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)

It's so funny when a self-proclaimed adult throws a strop online about other adults adulting in a way the first adult doesn't agree with.

Many places from your list are actively advertising to other age categories and are inviting adults to come (and pay for their tickets).

Actually, it might be really good to overcome that "adults shouldn't" feelings in the society, because many people, especially the older ones might benefit from easy animal contact.

If the place is overcrowded, take it up with the place.
If there is a safety issue mixing small and big users, ask about child only hours.
If they are just another users of the same service, just imagine a child instead of them and go ahead with your day.

The venue has allowed in people based on the available capacity.

It's not the adults' fault they got there before you.

Your child is a stranger to the adults there, they are only important to you, no one else.

what age do you think the oxytocin release from being around animals stops
working?

there is a cute farm in London we visit and it must have been flagged on social media as a cool, free place for a date. weird.

I’ve never once seen a sign saying petting the animals are for children only, you’re being ridiculous.

I work with late teens and young adults. One of our favourite activities is visiting the urban farms and petting farms. I am yet to find a young adult who doesn't love hand feeding the goats and ducks.

OP - seriously, get over yourself and encourage your children to be more open minded than you are!

There is nothing infantilising about being kind and interacting with animals. It’s behaviour we should encourage in society.

Yep.
However, I have seen signs telling people not to bang glass in aquariums, or touch the fish. I still see kids doing that.

I'm a fully grown adult with a teenage daughter and I love a fluffy animal. For my birthday last year my husband took me to a local petting zoo and paid for me to have a 1:1 meet-up with alpacas. I had the BEST day. Alpacas and we also spent ages with the goats. I don't know how many bags of animal food we bought. For our honeymoon recently he took me to a place where you can cuddle wallabies. Sod the kids - they don't appreciate it, I love a wallaby!!!!

My daughter has never liked a fluffy animal so these activities have always been totally lost on her.

Agreed! :D

Love the bluntness of this

Me too! An appreciation for animals should be encouraged at any age. I have children, they don’t trump everyone else.

You sound insufferable

The rabbits don't want to be fucking stroked by adults or children! When are we going to stop using animals as fucking toys.

Can you please explain why you think going to see animals and hold them is a kids only activity because as far as I know, holding a rabbit doesnt make your brain explode if you are over 18.

Can’t say I’ve noticed this at all at farm parks, only zoos/aquaruims which isn’t unusual. If it’s adults in their 20’s as you say I have noticed that people nowadays like to go on activity dates during the day rather than meeting in a bar for drinks. It’s not a bad idea in my opinion, walking around a farm park and looking at animals naturally gives them something to talk about and they aren’t going to be sat around drinking too much to take the edge off any awkwardness. We will probably see more of this going forward.

Awww nooo.. what has the world come to when adults who pay for tickets use an attraction rather than buying a ticket in order to gaze adoringly somebody elses kid stroking a rabbit 😂

Looking forward to the next complaint that little Johnny's personal petting zoo has closed due to lack of funding.

I saw adult couples and older adults with their grown up kids rushing to be first in the queue when they called the goat walk. Ill admit I did think, you sad bastards 😬

God, the entitled parent. Get a grip op. Animals aren’t exclusively for children and I’d rather an adult than a child’s grabby hands pawing at a poor animal.

I stroked my friends' cat yesterday. How's that different? People like animals. People have long lived with them and formed relationships with them.

The rabbits at the petting zoo near me purr when they are being pet so I'm 100% not convinced by this statement

They probably wouldn’t be financially viable if they didn’t let adults (without dependents) in

It’s a good life lesson then. Wait your turn, you’re no more special than anyone else.

Having had my children over 17 years, it's definitely changed a lot in terms of more childless adults going to places that traditionally were more aimed at children. For example, when we first started going to Centre Parcs 17 years ago it was very wholesome, simple and family orientated. But I wouldn't go there now as the market has changed and I don't want to be around the people that frequent it now.

Look at all the adults that go to Disney with no children, and are happy for little kids to be waiting their turn while grown adults preen and pose with the characters for photos.

I'd feel very silly making children wait to pet a rabbit while I, a woman in my 40s, sat and had my turn. But each to their own and they are perfectly within their rights to do so.

I do think adults have become more childish. MIL and her friends have become quite strange in recent years, going to escape rooms and theme parks. And yet 20 years ago she had much more adult pursuits like watercolouring and going to Chelsea flower show. It's peculiar. I wonder if people are regressing as a stress response to life.

There is nothing wrong with having a child-like wonder and joy in things, @ExtraHotDoubleShot. Frankly there is plenty of depressing and stressful stuff in everyday life, so people should take their moments of joy when they can!

Clearly the adults didn’t learn that! Or much at all - come on, it’s for kids, let them enjoy it. It’s the same category as adults that are obsessed with Disney, or get upset if they don’t get the birthday cake they want.