Using a Jumping venue as your child care provider

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a parent that does this in summer at their pool.

Kids ages 10-12 SHOULD be at the pool all day. What the heck. Let them roam, jump, swim, bike, play stick ball. Whatever! This was normal childhood 20-30 years ago. Where do you want them? In $300 a week structured camps that are boring as all heck. I LOVE seeing kids out and about. It is a rare treat.

As far as the trampoline park, who cares? Better than sitting at home staring at video games. They are old enough to be without their Mommy OP. If the trampoline park has no issue, why do you? Stop the helicopter movement! Enough already.

Can I get an AMEN!!!

[Anonymous]

New poster. It is sad that there are kids in this country whose only afterschool enrichment is at trampoline park. I do hope they attend some afterschool activities in their MS.
It is one step above sitting at home glued to the screen but still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a parent that does this in summer at their pool.

Kids ages 10-12 SHOULD be at the pool all day. What the heck. Let them roam, jump, swim, bike, play stick ball. Whatever! This was normal childhood 20-30 years ago. Where do you want them? In $300 a week structured camps that are boring as all heck. I LOVE seeing kids out and about. It is a rare treat.

As far as the trampoline park, who cares? Better than sitting at home staring at video games. They are old enough to be without their Mommy OP. If the trampoline park has no issue, why do you? Stop the helicopter movement! Enough already.

Can I get an AMEN!!!

AMEN! Plus, I think it's brilliant. $200 for unlimited exercise, cheap food and no screen time. I think they're on to something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: New poster. It is sad that there are kids in this country whose only afterschool enrichment is at trampoline park. I do hope they attend some afterschool activities in their MS.
It is one step above sitting at home glued to the screen but still.

It's true. I long for the 1980s when we spent afternoons at the museum, critiquing the pre raphaelite oils or in the woodshop, building homeless shelters....


Get real. We were at the mall eating crap. At least these kids get some exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to one of those trampoline jumping type places with the kids and they were playing dodge ball which got out of hand (head shots, angry words, hurt feelings). The HS student staff who was supervising the kids, told them to stop and seemed to really know personally about 6 -8 of the kids (all pre-teen or young teen boys). We got to talking and the staff person told me that there are at least 10-12 boys that come there every day from after school till closing and on Saturday and Sunday from open till close (12 hours!). They get pizza to eat and pretty much jump all day (and apparently fight and cause trouble too). The staff also stated that the parents got a cheap season pass for unlimited jumping (under $200) and pretty much use this place to keep their kids while they go to work. The parents work evening shifts.

This seems crazy to me. I know people need affordable child care, but this borders on child neglect in my opinion. No kid should be jumping for 12 hours straight. A jumping venue is not a day care center. Teen staff members are not the best supervisors for hormonal, testosterone teen boys and these kids were acting aggressively towards other young patrons, hurting some (not seriously, but still). This arrangement seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I am shocked parents would have this poor judgement and that the venue even allows it.

Unless you are there every single day, you have no idea if these kids are really there every day.

I wouldn't discount that the teen staff members are very likely exaggerating and guessing in some instances as to what is really going on.

The management is likely aware of the situation. As long as the kids are paying customers, not committing a crime and generally following the rules, they seem to be ok with it. You can raise the issue to management if you are truly concerned but posting on an anonymous message board isn't going to do anything to fix the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as I am aware, there's no after school care offered at middle schools, so that's not an option, and the parents may not want the kids at home for whatever reason. It's an imperfect solution, sure. If the kids are getting in your or your kids way and being disruptive, you need to complain to management. Otherwise, worry about yourself.

Well you are wrong on the first part. My DS is in middle school and attends the after school care program there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a parent that does this in summer at their pool.

Kids ages 10-12 SHOULD be at the pool all day. What the heck. Let them roam, jump, swim, bike, play stick ball. Whatever! This was normal childhood 20-30 years ago. Where do you want them? In $300 a week structured camps that are boring as all heck. I LOVE seeing kids out and about. It is a rare treat.

As far as the trampoline park, who cares? Better than sitting at home staring at video games. They are old enough to be without their Mommy OP. If the trampoline park has no issue, why do you? Stop the helicopter movement! Enough already.

Can I get an AMEN!!!

AMEN! Plus, I think it's brilliant. $200 for unlimited exercise, cheap food and no screen time. I think they're on to something.

+1000

[Anonymous]

So basically those jump places are the suburban equivalent of a DC rec center or a Boys and Girls Club?
I can totally see some overworked mom that serves pizza or cleans offices preferring a supervised jump zone to having their teen kid at home alone - smoking weed and having his friends over to trash the place.

[Anonymous]

It seems crazy, it borders on neglect...apparently this crowd has forgotten how expensive child care is and that people have kids even when they can't afford them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems crazy, it borders on neglect...apparently this crowd has forgotten how expensive child care is and that people have kids even when they can't afford them?

These are pre-teens and/or teens. Child care?

They aren't staring at a screen. They are somewhere safe. They are getting exercise.

I don't know what the PP above is talking about with "enrichment." Don't kids get time to be kids anymore? Every minute has to be somehow "enriching".

[Anonymous]

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: New poster. It is sad that there are kids in this country whose only afterschool enrichment is at trampoline park. I do hope they attend some afterschool activities in their MS.
It is one step above sitting at home glued to the screen but still.

It's true. I long for the 1980s when we spent afternoons at the museum, critiquing the pre raphaelite oils or in the woodshop, building homeless shelters....


Get real. We were at the mall eating crap. At least these kids get some exercise.

Ha, there is a reason most adults in my generation know the entire Gilligan's Island theme song I ate crap and watched TV after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems crazy, it borders on neglect...apparently this crowd has forgotten how expensive child care is and that people have kids even when they can't afford them?

Middle and high school kids can spend a few hours hanging around with friends without it being neglect. Actually, that just seems normal to me. And a jump place like that is better than hanging around someone's house being bored. Kids that age don't need "childcare".

[Anonymous]

OP, you sweet, summer child. Come back when your oldest is 12 and re-read this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems crazy, it borders on neglect...apparently this crowd has forgotten how expensive child care is and that people have kids even when they can't afford them?

Middle and high school kids can spend a few hours hanging around with friends without it being neglect. Actually, that just seems normal to me. And a jump place like that is better than hanging around someone's house being bored. Kids that age don't need "childcare".

This is not high school. This age is elementary and early middle school. I think it's wrong to leave elementary aged kids at public places and expect child care. A life guard is there to make sure everyone is safe in the water, nothing else. And you'll notice many of them are teenagers.