AIBU to want to live as far away as possible from other people’s badly brought up children?

[francescadrake]

Today I took my child (nearly 3) to a small, free soft play area on our local shopping centre. There were a few toddlers running round. Fine. My DD wanted to go on the slide, so she got on and waited her turn. All the while, there are two little boys going up and down the slide, climbing up the inside as soon as they finished their turns, shouting in the face of the other children. My DD went down the slide, couldn’t get out at the bottom because they were blocking her and climbing up, and promptly burst into tears. She’s a shy child.

WIBU to tell the boys very firmly to go back down the slide, not climb up, then go and speak to both their mums, who were sat there on phones ignoring their sons’ behaviour?

They did apologise, but why don’t their children know how to use a slide? Why aren’t they stopping them frightening other children and climbing all over everyone rather than using basic turn-taking manners?

Last point: it’s nearly always boys.

AIBU to want to move to the Outer Hebrides so my DD doesn’t have to put up with this?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if parenting skills, responsibility, the art of compromise, sharing, communication skills, and assertiveness, not aggression, were taught in schools instead of some of the rubbish they have to learn to pass exams?

Oh great. All the more reason for the lazy sods to sit there on their phones, doing nothing.

Haven’t schools got enough to do? These lads’ mums had two free hands.

Tbh 2 year olds are way too young to leave alone at soft play. Usually areas are segregated to over 4s and the younger ones play in a toddler area with other 2 year olds. It isnt just the boys fault here. They sound too old to be with unattended 2 year olds

O yPou are coming across as very aggressive yourself.

I agree you are coming across as extremely aggressive and adamant that you are 100% right. No parent is perfect no matter if they have boys or girls.

usually boys
I have 3 DD, 1 DS and my middle DD was wild and her siblings lovely amenable, fair minded kids especially my DS. Kids are all different, it’s the parents responsibility to raise good kids.

Tbh 2 year olds are way too young to leave alone at soft play. Usually areas are segregated to over 4s and the younger ones play in a toddler area with other 2 year olds. It isnt just the boys fault here. They sound too old to be with unattended 2 year olds

They were unattended, and a similar age to my DD, just bigger. My DD wasn’t unattended.

O yPou are coming across as very aggressive yourself.

What aggression do you see in my posts?

So they were all 2 yrs old? Have a word with yourself, OP. This is such a silly thing to get wound up about.

If they were 3 year olds then I fail to see what was so threatening tbh, 3 year olds dont form gangs and deliberately bully, its just group behaviour typical of that age. Youre acting like shes been terrorised!

CarryOnUpTheNile

They were roughly the same age, give or take the usual uncertainty about 2 or 3.

Its very goady and aggressive over a total non event...

I agree you are coming across as extremely aggressive and adamant that you are 100% right
I disagree but if she does sound frustrated it's because so many posters are being nit-picking about the fact that she referenced boys (due to that being HER experience) and because there are obviously posters on here who have a similarly lackadaisical approach regarding parenting to the mothers of the children involved. Parents need to parent.

Theyroamoverhere

Well, no, but then I didn’t say they were a “threatening gang”. If you put words on my mouth and then argue against them, you’ll win, but you won’t be addressing anything I am saying.

I have two DSs who are now beyond soft play thank goodness but I remember saying up the stairs and down the slide so many times I bored myself. It is just about safety. One day someone will come down the slide fast and they'll get hit in the head if not taught the right way to play.

I only have a DD so can’t comment on boys re girls but YANBU to be pissed off with shitty parenting.

Don’t understand all the people saying it’s fine for kids to climb the slide. Maybe in their own garden but not with other kids waiting, that’s just rude.

FGS. You're being extremely precious, and ridiculous.

Your DD will have to handle these things and advocate for herself in the not too distant future. A few tears over slide competition is nothing, bread and butter of child interaction. Until she's 4 or so you'll need to follow her so just tell the other kids to stop it, or encourage her to. Once she's doing these things alone she will have to handle it herself.

You have 3 options. Deal with it yourself, pull the parents up on it or leave.
You did those.
Kids are kids and need boundaries it's not up to you to sit and judge who had manners and who doesn't. It's not up to you to sit and judge parents when you know exactly noting about them.
You watched them piss your kid off and only pulled them up once you reached your limit then spoke to parents good, great situation delt with.
Boys and girls are equally boisterous, aggressive and annoying. Boys more so because that's how then tend to play more. Nothing wrong there.
Really is a total non issue and the only one lacking in manners I have seen so far is you.

Your DD is such amenable child to have napped all afternoon allowing you to argue the toss on here

@FriarTuck yes I was one of those, sick of "boys are a nightmare" labels! It's not nit picking it's standing up for our sons as OP wants to stand up for her daughter.

No its not ok to climb on slides. You get them off. But, it's not bullying either, and they aren't badly parented generally because the parents wanted them to burn off steam and relax a bit.

Also don’t understand posters saying DD’s child should just yell “MOVE”. No, it’s up to us all to raise children who are polite and recognise the needs of others. She shouldn’t have to any more than you’d expect to have to remind an adult not to jump a queue at the bank.

Really is a total non issue and the only one lacking in manners I have seen so far is you.

You don’t think children who repeatedly run up a slide, blocking other children in and actually pushing, climbing on and screaming at them, lack manners?

If this is what we are meant to see as normal, I despair. It isn’t normal. It’s rude and inconsiderate of others.

My tiny 2 year-old DD loves to climb a slide. She’s good at it too, as she climbs ours at home. She gets away with more at soft play because sexist stereotypers like you give tiny blonde girls more leeway. Soft play is for burning off energy, exploring what their bodies can do in a safe environment and learning social skills. So there will be some kids climbing the slides, and the climbers and non climbers need to learn to sort that out. I try and give my DD a bit of space to work it out before I intervene and say ‘stop’.

Boys and girls are equally boisterous, aggressive and annoying. Boys more so because that's how then tend to play more. Nothing wrong there

MASSIVE FUCKING EYEROLL

hobnobsaremyfave

She is awake, playing safely in front of me, having eaten a meal with me. You are being unnecessarily insulting and clearly have taken this whole thing to heart.