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?

IKEA or Disneyland ?

We never allowed our dc to climb over the sofas and displays- just go through the mouse holes and down the slide in the kids bedroom part.

agree with pps that you are mad to go to ikea on Saturdays if you don’t have kids 😂

People are being so stuffy on here.
The whole point of shops set out like IKEA is to try the products out 🤷

IKEA! We did go, just not often enough for it to be a core memory

We had a fantastic day out at Tong Garden Centre near Leeds with the grandchildren just before Christmas. Absolutely loads for them to see and do, and an Ikea just down the road as well. Highly recommended.

Ah, that’s where i’ve gone wrong with my thought process. I thought the displays were set up to show people how the room could look by displaying the items they were selling. Didn’t realise it was displayed like that for the benefit of kids….

A friend moved to Florida with her American husband. She lives on the Space Coast so they regularly get to watch rockets launch. The first time that she took her young children to watch a rocket launch, they were not impressed at all and were most displeased that they’d missed out on the shredding day that the local library had organised so that people should dispose their documents. They were more interested in watching that.

100%. Whenever I usually need to go I try to go on weekday evenings. Quick zoom round and finish with a hotdog 🌭

Used to take ours there nearly 30 years ago on rainy weekends! Great place for them to explore and burn off energy.
The other place we often went to was 4th floor/children’s dept at Harrods. There was always stuff going on from story reading, to toy demos, freebies etc!
Only difference was the meatballs at Ikea were much cheaper than a cuppa and a nice cake at Harrods 🤣

I live close to the Nottingham Giltbrook one and I more or less brought DD up in there.

There was no running around when she was little but playing make believe with her in the room set-ups, OMG so much fun. Fish and chips or meatballs in the restaurant so no need to cook tea afterwards, getting her to find stuff in the warehouse following the codes.. cinnamon buns. Parenting doesn’t get much more enjoyable than this!

She’s at university now studying film set design.

You could argue that a realistic lived in look is better though? Then you’d know what’s worth getting 😁

Adults can try the products too....and they do.
That's the point.

My parents used to take my kids to B&Q, no idea why ,but they loved it. Apparently ringing the door bells was a favourite.
We had a garden centre near us that sold fish they quiet liked that as well.

Maidenhead Aquatics or similar fish shop. We can spend ages looking at different fish and aquatic pets. We have fish so we can usually justify spending hours in there by buying some fish food or a new thermometer or something.They usually let you pay £1 for some food to feed the koi too.

See also pet shops that sell reptiles and exotics.

If either of those happen to be inside or adjacent to a garden centre with a cafe and/or play area, we can definitely get a whole day out of it.

There is a garden centre near us that has a camping shop, a fish and exotics shop, a cafe, and a birds of prey sanctuary all on one site. It’s amazing.

Oh yes I used to do that with my DS many years ago before all the security stuff happened. We used to go up onto the roof to a special viewing place to watch the planes. We also loved IKEA, B&Q and Garden Centres. My DS also loved Wilkinsons store when that was around. Our local museum had a large lobster that lived in a massive tank we always popped in to visit him as well.

Me and my friends always talk about the free 'days out' that we had, for our toddlers, that no longer exist. In Liverpool city center we had, TJHughes, Blacklers, George Henry Lee, Early Learning Center (full train set up), Wilkos, loads of discount shops and later the Disney Store. Also working fountains. Our garden centers aren't what they were.

We used to do that as well 😁 Pets stores and garden centres are great when you can’t face or afford ‘proper’ places.

I went in the summer holidays on a week day. DC had been given loads of vouchers to buy uni stuff. It was horrible as it was full of out of control children being ignored by parents/carers who obviously use it as a day out. The sense of entitlement and lack of awareness towards other shoppers was quite an eye opener, and lets face it, we are not talking parents from the lower economic classes here.

I have no issues with children being in public spaces, but parents have a responsibility to teach them appropriate behaviour and to be mindful of others. No one except parents and the closest family think their children are amazing or cute. I work with children and really enjoy spending time with them. The over confident and over indulged horrors will cause muttering and eye rolling.

Something similiar to this was in our local Ikea many years ago: “children skip, run, hop, jump. They don’t walk”
Has always stuck with me as it’s so true!

Where did the OP say she let her kids trample on the furniture with their shoes on?

Of course its for kids. Kids bring parents, parents spend money. Ikea spend vast amount of money on behavioural science. If they did want kids climbing on the beds they would put sign up. If it was just for looking at - why would they put stuff in the cupboards and draws for the kids to find.

Ironic as your comments say a lot about your personality

Mine too at 21 & 19. All my friends would meet with all our kids- 4 of us with 10 between us 🤣- kids went in the play area (an hour in those days) whilst we had coffee & cake & lay on the lovely sofas in the cafeteria. Then we'd all have cheap food (£1 for kids' meatballs!) & inevitably buy candles/ Swedish chocolate/ random bits before 50p ice-cream & a play in the outdoor play area. Perfect!

@Puffalicious oh how I miss those days!!! Just sitting in the cafe without anyone going " mumm" 😂😂😂 we still have the train track in the attic 😂😂