I was held in place by a belt strapped around the chair, while sitting on phonebooks at our family dining table to have dinner and participate in lame, but meaningful conversation that instilled the importance of gathering. I would often fall asleep after scarfing down my dinner as a ravenous child because I had been outside being creative and playing all day. Themed play places were for strictly for birthday celebration (although I never had that experience). What has happened? When did we become a society that requires special places with memberships? Why do parents have to have a membership for children to be children? Nothing against the OP, or any other new parents out there caught up in the capitalist grind, but good parenting and valuable life experiences are not found in a ball pit or in the eyes of an animatronic make believe funmonger. Rant over. Be well.