Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my friend is a neurotic freak for not going to soft play?

63 replies

Bellebelle · 19/02/2009 15:10

Suggested meet up at a soft play with a close friend and her DS and she's come back saying that she doesn't go to soft play anymore as her DS might get ill from all the germs! AIBU to think that she is being overprotective or is it fair enough? Can't say I've ever noticed that either of my DD's get sick after soft play inparticular and even if they did I'm all for a bit of germ exposure to build a good immune system. It's a pain in the backside for me as my eldest DD (4yo) loves going and its great for me to get her to burn off some energy. It's not warm enough here yet to go to the park and it just gets crazy when I have kids round to our house as it's not all that spacious. Whaddya think?

OP posts:
MrsGravy · 19/02/2009 17:48

I think you're both being a bit precious. What's wrong with the park in winter??

kslatts · 19/02/2009 17:58

YANBU about the soft play, a few germs won't hurt. Is it you or your friend who thinks it's too cold for the park? That seems more pfb than the soft play.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/02/2009 17:59

There seems to be a lot of bitchiness here today too, I wouldn't ever think of my friends as "neurotic freaks" tbh

seeker · 19/02/2009 18:02

It's a bonkers reason - but I just don't see why ANYONE ever goes to soft play! Theya re completely awful places, the food is always horrible and the children don't get properly tired, they get strung out and hyper. Go to the park!

DukeOfYorksBrigade · 19/02/2009 18:13

YANBU, I think your friend is neurotic, but so are a lot of my friends. It just seems to be the way things go that some of the people I end up being friends with are laid back and careless like me and the other half are neurotic freaks. I still like them though.

We live in a flea pit of a country (not UK) and my kids crawl around outside and are not often sick.

Maybe the germs are not the real reason. One of my friends refused to go to soft play in case her child hurt himself. The first time I persuaded her to go he broke his arm.

But if that is the case why not say so...."I don't like these places, let's meet somewhere else."

Having said that, I did read somewhere that soft play is not good for kids as they don't learn to judge risk, i.e. there is always a safety net. Wouldn't stop me going though, I just let them jump off walls outside too.

LucyEllensmummy · 19/02/2009 18:31

get some coats on those children and take them to the park - far healthier than a fecking soft play centre, which on half term would be hell on earth with lots of horrible big children jumping in the ball pool - really relaxing for a mum of a LO!! One of the soft play areas here is fecking rank, and i swear DD always got some sort of tummy bug whenever she went - all those toddlers mouthing the balls spreading whatever grollies they have. I am quite happy for my DD to eat mud pies but those places are rank. We have one, a train ride away, which is council run and clean - we tend to go there.

Your children will tire much more in the park and get a lung full of fresh air.

dilemma456 · 19/02/2009 18:44

Message withdrawn

jazzandh · 19/02/2009 19:11

There's catching germs by accident at pre-school and there's deliberately infecting your kids, which is what you do if you go to a soft play centre in winter! I'm with your friend on that one.

There is no such thing as being too cold for kids to run around in a park in the fresh air! Lovely.....

Frasersmum123 · 19/02/2009 19:17

YANBU

I go to softplay at least once a week and my DC have managed to stay relativly bug-free this winter.

fledtoscotland · 19/02/2009 19:28

YANBU. am a bit about what sort of soft plays everyone else goes to though. ours is fine. gets hot at the weekend but just because it gets busy. they have a sticks policy on the numbers allowed in. the ball pool isnt that deep and there definitely isnt anything sticky in the bottom. the food is overpriced but its OK, and neither DS has caught anything nasty. maybe it says more about the places rather than the concept

Frasersmum123 · 19/02/2009 19:42

I agree fledtoscotland - The softplay we go to sounds nothing like some of the ones described here!

kettlechip · 19/02/2009 19:43

I was going to say YANBU based on the OP but reading this lot has put me off soft play for life..

fledtoscotland · 19/02/2009 19:47

sorry should say "a strict policy on numbers"

kettlechip - i wouldnt knock it til you've tried it. I've got two boys ages 17months and 5months and they are a godsend as DS1 can let off steam but DS2 can sleep or sit in the ball pool. just find one thats clean.

sarah293 · 19/02/2009 19:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

nickytwotimes · 19/02/2009 19:58

mugwumpy, I totally agree with your post.

Soemtimes you just need a break from the constant illnesses. I am happy for ds to be exposed to plenty of bugs MOST of the time, but after the winter we have just had where we have been under virtual house arrest for monthsdue to illnesses, I need a break for a few weeks too before braving the hell that is soft play or playgroup again.

Original poster
Bellebelle · 19/02/2009 20:22

Wow! I have had an education in how disgusting soft plays can be! Think I'm just lucky that our preferred one is so lovely.

Have no problem with being outside, we're out in all weathers. However Iive pretty far north at the moment and recently it has been bitterly cold - the LO's did enjoy the 2ft of snow though!

OP posts:
Ceebee74 · 19/02/2009 20:30

Wow you learn something new everyday - I hadn't realised that so many mums hated soft play areas so vehemently!!

There are quite a few round here - all seem pretty much ok. I take DS1 (2.7) almost every Monday (my one day off work) otherwise I would lose my sanity!!

I never even considered the germs aspect - but then DS1 is in nursery 4 days a week so is constantly ill anyway!

Dottoressa · 19/02/2009 20:33

Your poor friend. YABU. Soft play places are pretty filthy, and it's perfectly reasonable not to want to put a child deliberately in the way of whatever vile germs are lurking there.

As other posters have said, get them out in the park - it's more fun for everyone!

pointydog · 19/02/2009 20:37

YANBU. She's a neurotic freak. But you can't change that so find a compromise and say nothing.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/02/2009 21:16

My DD has had a stomach bug since Monday, caught at soft play, and has had such every time she has been, to the one near us, so I am not going to be taking her again for a while, and would hope I would not be considered a "neurotic freak" for deciding this...it's hardly worth an hour's fun to spend a week with sickness and diarrhoea, is it??

seeker · 19/02/2009 21:24

I am always amazed that people can tell exactly where their children have picked up a particular bug. I must be missing the appropriate sensor........!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/02/2009 21:35

seeker - well, err..after 6 visits to this particular soft play she has come down with sickness and diarrhoea within a day or so EVERY time....

Coincidence? I don't think you need a "sensor" to work out the connection?

And I don't really appreciate your sarcastic tones either. I don't know what is up with this place today, it's like a giant PMSfest.

seeker · 19/02/2009 21:39

Sarcastic? Moi?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/02/2009 21:39
Hmm
TotalChaos · 19/02/2009 21:41

How odd Fanjo. Does she normally eat there? Wondering if it could be some problem with the food rather than the soft play?