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.

Just act slightly clueless about their rudeness and say ‘are you guys all here with one kid? Oh I can I grab a seat then, promised my kid I’d make sure they can see me on the front row this time’ like it’s a widely accepted thing that those seats are for multiple kids parents and they obviously wouldn’t mind shuffling out of one of the seats now they’ve realised you are wanting one. No way would I miss seeing my kid swimming every single week just because I’m British.

I've done that I didn't realise it was against MN rules.

Some clinics also operate genetic screening and genetic counselling, the one I attended also did lots of research projects around DNA. I'd have just presumed they were there for one of those services.

@Iam4eels This clinic was fairly basic and didn't offer genetic counselling or research. I guess it was nice their parents wanted to come along and support them though.

You are! You must live in a nice middle class area where people have better things to do, jobs, etc.

Oh are they not British?

Yes, they’re British, why?

Could they be Travellers?

I really don't understand the issue people have. It's natural for families to want to meet up or are families only allowed to socialise at each others houses?

Parks and zoos are very much weather dependent, and not everyone likes the idea for taking kids to the pub or cafe where they will no doubt be bored. Museums and days can often be stressful and expensive so I really see nothing wrong with going to an indoor child centered activity where the kids can play while the families catch up. Also in regards to some people being baffled to why both parents go. I know this might come as a shock but some couples actually like the company of their partner.

Bet you do the school run with your partner too 🤣🤣

There is a fine line between 'we all love doing things together' and codependency. That is the issue is that there are a large number of people who just won't ever pop to the supermarket or take their kids out to softplay without a load of people with them. Interestingly the most codependent people I know all have jobs etc, but couldn't take the kids to softplay for an hour by themselves.

I thought this yesterday when we went swimming. Next to us in the toddler pool was the parents and grandparents of the one little boy (15 months-ish), all sat around in the luke warm (wee filled)pool looking at him. It seemeds incredibly awkward, especailly as he couldn't really do much in the water so was just being held. Weird.

Because the child has many adults in their life who want to be involved, and that’s a good thing. Growing up I was close with my grandparents and aunties/uncles/cousins too and now that I have a daughter of my own she also has many adults who love her and want to be involved in her life, which I encourage by inviting them to things.
I really don’t understand what’s not to get. Some people enjoy doing things with their extended family because they’re close. Personally I don’t get not spending time with your grandchildren/nieces/nephews/cousins as a big family sometimes. So many people these days complain that they’re lonely, why would you see a big family spending time together and think that’s a bad thing? That’s the village people are talking about when they say it takes a village.

This sounds wonderful to me! Very reminiscent of my own childhood of which I have very fond memories and would love to replicate for my own daughter ❤️

Entire families taking up all the seating, whatever the venue, always pisses me off.

At an antenatal scan recently, two huge families were filling all the chairs, leaving pregnant women standing up. Absolute joke.

I do not understand it, but they probably just think ‘we’re a really close faaaaaaaaamily’. I think they’re ignorant.

They are showing support, not sure why feels that's a negative?

Entire families taking up seats in waiting rooms, meaning that people who actually need to be there need stand up is negative. This is doubly worse when the people standing are patients or people holding children.

It either lacks self awareness or just smacks if self absorbed entitlement.

Hospital waiting rooms are very different to places like soft play. I do think there should be a limit on the number of people who is accompanying someone to hospital. My daughter was in and out of hospital when she was young and often we had no where to sit in A&E. One time, a rather annoying family of 6 wouldn’t give up one of their seats so I could sit with my daughter in my lap. Karma helped on that occasion when she violently vomited on the person who was sat nearest to where I was standing (think exorcist projectile vomit). I made no apologies as they were so bloody ignorant!

Was that aimed at my post about two huge families taking up all the seats and leaving pregnant women standing up while various random extended members of their families hogged the seats?

Are you serious?

I was in A&E recently, on my own, and loads of patients had 3+ people with them.

I had to ask one lot to move their stuff so I could sit down.

It’s just so rude isn’t it! I asked them if I could sit and they all just stared at me and said they were there first. It’s insane! I wouldn’t care but they didn’t even have a child with them, it was an adult who really didn’t need accompanying judging by the amount of work calls they made 🙄They quickly moved when my daughter vomited on one of them 🤣

Zoos and farms aren't so bad, odds are there's enough space and it's something you can enjoy without children. The swimming pool example is weird, if I had grandparents with me I'd be leaving the toddler with them and having a brief swim in peace.

The childfree equivalent of this is those dopey men who hang around awkwardly outside changing rooms.

Its often a suggestion on here, instead of in laws visiting you or you visiting them, or God forbid letting them take GC out by themselves meet up at a soft play somewhere so they get to spend time with the kids but you can escape ASAP

we went to a and e with my youngest daughter last year (she was still a child
at this point), and a family came in at about 10pm, six of them plus the child
needing a and e. They then proceeded to unpack the mcdonald’s food they had brought with them and eat it, (yes, they had done fast food stop on their way in to
a and e) and staff didn’t ask all the extended family to leave. I was more than a bit annoyed that the friend who had kindly driven myself and my daughter there was waiting outside in the car and freezing cold (we live just under an hours drive from the nearest hospital)- the hospital had a strict one accompanying person per patient rule in a and e and my friend had to drive to the nearby mcdonald’s to use the loo as the department wouldn’t let her in to go to the loo and everywhere else nearby was shut.
I have no idea why they didn’t send all the extended family back out to the car or home. They were loud, annoying and took up the last few seats meaning that people coming in after them had to stand.

I find it weird too.
That said maybe I’m the strange one, I do a lot alone with my kids.
It amused me on bonfire night as walking up the street I was the sole adult looking after 4 kids, then there was a set of parents and a set of grandparents (4 adults) with 1 child.