christina S.
Google
We’ve been going to TTP 3–5 times a month for a few months. My son just turned 3 and has mostly enjoyed it. The space is designed for kids on the spectrum, which is wonderful, and it has a calm atmosphere. My son isn’t on the spectrum—he’s very active, loud, social, and loves to climb and play with anyone.
I once told one of the owners, Casey, that I was surprised he asks to go so often given how energetic he is and the space is just usually quiet in the mornings when we go. I later realized he mainly wants to go because he regularly sees the same girls there and hopes to have consistent friends. Kacey’s two daughters (around 4 and 7) are often there. They’re sweet but usually don’t want to play with other kids. I understand you can’t force children to play together, but at times they’ve been unfriendly, and other moms have noticed too.
Casey and her husband are often in the office or Casey is sitting in the front room away from the play areas with a friend while their kids play. In my opinion, they’re not closely supervising. Sometimes it seems the older daughter is expected to manage situations, but older kids can exclude others too. Normally this hasn’t bothered me—I play with my son while caring for my 7-month-old, and as the owner she can run her business how she wants.
Today multiple things bothered me, I stepped away for about three minutes to tend to my baby (another mom agreed to keep an eye out), and when I returned my son was crying because the girls were being mean to him. He’s usually very tough, so that was hard to see.
I know this is typical kid behavior, but it’s why supervision and gentle correction matter. It feels like Casey ignores her daughters excluding others in the main play areas and I rarely see her step in, though her friend once did and told the girls to play nicely—which I appreciated.
My son has always used a spill-proof milk cup there, often while sitting in a hammock toy, but today Casey said he couldn’t. I’ve also always given my 7 month old a bottle in the main play area and Casey has definitely seen me do that.
There is very little sitting space in the snack area, only 4 chairs at the one table.
About 10 minutes before closing today my son hit his forehead on the equipment and developed a nearly 2-inch bump. It looks worse than I first thought; I took photos and called his doctor about possible concussion symptoms. A dad visiting for the first time seemed more concerned than the owner. When I mentioned it, she didn’t appear worried and seemed more focused on closing.
They close from 1–2 for cleaning, which I respect. We usually stay until 1, use the restroom, and are out by 1:10 at the latest. Recently she’s had an issue with that. One day at 12:55 I asked if I could give my 7-month-old his bottle before leaving; she said she had somewhere to be, so I fed him in my car. About 15–20 minutes later, I saw her family leaving as well. It felt dismissive. There have also been times when we’re told to leave at closing, yet several other kids (friends or family, or co workers) are allowed to enter during the cleaning window, which is confusing to explain to my son.
The other owner (dark short hair, usually there Thursdays) has always been kind and never made us feel rushed. We’ve never stayed more than 5–10 minutes past 1, and with a toddler and infant I do my best to leave promptly.
Overall, it may still be worth checking out, especially for families it’s specifically designed to serve. For us, though, we won’t be returning. We canceled our Developmental Pathways scholarship membership for TTP even though it was free, which reflects how strongly we felt about our experience. I’ll also be sharing feedback with Developmental Pathways.
