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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to make a health and safety report against a local pub because unsupervised children in their beer garden caused injury to my child

36 replies

thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 17:51

OK, so i might be being a TAD pfb here, but my DD has hit her head due to the over boistrous behaviour of unsupervised children at a pub today. We had a lovely day at a local farm/playground - decided to stop for a beer and a packet of crisps and let DD play in the beer garden, over looking the sea - ah, lovely! You would think. But no - had to stop DD playing on the slide and play house due to much older children being too rough - they stopped playing on it but then when we let DD back on the other kids were messing about at the bottom of the slide and she ended up hitting her head. Bump on back of head - ended in tears . It was just on the tip of mine and DP's tongues to tell them to be careful, but you know how it is - too late!

The thing is, the children clearly friends of the landlords as they went in through the kitchen. Their parents were in the bar pissing it up and NOT SUPERVISING them, despite signs up stating ALL CHILDREN MUST BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES!!!

I wanted to go and say something to the landlord but didn't because i felt that i would be shouted down. I think the pub is a free house rather than a brewery run.

I guess i'll just have to let it go - but wondered if anyone else had similar experience or advice.

OP posts:
MrsMuddle · 05/04/2009 18:01

Don't think your complaint would be with the landlord - if there was a sign up asking people to supervise their children, he could argue that he had taken reasonable steps to mitigate against accidents caused by children in the beer garden.

If you wanted to complain, you should have done it at the time, and to the parents. I know this is easier said than done - I'd have just left the beer garden and made a mental note to go elsewhere in future.

moomaa · 05/04/2009 18:05

Sorry your DD got hurt but YABU. Learn from it and next time just ask the kids to be more careful when there is a little one around. IME kids respond well to this.

Original poster
thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 18:06

probably what i would do Mrs Muddle, thing is, they were either friends or family of the landlord as they were using the kitchen as an entrance.

What sort of parents piss it up in the pub on a lovely sunday afternoon - ignoring their fecking kids!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 18:06

We HAD already asked them moomma

OP posts:
beanieb · 05/04/2009 18:09

Were they much older? what kind of age? Perhaps their parents felt they didn't need as much supervision?

spicemonster · 05/04/2009 18:12

How did your DD get hurt if you were supervising her closely?

I think YABU - even if their parents had been there, accidents happen. A bang on the head and a few tears aren't going to kill her. Sorry, I know it's horrible when your kids get hurt but I think it's part and parcel of being a kid

mileniwmffalcon · 05/04/2009 18:12

i agree with moomaa, whenever i'm supervising little ones with older kids present i will always ask the older kids to be more careful around the littlies if necessary, and they've always responded positively. even young teenagers with wooden "swords" at festivals ime respond to a few well chosen adult words (rather than an awful lot of adult disapproval and muttering and evil looks, without actually speaking to the kids involved, or their parents).

it is v pfb to make a "health and safety report" (whatever that may be) against anyone. ultimately your child is your responsibility, a bumped head is an everyday occurrence, get used to it

mileniwmffalcon · 05/04/2009 18:13

sorry xposts. if you'd already asked them to be more careful then a word with their parents would have been appropriate.

ruddynorah · 05/04/2009 18:14

nope YABVU. apart from anything nothing actually happened to your daughter in terms of real harm. she just cried a bit? you aren't talking oh the slide broke in two or the swing came off the chains or whatever. it was a few other kids larking about. it happens everywhere. you'll be wanting reports on all play gyms, play grounds, school yards...

Tee2072 · 05/04/2009 18:15

Just by having the sign there, the Landlord's responsibility was over. Complaining to him/her would have done nothing.

You are being a little PFB. Kids hit their heads and cry. It happens. No permanent damage so move on!

GypsyMoth · 05/04/2009 18:18

Er,, how old is your dd?

mumeeee · 05/04/2009 18:26

YABU to make a health and safety report against the landlord. The children are thier parents responsibility not his.

moondog · 05/04/2009 18:31

Oh FGS.
There'll be an H&S directive against farting soon.

traceybath · 05/04/2009 18:40

YABU.

Surely if you were supervising your DD on the slide - i'm presuming she's very little - then you could have lifted her off before she crashed into children at the bottom?

Or if she's old enough you need to teach her not to go down the slide until the child at the bottom has moved.

Original poster
thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 18:40

i should bloody well think so too moondog!!

yeah, i know IABPFBU

OP posts:
TsarChasm · 05/04/2009 18:41

Yabu I'm afraid. If your dd is younger and more vulnerable then maybe you need to be hovering a bit closer to her to see she's ok.

Doesn't sound like they did it deliberately.

Lol moondog - there ought to be one in my house. Dh has a lot to answer for

willowthewispa · 05/04/2009 18:52

YABU - accidents happen. Maybe you should have been supervising your dd more closely?

Nancy66 · 05/04/2009 18:56

It's not a health and safety issue. If she'd cut herself on broken glass it would be.

you took her to a pub and let her play on a slide and she hurt herself. happens every day in every park in the country.

i can't see how it's the other kids fault that your daughter hurt herself - unless they pushed her over.

I also can't see how it's the pub's fault.

Phoenix4725 · 05/04/2009 18:56

well my house is not called the pump house for nothing , gas masks on coat hooks if needed for health and saftey

Original poster
thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 19:02

yeah, IBU just marred my perfect day is all - i feel better now - wine o clock see!

OP posts:
duchesse · 05/04/2009 19:04

Oh dear god, things like this happen! Children need to get hurt sometimes to work out what they are capable of. If your child is too little to be left to play on play equipment with older children, you're going to have to judge your moment when allowing her to use if you don't want her to encounter any other children. Assuming these children were young enough to use it safely (ie under 12 or so), they are perfectly allowed to use the play equipment and if their parents feel they no longer need to be supervised, that is their call. A kind word to them, along the lines of- "my LO is a bit too little to be playing with you big children, so do you think you could let her go down by herself?" would have been all you needed to bring harmony. You are being very PFB I'm afraid and more than a little unreasonable.

junkcollector · 05/04/2009 19:07

"What sort of parents piss it up in the pub on a lovely sunday afternoon - ignoring their fecking kids!!!"

Sounds nice....

Original poster
thelionmummy · 05/04/2009 19:13

but at least you would be IN the garden with them surely??

OP posts:
willowthewispa · 05/04/2009 19:15

Depends on the age of the kids. If under 5, probably yes. If over 5, then I'm sure they'd be fine on their own.

nooka · 05/04/2009 19:26

You might want to, but in practice you can't, as this is not a health and safety issue. It is your responsibility to look after your child, not the pub landlord's. His responsibility is to make sure the equipment is safe and that there are no hazards. That you think he/she might know the other children is I think irrelevant. It can be difficult with littlies and older children, especially when the older children aren't really old enough to have much awareness (say if your dd was toddlerish and the older kids were 5/6ish). Just one of those things really. Sorry it spoilt your day though (sounds lovely )