To be annoyed play centre held a party at the same time as open session?

[Hohohoididnotgo]

I went to a little role play cafe today with my children. It’s only small so probably only capacity for about thirty kids. Fine except today there was a birthday party which was pretty much the whole centre. So after an hour or so of play pretty much every other child there went and sat at a table with food, balloons and cake and were playing party games.

I have had this before at soft play and obviously it happens but at soft play it’s bigger and less obvious and when the children go to eat and play games it’s in a separate room. This wasn’t.

AIBU? I felt a bit sad for mine as they’d struck up friendships with some kids playing and then they were left almost alone!

Who are you annoyed at? The play cafe who are running a business, the party child, their parents? Or yourself for staying when it was clear that there was a party group? Your dc didn't strike up friendships, they played tor a bit with kids they don't know. Yabu

I thought that you were going to say that half the venue was out of bounds. YABU. Its just like playing with kids in the park and they go home. Or do you also feel sad that you aren't invited for dinner at their house?

YABU, your children got to do what they went there for and whilst they might have struck up friendships with others I think it’s just one of those things.

It’s not really at all like them going home to dinner though - they aren’t having dinner right in front of them!

I don’t get the problem here?

YABU HTH

Personally I'd say YANBU, but only because it's wrong of the centre to do both at the same time.

You're being massively unreasonable here. It's a public place. They operate a business. I'm not sure exactly what your issue is?

Seriously?

I don't see what the issue is. A child would understand they weren't part of a party considering they'd only just met the children? They wouldn't expect to eat with them, but if they did you'd explain?

These kinds of businesses are struggling to survive. It's this or you have none to go to.

You're being precious

It is like being at the playground and some family having a picnic. YABU

It was that everyone in the room went and did fun activities they couldn’t do. Obviously as adults we understand it but they didn’t and were a bit confused and upset.

You're being ridiculous.

The whole playground probably wouldn’t be joining in on that though. So not really the same.

Genuinely a good opportunity to help them understand the situation. Much as we'd like to we can't (and shouldn't) wrap our children in cotton wool. There will always be children with different experiences, possessions or less or more etc. Plus, this was in a public place!

They probably have no choice. It's very usual for play centres to stay open when a party is taking place. The alternative would mean them losing money which as a small business I assume they can't afford.

So you explain to them that they don't know these children and weren't invited to the party. Job done. It's not the business owners fault that your children don't understand they can't be included in everything

Can’t see the issue. 🤷‍♀️. Your kids need to understand that they can’t always be included.

But you can explain. Even pre school children can understand that. I don't think it is an issue at all. It's good for them to adapt to different situations.

Why bother asking if you're being unreasonable when you are adamant that you're not?

Yabu, this is totally normal.

I explained and they did accept it but it did put a bit of a dampener on the (not cheap!) play session when they could see nearly everyone else having fun with games and dancing while they were on their own.

If they were confused and upset you just tell them they had to go now as they were at a party, but you could still stay and have fun?
Totally normal for parties to be on whilst the public are there too at soft play, seen that loads.
YABU

It’s a weekend, soft play do in session parties so yes YABU. Go to the bigger soft play you mentioned or avoid on a weekend incase there is a party if it causes a problem for you.
When you told your child they couldn’t join in what did they do sit with you upset or carry on playing?

So why didn’t you take them home, offer to do something else? Why let them stay and play with the kids.