arghhhh help me cope with scary soft play places...

[deaconblue]

Took ds (21 months) to one this afternoon, he had climbed the 2 steps to get into the ball pit when an older boy shoved him so hard he fell backwards off step, smacked back of head and has big bump. I usually hover near enough to avert disaster but dh was in charge and not near enough to stop it.

I know this is part of life but I find it unbearable when he gets hurt. Would love to never go again but these places are meant to be "good" for them aren't they?

Only go in the mornings during term time - then you tend to only get under 3s so it's not too bad.

We've been in the mornings and had the place totally to ourselves before, much better.

I would agree Mornings are better, also we tend to get our shoes off and climb in (not only can we stop bullies but also its bloody fun)

They are fab once you can let your older child rampage away on their own, though... even better when they have comrades by their side.

Sit back and enjoy the coffee and cake

DS (3) hates it when the school kids are there, we always go in term time in the mornings.

Except when you get the gang of childminders/mums clique who think they own the place and make it impossible for anyones elses kids to play grrrr have actually asked them to move before so DS could get into the ball pool as they were literally sitting blocking the way and ignored him when he said excuse me !!!!

And I think it's a tall order to expect large numbers of the 3+ age group to remain calm and (civilised?!) in a place designed specifically for them to, well, rampage!

Most places tend to have a smaller toddler area and TBH, IMO it really isn't appropriate to be taking a child that young to soft play at the weekend when you can guarantee that there will be bigger kids there.

We go on weekday mornings when it is quieter and cheaper (with free tea!)

It was rampaging older child who shoved my little ds though while his mum was having coffee! Perhaps you're right, once he's big enough to look after himself I'll chill out.

The ball pits always smell of pee.

Yes will avoid Friday afternoons in future but dh had afternoon off and we wanted to do something we thought ds would enjoy together

shoppingbags - it's hard, isn't it?

As parent of dd1(4.1) it isn't feasable (or desirable!) for me to follow her around making sure she doesn't 'rampage' too much (which she is inclined to do)

As parent of dd2 (17m) I have to be on the ball to make sure she doesn't get herself in any predicaments, either! (ie pushed aside by hordes of pre-schoolers)

It is a shame. Where abouts are you? We have a good range of places round here, there are some smaller ones that are not interesting to the bigger kids more suited to tiddlers.

They are a nightmare if you go to the wrong one at the wrong time.

They are dangerous places even for grown ups these soft play joints you know (!!!)- I went down a very very long slide at one the other week but forgot the sack and got a friction burn on my heal that is still sore! And because I was going to slow due to no socks on I ended up getting smacked in the back by a 4 year old hurtling down behind me - ouch!

You have my sympathy shoppingbags, my ds now 4 was always getting shoved about in these places! He was always at 18mths/ 2 yrs too sweet to know what to do or how to react, so he'd just cry.

So yes avoid if you can school hols and afternoons

and teach him a few karate moves

I think karate chops are the way forward. I don't blame the older boy as I know that pushing etc is quite usual/normal I just need to toughen up and try not to be upset when ds is hurt as he's bound to get in worse scrapes as he gets older.
Was cross with dh too as I think he should have been a bit closer to ds rather than a few feet away.