PSA: Orly's Treehouse "childcare"

I saw a really crappy thing happen today at Orly's Treehouse, just a PSA for any mommies who might utilize their drop-off babysitting service at the indoor playground.

I took DS there to let him run around and play for awhile. There were two "babysitters" there, a girl and a guy. If you're not familiar with the place, the indoor playground has a big treehouse in the center, with a staircase leading to the top, then a slide going down. Anyway, I was playing with DS at this toy cash-register near the treehouse, meanwhile there are a bunch of little kids going up and down the staircase of the treehouse. Can't tell which ones had a parent/nanny with them, but there were clearly little toddlers and even babies being UNSUPERVISED up and down the stairs... neither "babysitter" was anywhere near the treehouse.

So suddenly I hear a CRACK sound and a cry... this little boy, no more than 18 months maybe, had fallen down the stairs and hit his head HARD. A nanny who was near the treehouse with the kid she watches yelled for the babysitters and really told them off for not spotting the kids. I could not believe it. This poor little boy cried for a while, not just a minute or two. Big lump on his head. When the mom came to get him I heard the guy (babysitter) telling the mom and also the manager that he "just turned his head for a second". Bulls--t. I saw where that guy was, he wasn't even LOOKING at the treehouse the whole time. When I left I told the manager what I saw.

That really gave me pause regarding whether I'd ever use Orly's drop-off babysitting. If the treehouse with the stairs weren't there, I'd do it in a heartbeat... there's nothing else there that a kid could get hurt with. But those stairs need to be supervised.

Re: PSA: Orly's Treehouse "childcare"

I would have told the mom what happened. Even if it was outside.

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I've only been to Orly's Treehouse once and would never go back. As you said, the children aren't supervised and they are running like maniacs everywhere. I stay with my DD but I don't need to feel the need to babysit other people's children & that 's what happens when I am in a situation like that.

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I should have. I was too chicken at the moment. I didn't even work up the guts to go tell the manager till the end

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how scary! I hope that little baby was okay I've never been but it reminds me of open play at Wood Kingdom - even though parents are SUPPOSED to be supervising, usually they are not and when crowded the kids can get soo wild

ETA - was the Orly's Manager concerned when you spoke to him/her?

Message edited 5/22/2008 8:39:10 PM.

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That place is a complete nuthouse, at least when I've been there. I couldn't believe the chaos & hazards that we saw when we attended a party there. I'm very upset to hear this but not surprised.

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That poor baby - he just wanted to climb and have fun

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Great.....I'm having Julia's 3rd Birthday party there! When I was there looking at the place it looked like it was being run very well, my girlfriend send her DD there for school and she loves it, never had a bad thing to say about it. I'm sure all places like this have bad days.

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I like Once Upon a Treehouse in Plainview MUCH better. Those steps & the slide at Orly's are a safety hazard if they aren't supervised properly (which they usually aren't).
I've been there a million times (I never drop my DD off- I stay with her) and there's always little kids getting hurt.

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What a coincidence. I was there when this whole thing happened. It was actually not that bad. The attendant did turn for one second when the baby decided to climb. He fell from the first step, he did not even climb. It can happen to any mother. I spoke to the mother after this and she was fine with the whole thing and that he does the same thing at home.

We love going to Orly's Treehouse the staff is amazing, and my son loves playing there. I do use the babysitting services and never had any problems.
My son loves going there.

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I just joined this web site after a friend of mine said to check it out. I am sorry I wrote some positive words, I guess this chat room is intended for complainers.

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I'm the original poster, back again.

If the boy fell from the "first step", how come I saw him laying and crying on a step in the MIDDLE of the staircase?

If the employee "just turned his head for a second", how come he didn't even come over when the crack sound followed by the crying was heard, until the nanny nearby screamed for him?

Nice damage control there.

Hey, I didn't post this to make people not go to Orly's or something. As a matter of fact, I popped in for about 45 minutes this morning to let DS burn off some energy before his nap (I bought the summer membership, so why not). I like the place a lot and would even drop off my child and use the gym for an hour IF that staircase was not right in the middle of the playground. There's nothing else super-dangerous there even if the babysitters weren't really keeping their eyes on the kids.

All I said is be aware that the babysitting is kind of spotty. I know I'm not a regular popular poster, but I have a few hundred posts under my belt, so I'm not a fake either. Told my DH what I saw last night and he was just disappointed I didn't tell the mom what really happened.

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Thank you so much to the original poster of this. I was thinking about joining Orly's and had actually posted last week to see if anyone goes there, but got no replies. I was thinking of using the drop off babysitting whiile I used their gym but I know how easily my kids get hurt if there is not constant supervision.

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