I would have given Rock the Spectrum a five if you asked me about two years ago BUT we, my son and I, went about a week ago AND no masks were enforced!?!
It's an indoor gym AND it's stuffy. I am guessing due to the kids, they probably can't open the front door for safety reasons. There were adults, two maybe three, walking around and children older than three years-old w/ NO MASKS.
Even without a mask, I thought okay, maybe they'll stay 6 feet apart from others? (Shrug of shoulders) NOPE.
HOWEVER, if you've been to the Studio City site, you are well informed that NO SOCKS then you cannot enter. BUT YET, no MASKS??? AND you're good to go?
We left after about an hour or so, my son has asthma and the last thing I need is my son getting COVID. Is it just ME? Or is this too lax to not enforce masks?
I will say, I Emailed the owner promptly. She questioned as to which adults didn't have their masks on. I suggested she should look at the footage (I hope they have security cameras) as I did not want to call out any names.
We all know how some parents can get defensive the minute you discuss their parenting and OR their children. But I, alas, had to describe the individuals, again, why the conversation couldn't be held on my Cell Phone? Not sure.
She had me speak to her from her employee's! Cell phone.
Ah, prior to this phone call, a much older boy around 10 maybe 11 years old, tall, husky, who showed to possibly have a severe Learning Disability walked in with no mask. I asked why he didn't have to wear a mask.
The response was guests with Learning Disabilities (LD) do not need to wear masks. I work with students with LD and every school I have attended this year my students wear masks.
Depending on his LD, I can understand why maybe the owner thinks that best for guests with LD not to wear masks. BUT, what if the guest with LD has a respiratory underlying condition, now what?!?!
Usually from what I have observed a child/ young adult/ adults that have one LD usually have another one that triggers one or the other.
THEN, the kid, the much older and bigger one, jumps onto the trampoline with these tiny toddlers. This kid was so big he made the toddlers look like elf's next to him.
The kid has a severe LD, this I think was very unsafe to allow both the kid with LD and the little ones without LD, in addition to COVID, all jumping around on the trampoline.
I love that it is a location where kids, young adults can get sensory stimulation. BUT I also think that if you're going to allow parents/guardians to do drop-offs and leave a severe LD kiddo, THEN there needs to be a Behavior Interventionist (BI) there!
The kid was having BIG meltdowns, screaming, crying, pretty much the whole time he was there. If you're going to have a location to assist students with LD, then the location needs to be tailored to them. The kids with LD should feel calm and safe at Kids Rock the Spectrum NOT having these huge meltdowns.
Moreover, it was a drop off! I would have never left my child with a severe LD alone at an indoor play area (gym) without a BI there. During one meltdown he kept asking where his mom was?!?! And crying.
I told him I think she went to the store or maybe work, but she will be back, okay. And you're safe here okay, you're okay.
This kid was big for his age, very tall and husky, this could of totally turned into a disaster if he had a bigger meltdown and started throwing chairs around etc. Which a lot of students tend to do that are severe. OR started to get aggressive while on the trampoline with the little ones, which would not be his fault of course he cannot control it especially in that environment.
AND then NO MASKS?!?! I will NEVER go to this location evah! It is a franchise perhaps the other locations are taking COVID more seriously and are more compassionate with the kids with severe LD and care about everyone's safety.
OH and they do not take anyone's temperature, either (what a surprise).
At least you would think no masks BUT at least they take temperatures? NOPE.
Thankfully my kiddo and I left our masks on. I reminded him he couldn't get close to other kids since they were not wearing masks.
I also pondered that perhaps the staff on site, maybe, did not feel too comfortable bearing all the weight of having to remind patrons to wear their mask. Obviously, if the parent/guardian is choosing not to wear a mask knowing we are still in a pandemic, they probably don't give two shits about COVID, and could as well lash at the staff member.
I do not want to necessarily blame her, if I had to point fingers it would be at the owner. Someone needs to do something about this, this is not OKAY, especially allowing the kid with severe LD to have these meltdowns and not make the individual who dropped him off aware of.
She, the owner, needs to be more briefed of working with patrons with severe LDs. read more