Today I Paid 7 Dollars to Watch My Child Play
No wonder parents say "we have that at home"
Today we went to a place called Play U. I have written about it’s sister site at the old abandoned mall before and since last we went it looks like they combined the bouncy house place and this play U into one big playground for kids with arcades, mini golf, bouncy houses, batting cages - even a real indoor soccer field.
It’s nice. we had fun. That’s not the problem.
I have no complaints about the venue or the trip. We were there for 2 and a half hours and we only left because we got hungry as we had missed lunch.
My beef is with the pricing: Like the title says, I paid money to watch her play indoors.
It cost 15 bucks for her, and 7 bucks for me = 22.00. I don’t have a beef with the cost either. Nobody rides for free. I get it.
My complaint is you charged me a fee for no value. It’s not like i am going to go in the bouncy house with her or dress up or even play with the legos. My one job is to make sure she has fun and exercise and to get her away from the screen for a few hours today.
We had the kite but that did not end well so we had to find alternative entertainment for today because she is still home from school.
This is not the way to do this long term if you ask me because as a parent that has to pay to trail behind the child to the chorus of “Dad, watch me” over and over again. I have already paid. One can only play doctor for so long there - or dress up.
BTW we also have those things at home and I could have saved the 20 bucks and I would have been closer to my own bathroom and coffee maker if the need be.
In my mind the 7 dollar charge from Play U is a big F*** U.
Play U - if you’re reading - just jack the rate to $22.00 a kid and be done with it. Offer a discount for two or more kids and we would be all like “take our money!”
I wanted the sizzle, but you sold me the steak.
The restaurants have this figured out. Kids eats free is the same thing - a lie - the restaurants eat the cost of 4 chicken nuggets and instead sell a bowl of spaghetti for 30 bucks each to mom and dad.
There’s no such thing as free, it’s just hidden.
Play U, if you’re listening - hide the parent surcharge in the kid’s admission. We will think we’ll be getting a deal because 22 bucks is a small price to pay for a happier child but I’m not happy I had to pay 7 bucks to get there.
Thankfully, school starts Monday and she’ll be back to the real University on Monday morning . Wait! now that I think of it - this is another example where the school is advertised as “free”, but if you’ve ever paid taxes you know that’s not the truth.
There’s no such thing as a free ride - it doesn’t matter if it’s on the school bus or down a slide on a bouncy house. We all pay.
The trick is to make us feel like we’re getting value when we have our wallets out.
And today? I wasn’t feeling it.
Until next time,
TH and Co.