/03/2018 22:10

YANBU. Time to find an alternative soft play (and be sure to inform the ipad soft play why they have lost your custom).

SophieGiroux · 17/03/2018 22:13

YANBU I hate it in McDonald's too

Stormwhale · 17/03/2018 22:13

I deal with the ones in MacDonalds by saying no to my four year old dd. She tried to say but the other children get to play on them and I told her that we don't while we are eating together. She's fine with it and we have a nice chat instead. In soft play I would do the same. I would give her an option of playing in the soft play or going home (and mean it). She would choose the soft play.

If you didn't want your children using them, why did you let your youngest spend half the time on them?

Original poster

Drqedwa · 17/03/2018 22:15

I think its really sad anyone thiught it was a good idea to be honest. Thanks for the replies everyone. This has annoyed me a disproportionate amount I am aware.

OP posts:

RunMummyRun68 · 17/03/2018 22:16

That's quite shocking

Is there no escape!?

JustPutSomeGlitterOnIt · 17/03/2018 22:17

Oo I'd be really annoyed as well. I don't even think it's disproportionate.

Original poster

Drqedwa · 17/03/2018 22:18

storm its different in mcdonalds. Unless you follow your child around at all times during soft play, it is impossible to stop them using the ipad. My just turned 3 year old was to young to understand he was not allowed. You shouldnt have to folloe your child around all the time in soft play anyway. It should not be necessary at that age. I tried my best to distrsct him but only managed half the time.

OP posts:

Kitsandkids · 17/03/2018 22:20

YANBU
I hate it too. One we used to go to had PlayStations hooked up. I was always turfing my two off them. I wrote a complaint about it for the suggestions box. I don't think anything changed.

I do let my two go on McDonald's IPads if they're available. They don't have IPads at home and they're not generally allowed to eat while playing on the PC or PlayStation so I let them on there as a treat.

manicinsomniac · 17/03/2018 22:22

YANBU, that's really shocking and counterproductive.

But it's probably a decision driven by market research and consumer demand, sadly. They're a business and would only make changes that they think will benefit them.

Allthewaves · 17/03/2018 22:22

i'd be completely annoyed in soft play. I pay a stupid amount for them to run around like mad things and get exercise

Original poster

Drqedwa · 17/03/2018 22:25

ive complained by email but sadly I think a lot of people will like the ipads so they will stay. I wont be returning however.

OP posts:

Littlelambpeep · 17/03/2018 22:26

It's sad. I would hate it. I haven't let mine have iPads yet (know they have their place and are very good I'm sure) but I would be annoyed paying for softplay.

Hate them in McDonald's too!

user1andonly · 17/03/2018 22:27

Yanbu. Mine are grown up but I wouldn't have been happy about this when they were younger. If I was going to suffer soft play it was because I wanted them to burn off some energy and then I could stick them in front of a DVD when we got home (no ipads back then which was no bad thing tbh) and not feel guilty about it! Children will be naturally drawn to the ipads and it'll just end up with them crowding round them (nightmare at busy times I would imagine) instead of running around.

I wouldn't have minded so much in McDonald's except knowing my luck they would all been in use, or whenever my kids did get a go on them there would instantly have been someone else over their shoulder wanting a turn and it wouldn't have been fun for anyone!

covetingthepreciousthings · 17/03/2018 22:28

YANBU, I also would have complained via email like you have done.
Let us know what reply you get..

I can't understand why this would be deemed a good idea, and it makes me feel sad that this is what it's coming to.

Steeley113 · 17/03/2018 22:33

This would annoy me too. I’m sick of them being everywhere! The McDonald’s ones I can cope with as we just sit at a different table and they know they can’t get up but in a soft play I’d be having to turf them off constantly. I imagine there will be lots of arguments about them too!

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 17/03/2018 22:39

Why would they do that??

Notcontent · 17/03/2018 22:44

YANBU

I think increasingly we are realising how intrusive, addictive and damaging “screens” can be but unfortunately not everyone agrees.

KittenBeast · 17/03/2018 22:52

YANBU, when I take my boys to Mcdonald's (yep, we go there occasionally for mechanically recovered meat and fruit shoots, so shoot me) the table they have set up with Ipads really bugs me, who needs to stare in to a screen while they're eating? wtf?

Shadow666 · 17/03/2018 22:53

Wow, that's really sad. Not surprised you are angry. Hopefully enough people will complain and they'll remove them.

PurdysChocolate · 17/03/2018 22:56

YANBU!

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