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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think people should stick to the age restrictions at soft play ?

41 replies

Tillyscoutsmum · 18/02/2009 21:34

I took dd to soft play today. She's almost 2. There are three main sections at our soft play - one for under 3's, one for under 5's and then the big main section for older children.

DD was happily playing in the under 5 section with similar aged children when three older boys (probably about 10 or 11) came rampaging in. They were knocking all the little ones over and at one point, one of them kicked dd in the head . It was all accidental - they were just being normal, boisterous 10 year old boys

AIBU to think their parents/carers should have asked them to go and play in the area for older children ? They were there for about 20 minutes and in the end, most of the little ones were taken out to avoid them.

OP posts:
Meglet · 18/02/2009 21:35

YANBU. Much older children should be watched like hawks and asked to play in their own area.

spicemonster · 18/02/2009 21:35

No you're not. Couldn't you have said something to the staff?

amidaiwish · 18/02/2009 21:36

why didn't you tell them (nicely) the area was for under 5's?

AnarchyAunt · 18/02/2009 21:40

YANBU, but I would have said (politely) that this area was for children under 1/3/5.

I do this regularly at soft play and never understand why others tut and huff and take their toddlers out of the toddler area without saying anything.

Its not an unreasonable thing to point out at all.

Original poster
Tillyscoutsmum · 18/02/2009 21:40

Thanks. I'm not sure the staff would do much tbh. They don't seem to have much involvement in the place other than taking your money at the door and serving food and drink.

I did ask the one boy to be careful because there were little ones around (just after he kicked dd). He kind of smirked at me and carried on

Lesson learnt to avoid soft play at half term I think

OP posts:
Hulababy · 18/02/2009 21:41

I do tell my 6y DD to not play in the baby areas. However when we go to soft play now I don;t wath her when she is playing. I leave her to it as I know she is pretty good and trustworthy.

If she did stray into the younger section I would expect a parent there with their little one (as they are the ones aour lcoal soft play ask you to supervise) to politely remind her she was a bit too big to be in there. I know that DD would respond to this politely and move out of the section.

Why did no parent remind the boys that they weren't to play in that section, or ask one of the staff to do so?

Chatkins · 18/02/2009 21:42

YANBU - we were ay soft play area this morning, where there are two areas for toddlers and babies, and the big main bit for older kids. My dc are 6,4 and 21 mo - the girls like helping their little brother, and are often in the younger area with him, but I am constantly telling them to watch out for little ones, and be careful of little ones. I'd feel terrible if they were a bit OTT and knocked someone elses kids over !

GypsyMoth · 18/02/2009 21:43

Parents prob hadn't realized they had wandered. You go to these places to let them run around

moomaa · 18/02/2009 21:43

YABU because you should have just told them (nicely) to clear off. I think older kids can just be thoughtless.

It's more annoying when there's bored slightly older ones causing havoc because their parent won't let them go off on their own into the big area.

theyoungvisiter · 18/02/2009 21:43

IME the staff will intervene if you point out unsafe behaviour - they don't want the place to get sued.

Also they usually have a rough idea of whose parents are whose, and if a word with the kids fail they can usually have a word with the parents instead.

But yes, I avoid softplay like the plague on school-out days.

theyoungvisiter · 18/02/2009 21:45

but I would have had a word with the kids - I think there is a kind of duty of mutual supervision in those places, it's tricky to keep an eye on your kids at all times, particularly if you have more than one and they are in separate areas, and I would be pleased rather than annoyed if another parent (nicely) reminded DS of the rules. (He is only 2 though, so I say this as the parent of a toddler!)

tassisssss · 18/02/2009 21:46

i'd have been very annoyed if boys that age were in the baby bit with my toddler - YANBU.

However, I was very glad yesterday that the ladies in charge turned a blind eye when my 2 year old went into the over 5 frame with her 5 year old brother. It can be hard keeping younger siblings in the wee ones section...

SweetCheeksLovesSweetTalk · 18/02/2009 21:50

YANBU, you shouldnt have to tell the older children to move, that is up to the parents and the staff.

And the fact that you could have told them to move doesnt alter the fact that people should stick to age restrictions.

Hulababy · 18/02/2009 21:52

tassissss - in the new big soft play we went to today younger children can go in the big section but have to be supervised if under 5 - I guess to make sure thaey are safe and not hurt accidently by the bigger children running around.

At the new soft play we went to today it would be impossoble to supervise older children all the time, not unless I actually went in with them!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/02/2009 21:53

YABU to expect parents/carers to watch older kids like a hawk and follow their every move.

YANBU to think that older kids should not go in the baby bit if they are going to be rough.

YABU to think the onus lies on the staff to tell older kids off every time this happens. It happens a lot, and as you are a paying customer, you have a right to point on the rules to the older kids. I always make it a straight forward "Excuse me, under 5's aren't allowed in this section. It's for BABIES." Strong emphasis on the word "babies" so that they are shamed into going into their own area. And if they aren't shamed into moving, THAT is the point where you go and complain to staff.

ROFL at parents who would take their baby/toddler out of the baby/toddler section because older kids were in there. Have a bit of backbone, people! Who is the adult?!

Bakersman · 18/02/2009 21:53

Definately YANBU!!! As OPs have said I would have said to them politely it was for under 5's.
However, when I go with ds(almost 5) and dd(2) I do let him come in the under 3's area with myself and dd - BUT I do ensure plays nicely and isn't rough near the little ones. Does this sound reasonable to you guys?

Original poster
Tillyscoutsmum · 18/02/2009 22:04

I agree I could have said something to them but I do still think their parents should have stopped them as well.

There's no way they didn't see them - the section is very visible from all the seating area and whilst I don't expect anyone to watch their dc's all the time, I wouldn't have thought a quick glance every 5 minutes or so would be too much to ask. It would have been impossible to miss dd screaming her head off when she was hurt (she's showing early signs of being a drama queen unfortunately )

Bakersman - sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 18/02/2009 22:05

i really think soft play places are an accident waiting to happen. take him to the woods instead

Desiderata · 18/02/2009 22:07

Why would anyone want to go to soft play? I mean, it really smells in those places.

Just take her for a walk instead, and save your pennies. It's all manic and 'orrible.

Rollmops · 18/02/2009 22:09

I'm sorry but what constitutes as 'soft play', keep hearing this term but no idea as to what it refers to.

SweetCheeksLovesSweetTalk · 18/02/2009 22:09

LOL @ Tilly being jugded and found guilty for going to soft play in the first place.

You know you cant win in AIBU!

Hulababy · 18/02/2009 22:10

Weather was horrible and miserable today though. I famcied some indoor time, but we were meeting up with a friend and her child. I didn't want them rampaging round my house today. So, I did something I rarely do - soft play, and TBh it was okay. Very new, very big, food pretty good. Was expensive though and very full by time we left - but room so big you didn't feel it was busy apart from queues at cafe bar.

southeastastra · 18/02/2009 22:11

it's a maze of scaffolding softened by foam covered with brightly coloured pvc, so gets all sweaty.

small gaps that adults try to fit through whilst following their pfbs

Coldtits · 18/02/2009 22:11

As the mother of a tall five year old who was booted out of the under 6's area last year by a snotty helicopter mother with a strapping preschooler who didn't seem to need her and certainly didn't want her as he kept screaming "I want to play with that boy, I want to play with that boy!" concerned parent, I would say talk to the staff, who will talk to their parents, who will remove them or be asked to leave.

Hulababy · 18/02/2009 22:11

Rollmops - soft play