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!

YABU, not sure what you expect or want people to do

Is this serious???

and while the rest of the kids had their party tea your kids got sole use of the play centre. Just for them! How cool and lucky was that?

it’s how you frame it. Look at it as a negative or a positive

This is wild!!! You paid to take your kids to a play area and the played: yes there was a party but surely there was enough to entertain them and also they clearly didn’t know these other people so why wouldn’t feel left out. Only reason is you felt that they had less than the party kids. You cannot expect people to work parties etc around other people being put out. I’ve not been able to afford parties and seen one when we’ve gone somewhere but it is what it is and you cannot at all blame the place.

To me it sounds perfect! All those 25 loud children out of the way so yours can have all the imaginative play to themselves!
You're being unreasonable, if they were upset they were probably responding to your reactions and if I was the party mum I would have no desire or interest to involve random kids in my child's party just because they were there at the same time. Wild 😂
You are holding firm though so obviously don't want to accept that you're being very petty with it all.

Kids have to have tricky situations to learn resilience. When they’re at school there will be parties they’re not invited to, games other kids don’t want them to play and turns they aren’t offered. That’s normal!

In the situation at the play centre, you could have said “sorry children, that’s another child’s party they’re having, let’s leave them alone to enjoy their party lunch and they may come back to play soon” then go play with your children. It’s basic parenting OP. Can I ask why you’re super sensitive about this?

I work with families (in a different area of life) and if I can tell any parent, it’s to prepare your child to be resilient and to be able to accept the lows as well as the highs. So many young children have anxiety now and lots of it is the parenting.

Then you know for next time, ask if it’s full/parties etc…

YABU tho, the world exists outside your family.

This or parents having parties having to pay for exclusive use of the soft play, either way the business loses money or parents are charged even more to have a party there.

I’m a bit surprised by the number of posters who seem to think OP should be grateful for the life lesson for her children.

If you’ve ever spent a fair amount of money on a restaurant meal/ theatre tickets/ spa visit and didn’t have a good time due to a decision made by the venue, did you really think: “Oh, well, I’ve had a valuable life lesson which will make me more resilient, so it was well worth the money and disappointment. I wouldn’t dream of complaining, even to my friends.”

I agree @Cattenberg . A life lesson is a poor substitute for a good time.

Lots of places allow parties at time the play centre is open

Maybe someone should start a company that charges £30 for a life lesson in resilience. Could go on Dragons Den with that one.

But what OP paid for, her children had full access too. Exclusive access at times by the sounds of it so you could even say more value for money.

OP didn’t pay for party games or cake or dancing. You also can never guarantee how many other children will be there, if they would even want to play with OP’s children etc.