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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be furious at this childrens sports centre?!

42 replies

Unsername1233 · 02/01/2022 22:49

I'm not too sure if I'm just hormonal and tired but I'm furious and need a place to rant.

I have been trying to encourage my DS to try a new hobby (he doesn't have much confidence and I've been trying to find a hobby for him to try that he will enjoy). After much reassurance and encouragement he was looking forward to trying a trial class of Parkour for kids.

I booked the trial class last week for today (Sunday) at mid day, along with receiving a reminder email yesterday. DS woke up and got dressed in some sports gear he had and was very excited (he's 5). It was so sweet because I've never seen him so excited for a hobby which is out of his comfort zone. After asking numerous times about when we can leave we finally headed off around lunch time.

WELL, get to the sports centre and it's shut!! They do the majority of their correspondence over FB and no answer on their phone. I get an automated response saying classes are restarting from the 3rd of Jan. I sent them a message to ask if I was in the right place as received the confirmation and paid. They read the message 9 hours ago and have still had no response.

We left the sports centre with my DS in tears. I'm
Furious, and I understand mistakes are made but to not even receive a message back and to receive the email reminder I think is a p**s take. It's a family run small business.

I'm just so sad and mad for my DS!

I realise this isn't something which even warrants a reply, I just need a space to rant. Nothing worse than seeing your children sad 😔

OP posts:

JuniorMint · 03/01/2022 00:21

@WheelieBinPrincess

I totally agree with you *@JuniorMint*, I think it was just a level of jollyness that I’m not sure I could keep up. I’m being lighthearted. I’m a nanny so I use those kind of tactics all the time. But I’m on maternity leave now and you just reminded me how tiring it can be to be ‘jolly’ every minute of every day to mitigate every mood and tantrum, that’s all!

As well as having my own two children i’m a primary school teacher so also (like you) spend a lot of my day taking a deep breath and deploying tactics to help children to regulate their emotions, build resilience and navigate conflicts and difficult situations

Original poster

Unsername1233 · 03/01/2022 00:22

@NatriumChloride yes recently I am. As I said above, very hormonal and bleh at the moment. It's nice to know there's soooo many supportive fellow mothers around though ...

OP posts:

oviraptor21 · 03/01/2022 00:26

I get you OP. I also had a DC who it was really difficult to get to try new things - had so many false starts. To then have something he was keen to do be not available after all the psyching up needed in prep would have been heart-sinking.

SquirrelG · 03/01/2022 00:26

Your reaction is extreme OP. I can understand your disappointment, but agree with pps that you really should have tried to make light of it for your son's sake. Also, surely the fact that Sunday was a public holiday should have made you question that was the day for the class to be held. It seems they made mistakes on their part, but it's not worth being "furious" over.

HunkyPunk · 03/01/2022 00:26

Exhausting to play I-spy with a 5yo? Ok?

No, playing I-spy isn’t exhausting, it’s relentless positivity that’s exhausting! (I was also being lighthearted. Apologies for not signalling it.)

Original poster

Unsername1233 · 03/01/2022 00:28

@oviraptor21 thanks for your reply, it's reassuring to know someone else has been in a similar situation. Hopefully I can encourage him to try again this coming Sunday.

OP posts:

oviraptor21 · 03/01/2022 00:29

And yes of course you question - but when you book for that date and the sports centre emails a confirmation what are you supposed to do - assume it's wrong?
Very poor on the part of the centre. I hope you get a profuse apology tomorrow.

Original poster

Unsername1233 · 03/01/2022 00:32

@oviraptor21 well that was my thought process to. I only received a reminder email yesterday. Tomorrow is a bank holiday so hopefully they get in contact on Tuesday and I can look at rebooking.

OP posts:

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 03/01/2022 00:50

I do think that's careless of the centre to have
a) not blocked out the bookings if they were going to be closed
b) not checked and stopped the reminder email going out (it's probably an automated one linked to the booking system)
c) not messaged you by text to let you know that the centre was closed, if it was an emergency closure due to sickness or whatever. Clearly someone was well enough to go in there and put up a sign to say it was closed until Tuesday - they should also have taken the trouble to check bookings!

It's poor business practice to leave customers feeling annoyed and upset because their pre-booked activity isn't taking place, whatever the reason.

I hope they allow you to transfer the booking without any problem and that your son loves it when he gets to to finally do it!

Stompythedinosaur · 03/01/2022 01:37

I think your reaction is a bit over the top. Things will always go wrong in life and as parents we should be aiming to help our dc weather that rather than getting angry when a genuine mistake makes them a little sad.

Marvellousmadness · 03/01/2022 02:30

Your reaction is a bit much... a bit ott id say

Teach your kid about resilience.
And try booking for something else

UndertheCedartree · 03/01/2022 02:40

@JuniorMint - I have to admit I used to find it exhausting playing eye-spy with my 5 yo!

I really get where you are coming from. My DS has ASD and I wouldn't tell him we were doing anything until it was definite. So confirmation email, on the way there, not been cancelled. No amount of 'bright and breezy' would help if it turned out it actually wasn't on. And yes, I'd be furious too.

marcopront · 03/01/2022 10:06

@Middleagedfemaleangst

It was probably just an automated thing that wasn’t set right when you booked? Massive overreaction from you?

What is the point in a confirmation email, if it is sent when there is no class?

zingally · 03/01/2022 11:12

Aww bless him.

Feeling frustrated is a normal reaction, especially on top of a difficult week already.

Personally I'd be seeking a free session in compensation for this mix-up! Take screen shots of the date and time, and your attempts to query it.

mumda · 03/01/2022 11:18

Should people teach their children to cope with this sort of minor annoyance?

"Oh this looks all shut, they must be poorly, let's go find something else to do"

You can do all the adult stamping of feet to get money back without the kids seeing that sort of thing.

Original poster

Unsername1233 · 03/01/2022 11:41

@mumda I'm assuming you hadn't read my previous posts but no feet stamping or complaining was done infront of DS. We went and got lunch and a film instead.

I came to mumsnet to rant instead! Of course I know how silly I'm being but when it's taken SO much encouragement for him to try something new and this happens, it's a massive blow. He's 5 years old, I don't think it was wrong of him to show his emotions. Disappointed is allowed, it's how you manage it which is important.

OP posts:

llansannan22 · 03/01/2022 11:47

Raise it with them so they don't make the same mistake over Easter or the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Most people would expect a new year closedown but not perhaps the others.

I think you have overreacted though.

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