AIBU to think IKEA is a top parenting hack?

[Wallasey123]

DS2 is 3 and we went to IKEA yesterday not because we needed anything but just to get out of the house (and tbh I couldn’t face soft play).

He ran around loads, looked at all the rooms, climbed on the sofas and beds and I didn’t need to be on red alert every second like I am at the park.

I don’t know why I’d never considered it as a day out before! I think when it’s too busy it’s prob not great but we went at opening time and it was great. Also obvs helps that there’s something in it for me - I get to mooch, get ideas and pretend I’m being productive.

Ofc ended up buying a few bits and pieces and hotdogs in the end but I feel like I’ve provided an enriching outing, even though I mostly just walked in circles looking at storage 😅

Any other unexpected places that are actually fun for kids AND adults (and don’t cost the earth) that I might not have considered?

I’ve just explained as carefully as possible. Everything is very LITERAL for some people here ^ I wonder if this is what it’s like in court 🤔

I love this thread.

It’s so funny hearing all the seemingly mundane places that little kids find fun.

And what’s even funnier are the usual comments by people getting their knickers in a twist about it.

“It’s irresponsible parenting”
”So entitled”
”Feral children trashing the place”

Take a day off 😂

My mum used to do this with us - you could also feed the koi for 50p. I have so many fond memories of those days x

Some folks are also just so serious about everything 🤣🤣

That’s because literally is usually how saying that climbing furniture and running around is normally used especially in regards to small children, as it’s something they tend to do. Hence why I left Furniture Village recently after 10 minutes because there were multiple children doing exactly that. Unlike saying that you could have killed someone which is rarely used literally.

Your original post gives a completely different impression from your subsequent ones.

@Greeniscalming We are close to the Go Outdoors in West Leeds and agree.

It is not so much taking children to shops but using a shop as a playground without respecting other shoppers. I am 50 and have great memories of being on the family shop once a week- I remember Bejams! We had one car and we had to tag along but were expected to behave. There is nothing new about taking children shopping, we enjoyed it. The difference seems to be around parental management of their children. And just to add, we were not managed by fear or physical chastisement, just an expectation of how to behave!

Not necessarily about them running riot, but it is packed. Families have to go on the weekend. Not a good time to go if you’re child free, it will do your head in.

Did exactly the same thing today!

Noted. I’ll rewrite and cross examine all my posts going forward. My ‘running around and climbing’ was meant in the normal parent shorthand way, not ‘security called’ way. It was actually a really lovely day.

I’m sorry your visit to FV didn’t go well. Thoughts and prayers.

It’s gone full 🍿😅

Don’t listen to those trying to piss all over your fun day out!

You’ve inspired me. I’ll be taking my kids to IKEA next weekend. Might even invite some friends and their children too 😂

If people think small children are bad then don't go to the new (ish) branch at Oxford Circus in central London.... it's full of tourists. Urrgh 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Just don’t run / climb / speak. Maybe don’t even touch anything. If you must take kids, put them in a blue IKEA bag with a couple of meatballs

FERAL tourists 😂😂😂

To be fair, your original post was open to misinterpretation, and you subsequently clarified what you meant, which is also fair. Not so fair then to mock other posters who had a different opinion, based on what you ( literally) first wrote, which is why they were being ‘so literal’!

Did you know when swan handlers need to move swans they put them in IKEA bags....

Not near the furniture I HOPE

There was a photo attached of some swans in the bags.... Mumsnet photo filter is taking it's time today.

A sitcom called IKEA Heights was filmed without permission or knowledge by a group of aspiring filmmakers in an open IKEA.

You were an amateur OP... there's whole levels of IKEA craziness above you.

I remember days out used to involve going to Manchester airport to watch the planes taking off 😅

Do kids not get bored in IKEA? I know I do!

Miserable

If coming on an anonymous forum to try and convince yourself you are superior to strangers on the internet helps you to sleep at night, crack on. What a sad little life, Jane.

This thread is taking a turn…

Come on everyone. Let’s all agree to disagree and talk about the funny things that keep kids entertained or something