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.

Oh, as I feared, how horribly offensive. I am surprised anyone thinks it's ok to describe people like that.

At least it’s better than my own grandparents back in the 70s who didn’t come anywhere with us/take us anywhere when we were kids (apart from dragging us to the local shops/pubs), when we were older they were taken to eg Kew Gardens with us.

I’ve got a few photos actually of grandparents from DF’s side on Wimbledon Common with a picnic or outside a pub there in the garden when I was a baby/toddler but my parents lived in a flat without a garden nearby and it was hot, parents divorced at 5 anyway so didn’t see those grandparents after that.

I'm with you @SweetSakura

It's one of the worst threads I've seen for a while

I mean but I guess I should spell it out to you, that if they’re spending money there then they are entitled to be there! And yes, it is a bit joyless to deny them the right to be there!

They could easily stay at home and ignore their grandchildren.

I don't think anyone is complaining about families meeting up and doing things together. My partner and I are both from big families and we love spending time with both a

Haha I'm one of those types of people! I'm very close to my parents and siblings and we would often go out for dinner and drinks together. When my sister had children, we swapped dinner and drinks for these types of places. So my two nieces go soft play or whatever and my husband, parents and I all join them. I had no grandparents, aunts or uncles or cousins growing up so love that my children will be surrounded by them even if we piss off loads of other people in the process 🤣

...love spending time with both sides.

I think the annoyance comes in when there is limited space and it feels like some families are taking up a disproportionate amount of it.

If a place is designed for 2 adults and a few kids in each group then having a couple of families with 8 adults might mean that others have to stand.

Does the person who gets there first have a right to take that seat? Yes. Is it annoying for other people? Yes.

For my kids, swimming lesson was immediately after church. So we all had to go together as there wasn’t time to take others home first. Could it be something like that?

The main problem with this groups is the ones where they all ignore the kids, including bad behaviour

Then take turns week on week who sits at the front in the (very small) viewing window, and some sit at the tables further back, rather than savings seats for each other and taking up half the row when others never get the chance to watch their child?

No OP IS complaining about these families meeting up, space isn’t the issue, she said ‘I think it's to do with cafe sales when there's no restriction. It's a big place so lots of room.

So it’s not about chairs and space.

@Coffeellama

Op said this:

Because, despite the space they often ARE in the way, loud groups, nick all the cafe chairs and tables, dick about ordering 42 coffees, back and forth carrying things

Meh. If “you” (whoever the you in question is) finds this happens every week then just grow a backbone and ask. If they say no then they’re assholes but they’re most likely to just be being a bit thoughtless and will move without a second thought if asked nicely and the issue is pointed out.

Quietly seething week on week is more damaging to you than them.

I’m not saying they shouldn’t all go. It’s just that I don’t want to see it. It doesn’t make me joyless. I just see no “joy” in listening to hoards of family cheering on one kid.

She also said to the poster that has 7 adults and 9 kids that she’s not referring to them because the kids aren’t toddlers. So its clearly not all about the mess and queuing cos a family
of 16 takes up just as many chairs, she’s just being a miserable bugger about extended families meeting up.

9 people with one trolley in my local supermarket was the record but barely😳 just no🙏🏽

Yeh. This ^

I work in the NHS job seeing children. Not serious issues but it drives me bonkers when whole families take up a waiting room and attempt to all trapse in.

YANBU. I don't get it either. Hell on earth and then they sit there ignoring the child anyway. Might as well go around to each other houses and not have to sit listening to the deafening screams and cries of other children who are unrelated to you.

Well people think it’s their “right”. No one must be told “No” or it all kicks off

Same reason they all go to Ikea as an extended family. Must think of it as a cheap outing.

Yes to A&E. grinds my gears.

Please get there early one day and mess up their seating arrangement 😂

A few weeks ago I saw an entire family, parents and three kids shopping together in Primark together, like it was a jolly day out. Can you imagine the conversation that led to that? ‘Hey darling why don’t we all go out for the day?’.. ‘that would be great where shall we go?’.. ‘ how about Primark?’.. ‘oh yes that would be amazing. I love it there it’s my happy place’ 😂

I think some families are so enmeshed and codependent and can’t do anything without each other. There will be an element of control as well. Personally I can’t think of anything worse.

Because, despite the space they often ARE in the way
THE way or YOUR way?

loud groups
You have to be loud in an trampoline park, they’re horrendous places for noise and acoustics

nick all the cafe chairs and tables
You mean take the number of chairs required for the party to sit down.

dick about ordering 42 coffees, back and forth carrying things
Ah yes. How dare patrons of a cafe order things and carry them around.

OP if you find these places so stressful and triggering maybe you should stay in your little safe space at home? People are allowed to be in the public, if you have a problem with that then remove yourself from the problem by leaving.