To think this is an absurd party request?

[MerryMax]

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?

Obviously there’s a story there: maybe she had a
near miss once with her kid/perhaps she’s witnessed an accident before BUT she’s very unreasonable to start issuing instructions willy nilly like some drill sergeant.

It depends on the set up. I know what it is like to supervise a party where they are all running all over the place, children wanting drinks/wanting to go to the loo and all parents have gone off

There was a time that people would invite other children to celebrate their dc's birthday with them to make it a special day for their DC. In exchange for you 'lending' your child to them to make their DC's day special, they would keep them safe, entertain them and feed them. As well as 'lending' your child you would usually send a gift. People are so entitled now that they want to invite your child to celebrate their DC's day, but they also expect parents to give up their precious weekend time to entertain and care for their own child, because the host is too busy. doing what I don't know if you dare to suppose that the host will actually, you know, do some hosting, you are dumping your child on them for free childcare. It's a fucking joke. It's not free as you are buying a gift, and it's not childcare, it's hosting in a staffed, child friendly, secure venue. You are not dumping them, they have been invited. Rant over.

I'd just be prepared to stay to supervise your own child and take the lead from what the soft play centre's policy is on parents going on equipment. Our local one allows parents on during toddler time in the day during school hours, but not at weekends etc when older kids are on.

She can't actually force you to sit within the play frame but it sounds like she clearly wants parents to stay so they can keep an eye on their own children. Some play centres are massive and kids can get easily lost. I've been up on a frame seeing fights go on between kids and no adults the wiser, as the nature of the play frames means they are blind spots where the children can't be seen from below.

wow how rude some of you are!

Deadringer you sound awful. A host is inviting your child, paying for a party and food, you should be grateful or decline if you can't be bothered to attend - either choice equally good.
No one is expecting you to entertain a child, they are expecting you to parent and look after your little darling, not living all the work to the host who has better things to do than babysitting, but you know, actually hosting.

I am amazed that so many posters take an invitation like a fight warning, and are trying to spoil the day and annoy the host as much as they can. Is that why you go to parties? To spite whoever is paying for them?
It's pitiful.

It sounds like the host has to make the request of parents being present because she has been burnt in the past by a CF like some posters on here.

lending your child

egomaniac much?

I shall dutifully crouch in the play frame until told otherwise because I'm not rude but I just had to get it off my chest before I jam my knees into it for a few hours!

How exactly is she planning to enforce this if you refuse?? If youre there at the soft play and are happy for your child to play unsupervised then its not her concern.

The bit about not sitting at tables on a phone would annoy me. What a control freak she is. I couldn’t be told what to do like that by another parent I don’t think. Really irritating 😠

if you have to be told by another parent and can't work out by yourself that you should keep an eye on your own child, it's your problem

She can’t force you in the climbing frame. That’s ridiculous. Just say you’re happy your child will be ok playing independently and you’ll sit nearby to be on hand if she does need help. If she wants to follow her kid round she can knock herself out. How ridiculous!

The bit about not sitting at tables on a phone would annoy me. What a control freak she is. I couldn’t be told what to do like that by another parent I don’t think. Really irritating 😠

I thought children’s birthday parties at softplay were made for sitting around on your phone drinking coffee.

7! I would expect this at 2, maybe even at 3, but I simply wouldn't let my daughter attend a party where there is an adult this crazy present!

But lending your child is exactly what you are doing. The party is for the birthday child, it's their day, you invite the other kids to make it fun for your child, the least you can do is take care of the invitees. Perhaps soft play is different where I live, (Dublin) the door is manned by staff so secure, the food is provided by and served by the venue staff, as is the cake, the toilets are easily accessable to the children especially at age 7, and I assume the host would bring a couple of friends/relatives to help if they need it. They also don't allow adults in the play area, only in the seating/food area beside it. But as I say, perhaps party venues are different where I am. I have hosted dozens of parties over the years and have always assumed that the responsibility is on me as the host to take care of the children and i am happy to do it, as is everyone else I know.

are you sure she wants parents in or on the frame? Not just she wants the kids supervised when on it?

@VodkaRevelation

😂😂😂

Are the children particularly rowdy? Badly behaved? Is yours? Has she had to sort fights before?

Can't think of any other reason for the birthday parents to have all the parents around the children during the party.

I've been to two softplay parties in two weeks, both for 5 year olds - at both, parents stayed, but sat outside chatting/drinking coffee/looking at phones - I even bought a book to one of them! The odd parent goes in (especially if there are younger siblings around) but mostly the parents are just used to dump shoes on and to dole out squash to sweaty children.

I would go and literally not go near the climbing frame - just keep an eye on my child.

I would personally just say that you will be happy to watch and participate in the fun but your child is very happy and confident in this environment and you won’t be actually within the Cage of Doom. It sounds utterly barmy, the whole facility will be rammed with resentful adults with the kids trying to climb over you.

Is she generally very anxious?

Soft play when you are ill is hell. Take a magazine and sit in the furthest corner so you 'don't spread your germs' a week before Christmas.
We are due at a soft play party today but ds has taken ill and its not worth risking the kids getting sick.

Maybe she just wants someone to chat with while looking after the children?

I used to get really claustrophobic when I had to go inside the smaller bits of soft play.

Could you use this as a ploy?

There's a lot of parenting you can do through the netting at a softplay if she really wants you involved.

She was very clear that she didn't want parents on phones sat at tables. One parent must be "in" the climbing frame

and when did this woman become the boss of you?

I'd swerve it