Adults at petting zoos/farms/kids days out

[ExtraHotDoubleShot]

Has anyone else noticed a massive uptick in grown adults (many in late teens and 20s) going on days out aimed at kids/young families? I’m finding it increasingly irritating - small children having to queue behind grown adults to stroke rabbits or see tanks of fish.

(Exception where there is clearly a disability at play)

😓

Sorry OP I still find you churlish. You may have a point if its "kids corner" but that is it. It strikes me as a rather odd attitude.

Calling something "a childish activity" is not the same as saying "children enjoy it". Plenty of activities are enjoyed by children and adults alike. If your argument is that adults who enjoy petting zoos have "failed to grow up", then logically you'd have to apply the same standard to: zoos, aquariums. Lego, model railways, theme parks, Disney films, Harry Potter, comic conventions, colouring books, & feeding ducks

Most adults draw the line wherever their own interests happen to lie. I'd argue that one mark of maturity is being comfortable enough to enjoy things without worrying whether someone else thinks they're "age appropriate". Children often worry about looking grown up. Secure adults tend to be less bothered. There's also a difference between: enjoying a petting farm because you like animals, and wanting to be treated like a child. An adult having a cuddle with a rabbit isn't pretending to be six years old. They're interacting with an animal. The rabbit doesn't care whether the person is 8, 18 or 80.

Personally I don't go to petting zoos because I kidnap passing dogs for cuddles and I get lots of them every day. I find it very therapeutic and restful. If that makes me childish - tough, I can live without your approval.

What I find interesting is that many people who make the "adults acting like kids" argument are perfectly happy spending an afternoon: watching football, collecting memorabilia, gaming, queueing for the latest Marvel film, discussing horse racing form, building a railway layout in the shed, all of which could equally be dismissed as "childish" if someone wanted to be uncharitable.

Personally, I think there's a great deal of joy lost when adults decide that affection for animals, curiosity, playfulness and simple pleasures are things to be outgrown. I'm in my 60's and on the cuddly side but last year I frightened the living daylights out of a group of parents waiting at the bottom of a tunnel slide attached to a castle when I shot out, because they were expecting a kid and they all cracked out laughing. As C.S. Lewis famously put it "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness."

That, to me, is a much more mature outlook than worrying whether stroking an alpaca looks grown-up enough. 🦙😊

I just have to ask, what is “The Goat Walk”?

This is one of the maddest threads I’ve ever read on here. I’d no idea adults went to petting farms etc without children. And these grown adults queue up to hold a rabbit.

I’m loving it - pure bat shittery where the madness ramps up every 2 minutes! Apparently because I think an adult queueing in front of a kid to hold a rabbit is sad I:

1. Live in a grey house
2. Never do anything fun
3. Must be an alcoholic
4. Had an abusive childhood
5. Think nobody should own pets

It’s peak MN!

Surely those adults are also annoyed at your screaming little children ?

Aww did OPs precious DC have to wait their turn in line whilst entitled DM tutted away impatiently

Each to their own. I wouldn’t do it either (even when mine were young) but I wouldn’t care if others did it (sans kids). Maybe they go and have a hot chocolate or something afterwards, make a little event of it. I couldn’t care less about clubbing and why you can’t go to a pumpkin patch and eat at an expensive restaurant is anyone’s guess.

I haven’t been to a petting zoo since the kids were young but if I wanted to I would.

The OP tutted petulantly.

I find it so weird that people go to stroke goats, coo over lamb and rabbits and then go home and have a roast dinner.

I don’t eat lamb, goat or rabbit so if I wanted to pet one I can with a clear conscious. 😁

Pearl clutch much?
Your poor kids. Seriously, get over yourself 🤣

It’s more that they knew small children would want to do it and opportunities were limited to 10 people on a first come first served basis. I wouldn’t dream of getting in the queue as an adult in those circumstances.

Pah! Why should kids have all the fun? Being an adult is dull enough as it is.
I also hate it when people say "Christmas is for the kids". Nope, not in my house. It's for all of us! (I love Christmas.)

I'm old and I won't be wearing purple but I won't be an old fuddy duddy like the OP. To use a quote "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing".

Not sure how it's childish.

In fact it would be better for the animals if no children visited at all.

If it was open to all ages then why not?

You haven’t actually explained why you think interacting with farm animals is only acceptable for children and not adults.

Your children aren't the most important thing on the planet.

Because adults who take joy from little kids are arseholes, there I said it 🤷‍♀️

What the poster you quoted said, is EXACTLY what you have been saying all through this thread.

The irony is breathtaking.

Are you ok?

There is enough joy to go round, and we need more of it in the world.

In this case enough joy for 10 people and the adults muscled in. Arseholes!

You're really loving all this attention aren't you @ExtraHotDoubleShot ?

Not as much as everyone is enjoying the outrage over an inoffensive topic..

Anyone muscling in is rude, but if they were queuing, then what is the problem.