Sunday, September 12, 2010

Playground Protocol

Apparently there is some secret protocol for playgrounds.  I obviously do not know about it.  Some place, it is stated that a child can forget all manners and respect for others when on a playground.  Unfortunately, no one told my girls this either.  Yup, I am going to be the "no fun" mom when they are older.

Seriously though.  I have taken them to two different playgrounds and the results have been very similar.  There are always older kids running around and, in my opinion, being rude to the other people there. No, I am not a stuffy person and I understand that playgrounds are places where kids can go and have fun.  But, does that mean all boundaries and manners have to be forgotten?

Why is it acceptable for a bigger kid to push a smaller kid out of the way to climb up the slide the wrong way or to use a piece of equipment?  Yes, I know you are bigger, but that is just plain rude.  Wait your turn.  I expect my girls to be polite, wait their turn, and use play equipment properly.  This doesn't mean they are not having fun.  It just means that they allow others to have fun as well.  What gets me even more than the kids acting this way is that no parent comes forward to say anything to their child.  In my opinion, a park is not a place to just drop your child off and forget about them.  Be active!  Take part in your child's life.

Twice now this has happened.  The girls have been "accidentally" kicked, pushed, or hit by another eager child wanting to use a toy.  I don't always think that the child is doing it on purpose.  I think the other children get excited and have fun.  Lord knows, my girls do not always act the best.  However, I do try to make sure that when we are out, they are respectful of others and use their manners.  This can only help them later in life.

OK, I will step off my soap box now.  Here are some fun pictures of our park experience last weekend.  The girls loved it!  I can't wait to go back. 


1 comment:

  1. hi...i could not agree with you more! it's even worse in the indoor "open gym" type places where we go when it's cold- it's for kids 1-5 years age and those 3-5 year old can be quite dangerous...especially when the moms do not watch them...oh well, we can at least watch our twinkies! esther

    ReplyDelete