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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Soft play drama

31 replies

1tiredmummy568 · 15/03/2025 19:08

It was a busy saturday at a garden centre soft play with a party having been booked in an adjacent room with the older kids from the party quite hyped up on all the soft play equipment. Ordered a coffee for my husband and let him go drink it while I played with my 2 year old in the 2-5 area. Lots of the older kids were in the area so I was on high alert and staying close.
LO wanted to crawl through a tunnel that was on the base of a slide that the bigger kids were climbing over so I let her go through when the other side was clear and quickly got myself in position on the other side of the tunnel/slide.
One of the older kids instead of going down the slide covered the hole straight away with her legs and started kicking her feet while my child was still crawling through. I quickly told the child to be careful and let her know that my little one was coming through and to quickly move out the way. The child jumped down and ran off onto another piece of equipment and carried on playing while my daughter got out safely. Benounced to me the older kids dad was sat next to me and told me that "I shouldn't speak to a child that way and should have said excuse me instead" the mum was sat next to him and said " you say excuse me!" I was quite honestly in shock at the whole situation. I just apologised while the dad was staring me down and explained that I was concerned for my childs safety in the situation and needed to get her out quickly. I then left with my daughter pretty quickly and we played mainly in the older kids or baby area. The kid did not seem upset or even slightly bothered by the situation. It really concerns me that he saw the situation and didnt tell his child to be safe and move out the way. I feel like he also wouldnt have said that to me if my husband was around. Was that a situation in which I should have said excuse me? What would you have done said? Was the dad being unreasonable? Would love to know your thoughts.

OP posts:
Witchlite · 15/03/2025 20:28

The correct response is. “Golly, your poor child! No wonder they are so badly behaved.”

IveGotAnUnusuallyLargePelvisISwear · 15/03/2025 20:37

HundredPercentUnsure · 15/03/2025 20:15

I love a soft play drama.

I'd like to think I'd respond like this in the moment, too (but in reality I'd probably just fluster and splutter in shock).

Ha same. I always think of a brilliant comeback hours afterwards in these situations. The way some parents behave at these places is frankly unhinged.

carly2803 · 15/03/2025 21:18

You need thicker skin - soft play is awful

I have told off many kids over the years, nicely!

Except the parents, if they do not parent their kids I am not so nice at all! Stop being so nice! They were not to you!

loveyoutothemoonandtosaturn · 15/03/2025 22:25

YANBU, tell the wee feckers off if you need to!! But can you tell me what does Benounced mean? It's all I could think about reading your OP..

bettydavieseyes · 15/03/2025 22:39

1tiredmummy568 · 15/03/2025 19:08

It was a busy saturday at a garden centre soft play with a party having been booked in an adjacent room with the older kids from the party quite hyped up on all the soft play equipment. Ordered a coffee for my husband and let him go drink it while I played with my 2 year old in the 2-5 area. Lots of the older kids were in the area so I was on high alert and staying close.
LO wanted to crawl through a tunnel that was on the base of a slide that the bigger kids were climbing over so I let her go through when the other side was clear and quickly got myself in position on the other side of the tunnel/slide.
One of the older kids instead of going down the slide covered the hole straight away with her legs and started kicking her feet while my child was still crawling through. I quickly told the child to be careful and let her know that my little one was coming through and to quickly move out the way. The child jumped down and ran off onto another piece of equipment and carried on playing while my daughter got out safely. Benounced to me the older kids dad was sat next to me and told me that "I shouldn't speak to a child that way and should have said excuse me instead" the mum was sat next to him and said " you say excuse me!" I was quite honestly in shock at the whole situation. I just apologised while the dad was staring me down and explained that I was concerned for my childs safety in the situation and needed to get her out quickly. I then left with my daughter pretty quickly and we played mainly in the older kids or baby area. The kid did not seem upset or even slightly bothered by the situation. It really concerns me that he saw the situation and didnt tell his child to be safe and move out the way. I feel like he also wouldnt have said that to me if my husband was around. Was that a situation in which I should have said excuse me? What would you have done said? Was the dad being unreasonable? Would love to know your thoughts.

I wouldn't have replied to them at all. I wouldn't have left the 2-5 area. Basically I would react beyond a slight raise of the eyebrows at the most. I ignore people who aren't nice. You did nothing wrong OP and I think we all would have done the same.

bettydavieseyes · 15/03/2025 22:40

MrsSunshine2b · 15/03/2025 20:19

"If you had been keeping an eye on your child, you could have handled it the way you thought was best. As you didn't I was forced to handle it the way I thought best. I advise you to try parenting your own child in future."

That's fighting talk. It's not worth it.

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