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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DD been away with her dad but was allowed to soft play on her own.....

58 replies

MyLifeNow20 · 19/08/2022 23:08

With her 8 yr old half brother.
They have been to Little seas weymouth and stayed in the orange section. DD7 and the half brother walked to the soft play on their own to play.
I picked her up tonight and its been playing on my mind, why would she be allowed to walk 5 mins on her own out of sight? Apaprently they had walkie talkies too

OP posts:
Connie2468 · 19/08/2022 23:10

I'd let my 8 year old go to a play area with a sibling on holiday.

Original poster
MyLifeNow20 · 19/08/2022 23:13

How old was the sibling connie?

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 19/08/2022 23:15

I dont know it but presumably its a caravan site/holiday park kind of set up and the softnplay was on site? If so I wouldn't have a problem with it

Onehotmess · 19/08/2022 23:17

I wouldn’t let a 7 & 8 year old go on their own, but maybe my kids aren’t as savvy. Personally I think it’s too young but it depends on the kids personality & maturity

Surtsey · 19/08/2022 23:17

They were on a holiday park?

That's what holiday parks are for - to give kids freedom in a safe environment. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Original poster
MyLifeNow20 · 19/08/2022 23:21

ok thanks. Maybe I am over reacting then. If it was me I wouldnt have let her go but everyone is different i guess

OP posts:
TypeMite · 19/08/2022 23:22

You're totally over reacting

UWhatNow · 19/08/2022 23:27

“That's what holiday parks are for - to give kids freedom in a safe environment.”

How do you know it’s a ‘safe’ environment? Have all the guests been DBS checked? It’s this assumption about what constitutes safe places (like churches and youth movements in the past) that causes children to be vulnerable to unsavoury people.

I wouldn’t have let my 7 year old dd out of my sight on holiday - I don’t think you’re overreacting at all.

WhiteFire · 19/08/2022 23:32

Has this come from your DD? Or did her Dad / a.n.other confirm it?

sarah283 · 19/08/2022 23:33

I agree with you and don’t think your over reacting. If that isn’t normal for your children you have every right to feel uncomfortable.

ChuckMater · 19/08/2022 23:39

Holiday Park or not its not normal and isn't safe. If you aren't comfortable you need to make that known

ManateeFair · 19/08/2022 23:45

A 7 and an 8 year old together, walking for five minutes to a play area within a family holiday park, seems absolutely fine to me.

Quackpot · 19/08/2022 23:47

Yanbu. Children should be supervised, not only for their own safety, which is paramount, but also to ensure they're not causing a nuisance to/bullying/ harassing others.

Original poster
MyLifeNow20 · 19/08/2022 23:49

Exactly his words, its a holiday park!
you don’t know if its safe or not!
My dd told me earlier and questioned why cars dont stop for children…
EXH said they took walkie talkies with them so i am going to ask her about those tomorrow but surely they dont work too far!

OP posts:
SunnyD44 · 19/08/2022 23:54

I wouldn’t say holiday parks are that much safer than your local neighbourhood apart from less traffic.

I probably wouldn’t have let my 7 and 8 y/o go together.
I may have dropped them off there and then picked them up to make it safer.

I would be annoyed as tbh it’s simply lazy parenting.
I think all kids should be supervised at places like that anyway as it’s not fair on the other children if they’re being silly etc.

SD1978 · 20/08/2022 00:02

I couldn't get irate about this, two kids, with walkie talkies, walked 5 minutes to a play area in a caravan park. Sounds pretty reasonable

MatildaJayne · 20/08/2022 00:05

Hmm, I think if he’s a reasonable co-parent, you’ll just have to let this one go. It’s just a different style. My kids were allowed to go to the playground at a Eurocamp on their own at 6 and 8. That was a perk of being on a campsite, letting them have a bit of the sort of freedom I’d had at home at their age when there were many fewer cars on the roads.

Meatshake · 20/08/2022 00:08

I let my 3, 5 and 6 year olds wander the traffic free path to the park on our caravan site (approx 3 mins from our tent but in the interests of honesty only 2 or 3 pitches down from their Nan's caravan)... A little freedom does wonders for their self confidence, and trust inspires good behaviour. I'd definitely let a 7 or 8 year old do a 5 min walk to a soft play.

itwasntmetho · 20/08/2022 00:35

Don't ask her about the walkie talkies. It will feel weird and she will feel like her loyalties are being split, like she is grassing her dad up. Just let her have had a fun holiday and let her feel proud of her independence.
Every kid over about 6 goes to the playground unaccompanied at those type of places.

Summerfun54321 · 20/08/2022 01:01

I’m with you OP. It would be a no from me at that age.

CherryBlossomAutumn · 20/08/2022 01:05

It would also be a no from me. 8 years olds get looked after by adults, not children.

avamiah · 20/08/2022 01:11

It’s a difficult one but at that age I wouldn’t be happy about it.

I know it’s a caravan park but 8 is still a bit young in my opinion.

Soundoftheundergroun81 · 20/08/2022 01:25

My son is coming up 12 this sept and it was only on our holiday this year that we let him go off to the arcade on his own so at age 8 is deffo a big no no from me to let them go off on their own, no place is safe these days and you always need to be cautious.

user1471457751 · 20/08/2022 01:54

@UWhatNow really? So, for example, you wouldn't allow your 7 year old to go to the toilet in restaurant without you? How far does not letting her out of your sight extend to?

I don't see what happened as a big deal provided the children are fairly sensible. As a pair, and on a holiday site with presumably lots of people around, they really were v safe. I was 8 when I was allowed to go by myself to knock for my friends to come play out. It's better to judge by the environment and by the child(ren) rather than have a blanket ban.

Coyoacan · 20/08/2022 03:11

I don't live in the UK, but is there really a lot of stranger danger nowadays?