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?

Ofc not! He wanted the big brown bear but we compromised on a smaller (and cheaper chimp) 😁

Where do you live/shop!!? I’ve been shopping for decades and never had an adult deliberately ram their trolley into me.

Yes and ELC ( sadly now closed). Yy to pet sgops especially if they had fish. Luckily we have always had free museums quite close ( my favourite is the garden @ the science museu @ 2pm on a school day, deserted)

To be fair, IKEA does barrier any no climbing bits like the top bunks.

(And as to comments why you shouldn't go to ije on a Saturday if you don't have kids... People go on Saturdays without kids as they are at work on other days. Presumably same as parents. Everyone just needs to respect each other. )

And I nearly brought a giraffe home yesterday.

Djungleskog the Bear 🤣
I have one staring at me right now...

Yes we did this and the Early Learning Centre when they had shops.

Op said they went at opening when it was quiet. She doesn’t mention her children tearing about and wrecking the place. But obviously don’t let the facts stop you from using an opportunity to bleat about how high your standards are.

You're lucky.
Happens a lot.
Not just trollies. I had a women practically push me out the way from getting something out a cabinet in Tesco the other day.
I needed to back out first before she could get in....but no. She couldn't possibly wait the 1.5 seconds for me to actually move.
Cow.
I hope the door pinched her fingers 🤣

And that’s okay. Adults trying out a bed, or testing the comfort of a mattress = fine. A child doing bunny jumps from bed to bed = not fine.

Me too - they were so cute, and my favourite animal

ELC still has shops.... they're part of The Entertainer.

Wait, where did anyone say anything about trashing the place? We go quite regularly (can recommend the breakfast during ‘browsing hour’). We’ve had a lie down on the beds, sat on the sofas and chairs, played in the kids section, argued about cushions, pulled out the extendable table and chairs, etc. I even managed to accidentally break an adjustable desk a few weeks ago. That said, most of my mattresses come from there, lots of our bedding, curtains for the kids rooms, all our bins, most of our kitchen utensils and storage, some our lights and lampshades, and we’re about to buy a full wardrobe system after spending a happy morning after spending a happy thoroughly investigating all the options. IKEA is very family friendly and are happy for their set ups to be used as they’d be used in real life. That’s WHY they’re set up like that - so people can get a feel for how they’d work in their own homes.

(yes, they did manage to fix the desk 😁)

Did the OP say her child was doing that?

I've just realised something....
The D in Djungleskog is how IKEA spell it.
It's not a Mumsnet D 🤣🤣🤣

I have a photo of my daughter in an Ikea trolly - screaming her head off... That always how I feel in Ikea... although not been in years!

The beds aren’t set up like that in IKEA. You’d need to be Spider-Man to jump from bed to bed the way you could in John Lewis.

@Needmorelego , @Livelovebehappy didn't say OP had. She used it as an example of behaviour that's not fine.

The bear is Djungelskog

This thread has reminded me of where I can go to buy a lightbulb I need.
With all my local Poundlands gone (and Wilkos and Homebase) I've been struggling to get one.
IKEA tomorrow for me.....

You let your kid clamber all over the furniture?

Does anyone who can read Swedish ever sit in IKEA and read one of the books they have displayed on the shelves?
I was there once and they had a pile by an author I like - but unfortunately I can't read Swedish 🤣🤣

I thought at first it was rage bait and now I am struggling to figure out how many of these responses are real and how many are sarcasm. There is so much entitlement amongst parents now I really don't know what to believe.

OPs post certainly confirms why so many kids are feral. I also wonder who will OP try to sue when her out of control child and bad parenting result in an injury. Will it be the store or the customer who got in the way? 🤔

I absolutely love Ikea! Peter shops are good, too. Can I suggest somewhere else....though will probably get flamed for it. Church on Sunday morning is great. In our church of around 120 people (congregation mainly young families), the children stay in for 25 minutes of singing, prayers etc and then go out for a session especially for them. This morning involved a mad game, a video of a bible story, a quiz (sweets were involved) and a craft. There's always a creche for little ones with loads of toys and story time. And parents can relax and listen to a talk (which is always interesting) without any interruptions.

I do agree but my DD once got a tick from trying out an IKEA bed!! 🤮

@Tryonemoretime , I find it a good way of getting some headspace.