Entire extended families at soft play/trampoline parks and the like

[Lordofthebutterfloofs]

Why? I don't get it. Am in a trampoline park at the minute letting my two blow off some steam and there are multiple families here with mum, dad, gran, grandad on both sides, auntie, uncle ect ect all with one (if we're honest, too small to be here) child.

Why? I don't get it. They do it at swimming lessons too when your trying to get your kids in and out clogging up the changing rooms.

They probably want to meet up and the parents insist on doing something 'for the children' instead of something the whole family would enjoy so they all end up bored to death at soft play. Linked to the 'child king' I would say.

Maybe it's the kids birthday.

My nieces live in the UK. My job is in the States. I adore them beyond belief and miss them keenly.

When I come home to visit for a fortnight, I spend much of my time with family, particularly them (and my brother and sister-in-law). It's my only opportunity to see them all, and we will usually do at least one kid-centric thing. I even occasionally go to a soft play, farm, or zoo.

I'm terribly sorry you find it annoying.

Don’t these people have jobs?

It’s probably cultural.

I went for biopsy results and there were a family of 30 (yes I counted) with babies and toddlers in buggies accompanying Grandma to her clinic appointment.

Do you find they tend to be mouth breathers?

Everyone is now incredibly busy, but some families like to spend time together when possible; so off to a trampoline park it is.

Kids venues are never places of quiet reflection and it's too wet /cold now for regular parks.

If chairs are always taken, bring a fold up or get there earlier.

I can't see how families spending time together is an issue at all.

Yes - the whole extended family going everywhere. I suppose your knowledge of it depends on where you live.

We go en masse to soft play when MIL visits because all she wants to do is sit down and moan. Won’t go for for a walk, doesn’t enjoy a national trust property or garden, doesn’t play with the DC at home, won’t stand in a playground for long, doesn’t want lunch, insists on visiting anyway 🤦🏻‍♀️ Soft play gives the DC a bounce around and MIL a captive audience for something to complain about. (Last time the cup of tea was both too large, and too hot.)

I don't understand what this means?

I've always found soft play horrendous for a "get together" - it's so loud, you're just constantly shouting in order to be heard. I can understand a farm or something like that though.

What I hate is when there's a massive group (family or otherwise) who take all the spare seats and tables, spend ages queueing up in the cafe loading up 5 trays and yelling to each other about what they want etc.

Also the families who seem to do absolutely everything together all the time. I've a colleague who spends every spare day (weekend and holidays) with her sisters and their kids (and posting photos of it on Facebook). It just sounds really dull, to be honest, like they know every detail of each other's lives and nothing outside of that. She talks about it as if it's absolutely wonderful, and we all nod along and say how lovely it sounds, but we mostly secretly think it sounds awful!

Maybe some of us have family that live far away and so when they visit we go to these kinds of places so they can see their grandchildren/nieces/nephews play? Planning on doing a visit to a local park, small theme park and a childrens museum when my parents come to visit so we will be 4 adults with one small child. And frankly it’s none of your business!

I've said it before on a different thread but in my experience of families that all turn up to A&E and outpatients they are quite often very loud and intimidating people. The last sort of people staff feel able to ask to leave or at least offer the actual patients a seat

This! Why? Just why? Rather be indoors being left alone. See no pleasure in any of that

Hillbillies; low intellect; quite possibly inbred.

Think Wayne and Waynetta Slob if you’re old enough to recall Harry Enfield.

This is the situation for one family I know. Her husband doesn't like her taking the children places without him because he gets jealous (we went trick of treating last year without him and he called her 4 times in the 2 hours we were out to 'see how she was).

He's been known to invite his parents to parties the girl's are invited to. I think he likes to show 'how much of a good dad' he is to his family 🙄

The attitude some people have on here is so weird. So angry about random people living their lives! Annoyed about families spending time at family-centric venues is a new one.

Everyone gets to meet. Have a chat. The most opinionated families members are generally toned down because it's public.

Someone else gets to tidy up and wash up afterwards.

And the session has a shelf life so no handwringing about when it's time to leave.

Win win imo

I can never understand threads like this - why are both parents shopping with kids, why are families at soft play, why are kids in restaurants? Why takes kids on holiday?

Going by mumsnet - kids are apparently only allowed to kids activities with one adult and no where else.

Heaven forbid families spending time together.

if They are spending money in the business they have just as much right to be there as you. You sound utterly joyless.

I sometimes take my nephews and niece to soft play or swimming pools with their families plus the grandparents sometimes go too and swim or watch.

Both parents now hate and avoid soft play (apart from for younger nephew who’s 2.5).

We also live at opposite ends of the country but I live in London not far from the older nephew, but for the family far away it’s good to socialise all together.

In a changing room at the pool even with 5-6 adults and 3 DC we don’t take up that much room or time and we all want to be in and out just as much as you do with your DC, OP.

Agreed with this!

I don’t have family here to do that but I’d think it was lovely that they were spending time together. The child won’t be bored out of their mind, the adults can sit and have a coffee and chat. I think it would be especially good for elderly relatives that can’t do a lot of walking or anything active.

@Lordofthebutterfloofs I used to hate the whole family of other kids, turning up to the viewing area when I used to take DS to swimming lessons.

There were minimal chairs and limited views to the pool, so one family could easily take over a third of the area, meaning many of us whose DC were having lessons couldn’t get close to watch.

Not the end of the world, granted but fucking annoying all the same!

How’s it joyless not to want to have to see and hear a whole family hogging a play area?