OT: little kids on the play ground

[My5Mouseketeers]

I just need to vent....

Yesterday I took my two youngest boys (6 & 8) to a local park. This park has a really nice play ground. There are climbers for little kids (>= 5) and a separate set of climbers for "school age kids".

There were lots of little kids on the school age climbers. There was one toddler on the "school age climbers". I mean really "toddling" toddler, not a 3 year old running around. Of course, I'm yelling at my boys to watch out for the "little kid". I think they were fine, but they would walk around the little kid trying to walk across the bridge etc. The mom of the less than 2 year old, kept giving dirty looks and not yelling at the "big" kids, but she kept telling them to be careful. She certainly wished she had the playground to herself.

Let me remind you that her less than 2 year old is on the big kid climbers, not the little kid climbers. I felt like the age appropriate kids couldn't have fun because there were little kids on the wrong climbers. I almost said something to her, but I really don't like confrontation.

we left and went to another park. Why is it ok for the little kids to use the big kid stuff, but I'm sure if the big kids were on the little kid climbers *someone* would have made a nasty comment.

end of vent. Life is good

[Hannathy]

If I was there I wouldn't have encouraged my kids to be rough with the toddler BUT I wouldn't have inhibited their play either. I would also have said loudly "I wonder why the little one isn't over on the toddler equipment"

[LuvBaloo]

Kids have to be aware of other kids, but kids should also be playing on the right equipment. Or she should have been up there with her kid, so she could keep the little one stable if the older kids went running by.

On a similar note, it drives me crazy when in a crowded playground, some kids decide to go up the slide instead of down. Its an accident waiting to happen. My oldest is not assertive, and will be standing waiting at the top for her turn to go down, while these other kids keep climbing up.

[livndisney]

Originally Posted by LuvBaloo

Kids have to be aware of other kids, but kids should also be playing on the right equipment. Or she should have been up there with her kid, so she could keep the little one stable if the older kids went running by.

On a similar note, it drives me crazy when in a crowded playground, some kids decide to go up the slide instead of down. Its an accident waiting to happen. My oldest is not assertive, and will be standing waiting at the top for her turn to go down, while these other kids keep climbing up.

Oh that makes me nuts!!!! And the parents don't say anything. My DD is also the one sitting at the top waiting to go down the slide.

[lindsmom]

Originally Posted by livndisney

Oh that makes me nuts!!!! And the parents don't say anything. My DD is also the one sitting at the top waiting to go down the slide.

Me too! And when parents of the toddlers don't watch them near the swings - I brace myself for a kick to the head.

[My5Mouseketeers]

Originally Posted by lindsmom

Me too! And when parents of the toddlers don't watch them near the swings - I brace myself for a kick to the head.

This is my point exactly! I know things happen and toddlers can run fast. But if my kid is on a swing and a toddler runs in front, my kids looks like the bad "big kid" (at 6 years old) and I feel guilty, because he wasn't watching out for a 2 year old who's parents are too busy talking.

[Anonomom]

When DD (now 3.5) was smaller, I would let her on the big kid climbers. But I would NEVER have expected bigger kids to watch out for her. If the park was crowded or even if there were just a few bigger kids around, I'd stick to the toddler area.

[tartemis]

Just curious -- are there any signs indicating the ages for which the sets are designated?

In the parks that we visit, no such signs exist. And I let me toddler climb on any and all of the structures. I do also get very annoyed when there are kids that are like 8 or 9 running around playing tag and not looking at all of the other younger kids on the structures. Personally, I think the older kids do have a duty to look out for the younger ones (and some do a great job of doing so.)

I'm standing there the entire time not taking my eyes off my daughter, but when a 9 year old comes blasting through at full speed not watching where he is going, it is hard to intervene in time to prevent a crash.

Now -- If there are signs posted, that is an entirely different situation. One of my biggest pet peeves is parents not adhering to those explicit safety instructions. I see big kids in designated baby areas all of the time and it drives me nuts that their parents don't intervene (And I'm talking like 5 year olds in "non-walkers only" spaces.) If there was a sign saying a particular structure was only for those over 5 for example, then I wouldn't let me toddler play on it.

[Macduffy]

I'm glad that you told your kids to becareful around the little one - even though he/she was out place - you're teaching your kids good manners and respect

[lindsmom]

Originally Posted by tartemis

Just curious -- are there any signs indicating the ages for which the sets are designated?

The newer playground in our town has labels on the climbing structures saying they are designed for the safety of "2 to 4 years old" or "5 years old and older". At dd's elementary school playground, there is an area that is clearly designed for younger children (bucket swings instead of sling swings, lower monkey bars, etc). The rest of the playground is designed with older children in mind - ladders and steep slides, for example. Generally an area where a parent needs to assist their child to do everything, they're probably in over their head.

It's also helpful to keep in mind that a toddler can get a great deal of entertainment out of a smaller area, whereas a ten year old needs a lot more space to run and play.

[LuvBaloo]

While I agree that its important to tell older children to watch out for younger ones (common courtesy), whether its 6's watching out for 2's or 10's watching out for 6's.

One park in my area has 2 playgrounds with a path dividing them. One side is smaller climber, smaller swings with baby seats, and the other side is designed for bigger kids including a swaying bridge. I don't think its fair to let a child who's still toddling (and unsteady) alone on the swaying bridge. I've seen it happen, and the older kids get glares for daring to walk on the swaying bridge while Junior is crawling on it. Its not safe for Junior to begin with and its not fair to the older kids. They shouldn't get on and deliberately start making it sway, but they should be able to walk/run across without problem.

That's the situation that popped into my mind when I first read OP and why I agreed with her. Frankly, I don't think a sign is necessary, and it really depends on an individual child's development to decide what age they are allowed alone on playground equipment. At 2 some kids are phsyically able to do more than some kids who are 3. I strongly believe parents need to decide what is safe for their child and not rely on a sign.

And its just as horrible when the older kids take over younger kids areas

[My5Mouseketeers]

Originally Posted by tartemis

Just curious -- are there any signs indicating the ages for which the sets are designated?

Yes, this park is clearly marked "Pre-schoolers" and "school age children 5-12" or some similar wording.

[mom2aredhead]

What if the parent is there with more than one kid - say a 7 year old and a 2 year old? I would expect that they would try to keep the kids together in one playground rather than split them up and try to watch both of them from a distance.

[dayzemair]

I see why you were irked - I think that I would have been too. And of course you have no idea of the lady's whole situation whether she had other kids or whatever, but its still an irritating situation.

I am usually a fan of I will take care of my kids and monitor their behavior and manners no matter what other kids parents are doing and just hope that other parents are also taking care of their kids in the same way - UNLESS some kid is being extremely unsafe or blatantly rude to my kid - then I can't control momma bear.

So I think its great that you told your kids to be safe near the toddler - you can't always control other people's behavior but you should always be able to make every situation as safe as possible, even if someone else is being stupid - its a great life lesson.

[patchchild]

My 2 year old is always on the older kids climber at our playground. The little kids one is boring for him, and he can successfully, independently (yikes!!) climb everything but the fireman's pole. I'm not going to keep him on a structure with stairs and one short twisty slide, it's not fair.

That said, I stick close to him. If there are big kids moving fast, I stick even closer. If he's crossing something though, like the cargo nets, I will ask the other kids to give him a minute. "I know he's a little slow, but he's so proud of being able to make it across." For the most part, kids get that.