Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is an absurd party request?

151 replies

MerryMax · 18/12/2018 09:18

DD is invited to a 7th birthday party today. The birthday girl's mum has given clear instruction that all parents need to stay and be present on the climbing frame. I've had a cold and don't feel like traipsing around a climbing frame trying to follow a bunch of 7 year olds. Surely at 7 they can be in there on their own?

OP posts:
Witchofzog · 18/12/2018 09:20

Is there even going to be room for every parent to do this? She sounds very anxious

WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo · 18/12/2018 09:20

Very odd! They're plenty old enough to play by themselves. I bet they'll hate being so closely supervised.

Bluemascara4 · 18/12/2018 09:21

Wow! She sounds very anxious and unreasonable.

How many children are attending the party?

ItIsChristmasTime · 18/12/2018 09:22

YABU. If you’ve been asked to stay and accepted the invite, then I don’t see you have any choice. Perhaps the mother has a disability that prevents her from being able to supervise such an activity but it is what her child wants to do, so she has arranged the party accordingly.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 18/12/2018 09:22

Is this outside in their garden?
It's too bloody cold for a metal climbing frame

Whataboutbobbo · 18/12/2018 09:23

If you don't like the conditions, don't go.

masterandmargarita · 18/12/2018 09:23

Wrap up warm and look after your kid!

Original poster
MerryMax · 18/12/2018 09:26

It's a soft play not outside. We will all be crouched down inside the climbing frame. It's not exclusive hire either so loads of other kids will be in there.

OP posts:
Suziepoozie · 18/12/2018 09:29

If it’s open hire during a busy time, I imagine the parents will be told to get off. It’s ridiculous at 7.

LilMy33 · 18/12/2018 09:31

She sounds very over anxious expecting parents to follow their 7 year olds around. My 2 would have gone spare and told me in no uncertain terms to bugger off.

FannyFanackerpants71 · 18/12/2018 09:31

Could be the soft play centre insisting? I think you may have to just do it for your dc. Maybe also the other mum feel she could not safely monitor all the kids attending and being safe rather than sorry. I've often had to stay at these types of things. It's a pain agreed buy not much you can do.

mindutopia · 18/12/2018 09:33

If it's a public place, she can't make you do anything. Do you think she means just don't drop and run as X number of children is too many to supervise alone in a public soft play? Either way, just go sit down at a table and enjoy a coffee. It's not like she can kick you out, it's soft play.

LongWalkShortPlank · 18/12/2018 09:34

I'd clarify what she means. I'm assuming she wants parents to keep an eye on their own children because it's an open party and has worded it awkwardly. It's kinda silly to assume she means ON the climbing stuff itself, it's a soft play.

Iloveautumnleaves · 18/12/2018 09:36

I’d stay as that’s what she has asked, but at a soft play I would not be in the frame with a 7 yo. No. (If it was an outdoor frame I would decide whether to comply or not go)

mumsastudent · 18/12/2018 09:38

thinks; I wonder if a couple of the dc have issues behavioural or otherwise & though her dc may want all dc in class to come/or those specific dc she thought the best way to cope was to include all parents. treat it as a socializing event for you too & get to meet other parents - alternatively ring the mum up & explain you are not feeling well & under those circumstances would it be ok for the dc to come without you?

ApolloandDaphne · 18/12/2018 09:38

Just on the climbing frame and nowhere else in the soft play area? How weird. I am not sure the soft play facility will like 15 parents or whatever huddling round the climbing frame!

SleepingStandingUp · 18/12/2018 09:38

Well I'd go and stay, but just sit and have a coffee. If she turns around and tells you to get in there, you can calmly decline and say that you have responsibility for her

Wooooooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhh · 18/12/2018 09:38

I wouldn’t follow my 6 year old round soft play.

ApolloandDaphne · 18/12/2018 09:39

At age 7 i would expect to be able to leave a child at a soft play party unless they had any specific needs which meant a parent would need to be there.

SnuggyBuggy · 18/12/2018 09:40

Helicopter parent party Grin

Molakai · 18/12/2018 09:41

Why will you all be crouched down inside the climbing frame Confused

steff13 · 18/12/2018 09:42

I'd stay, but I wouldn't be crouching inside the climbing frame. I can't believe the venue would allow that. Won't you be in the way of the other kids playing? If my daughter was there playing, I'd wonder WTF you were all doing.

Molakai · 18/12/2018 09:44

The only way I've ever supervised at soft play with over 5 year olds would be from a chair in the building. Is that what the mum means? Maybe the centre has ratios of adult to child ....

gamerchick · 18/12/2018 09:44

Ignore her. It's soft play hell, no need to make it more uncomfortable than it is.

paintinmyhairAgain · 18/12/2018 09:45

that's worth going just to see all these parents crouching inside a climbing frame Grin -sorry

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread