taking Lo to the playground

Monkeygirl26

DD almost walked right of the side the last time were it's open. So I was with her and one of the mothers at the park looked at me like I was crazy. I don't want DD to fall off and hurt herself. Even though a fun place I feel like for underr kids it's very unsafe.

What do you do at the park? 

Shozzies

The playground we go to has a smaller play area for little kids with a couple smaller slides and a bridge.  I try to get DD to stay over there and put her on the swing if it's getting too rowdy.  For the longest time I would play with her.  It took a long time for her to understand not to climb up the slides or stand at the bottom.  Also we live in a ranch and she wasn't used to stairs so I helped her learn how to go up and down them.

diana.filipi

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

jonnygurl76

diana.filipi:

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

from the mom who has a pic of her DD standing on a chair in her siggy.  i'm sorry but i wouldn't be taking the time or be far enough away to take pic of that.

OP, do what you feel you need to do.  DD is prone to tripping and falling and has NO fear--that said i am probably overprotective regarding letting her play on a structure that she can fall off of.  it is your child's safety--don't worry about what other mothers think. 

 

diana.filipi

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

from the mom who has a pic of her DD standing on a chair in her siggy.  i'm sorry but i wouldn't be taking the time or be far enough away to take pic of that.

OP, do what you feel you need to do.  DD is prone to tripping and falling and has NO fear--that said i am probably overprotective regarding letting her play on a structure that she can fall off of.  it is your child's safety--don't worry about what other mothers think. 

 

She climbs up there probably 20 times a day!  She's pretty darn agile.  I don't follow her around all day 'in case she falls'.  Would you really be standing right there ready to catch her every single time?  She's been a full time walker for more than 4 1/2 months.  She's nearly running.  

Eh.....I don't know why I'm defending myself.  You are judging without even knowing anything.

Chrysallys

DS has been able to climb playground stairs on his own since he started walking. Therefor he is allowed to go up the stairs and down the slide. He likes to swing on the swings and ride on the spring animals. He'll crawl through tubes and such.

bbowie

Opposite.  I let them go for it.  It's a sweet break for us.  Given the chance, kids usually do just fine on their own and I think it's heatlhy for them to do so. I honestly think when parents helicopter, it hinders the child's confidence and development.  I see it a lot.  

DTNZ4Ever

DS if vert cautious and not a big risk taker so he asks me to help him up and down the stairs and across the bridge that moves. I also give him space to explore but stay by the openings so he doesn't just step out.

flutenewt

For us it depends on the playground equipment.  I pretty much let him play freely on the lower, toddler-friendly stuff, but when we go to a park with taller structures and lots of openings of course I stay close by.  

Unfortunately, DS tends to spend most of his time digging in the sand, so my bigger concern is making sure he doesn't find and eat cigarette butts or throw sand into some other kid's face.  Getting him onto the play equipment is a relief  

groovygrl

I hate those big open gaps in the equipment!!!! If there are a lot of those we climb right up on the stuff w/ the kids, or if there are few of them and we can walk around on the  outside & be standing by the big holes we do that. But we have searched around to find more toddler friendly playgrounds that don't have the big spaces & also that have smaller steps for them to climb up.

It's really hard! 

emberlee3

I let DS do his thing, unless there are big kids around that are not paying attention.  We go to a playground all the time where the platform is above my head.  He climbs the stairs and goes down the slides by himself.  I used to go down with him.  Then, I let him go down by himself on smaller slides until he learned that he has to go feet first.  Now, I stand at the bottom and remind him, "Feet first."  He comes flying down, lands on his butt on the ground, and thinks it's hilarious.

jonnygurl76

diana.filipi:

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

from the mom who has a pic of her DD standing on a chair in her siggy.  i'm sorry but i wouldn't be taking the time or be far enough away to take pic of that.

OP, do what you feel you need to do.  DD is prone to tripping and falling and has NO fear--that said i am probably overprotective regarding letting her play on a structure that she can fall off of.  it is your child's safety--don't worry about what other mothers think. 

 

She climbs up there probably 20 times a day!  She's pretty darn agile.  I don't follow her around all day 'in case she falls'.  Would you really be standing right there ready to catch her every single time?  She's been a full time walker for more than 4 1/2 months.  She's nearly running.  

Eh.....I don't know why I'm defending myself.  You are judging without even knowing anything.

that's right i don't know anything. 

regardless if she is agile or not i wouldn't let DD climb on chairs or other furniture that can tip where she can be hurt.  but you will parent the way you feel is nec. and i will do the same for my children.

diana.filipi

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

from the mom who has a pic of her DD standing on a chair in her siggy.  i'm sorry but i wouldn't be taking the time or be far enough away to take pic of that.

OP, do what you feel you need to do.  DD is prone to tripping and falling and has NO fear--that said i am probably overprotective regarding letting her play on a structure that she can fall off of.  it is your child's safety--don't worry about what other mothers think. 

 

She climbs up there probably 20 times a day!  She's pretty darn agile.  I don't follow her around all day 'in case she falls'.  Would you really be standing right there ready to catch her every single time?  She's been a full time walker for more than 4 1/2 months.  She's nearly running.  

Eh.....I don't know why I'm defending myself.  You are judging without even knowing anything.

that's right i don't know anything. 

regardless if she is agile or not i wouldn't let DD climb on chairs or other furniture that can tip where she can be hurt.  but you will parent the way you feel is nec. and i will do the same for my children.

The chair back is against the window.  And it's true that you don't know about anything much about my child or her normal behaviors and abilities.  We all parent the way we see fit.  Now, when I caught my DD in the middle of the dinning room table I didn't take a pic, I got her down.  See, there's a difference :-)

melody921

Since DS is still kind of young, we stick to the baby swings and slides (one of us puts him at the top, the other catches). Our park also has these little turning seats, where the child sits inside and it spins around. He loves them.

WonderWoman27

DD goes up steps real good, since about 10 months old.  We'll let her go down slides, but we'll softly hold her while she goes down just in case she puts her feet down and goes head first or something.  She'll crawl through tunnels and go on the baby swings.  She loves the playground!  

jonnygurl76

fredalina:

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

jonnygurl76:

diana.filipi:

We go to the playground several times a week.  I stand back and she plays.  I get involved more when she's up on the play structure as part of it has two openings (older kids can climb down the openings) that I kinda guard to make sure she doesn't just walk out them.  I let her work out what she wants to do for the most part.  She will walk over to the swings and point to them if that's what she wants, etc.  The social aspect is really important and, IMHO, so are the bumps and stuff.

from the mom who has a pic of her DD standing on a chair in her siggy.  i'm sorry but i wouldn't be taking the time or be far enough away to take pic of that.

OP, do what you feel you need to do.  DD is prone to tripping and falling and has NO fear--that said i am probably overprotective regarding letting her play on a structure that she can fall off of.  it is your child's safety--don't worry about what other mothers think. 

 

She climbs up there probably 20 times a day!  She's pretty darn agile.  I don't follow her around all day 'in case she falls'.  Would you really be standing right there ready to catch her every single time?  She's been a full time walker for more than 4 1/2 months.  She's nearly running.  

Eh.....I don't know why I'm defending myself.  You are judging without even knowing anything.

that's right i don't know anything. 

regardless if she is agile or not i wouldn't let DD climb on chairs or other furniture that can tip where she can be hurt.  but you will parent the way you feel is nec. and i will do the same for my children.

Ok, so is this a feud from an earlier board or something? She didn't say anything about you or how you parent, so why are you implying she's a bad parent? (She's not, by the way; she's a mom who knows her child's own abilities and temperament, nothing more or less.)

why are you even involved in this?  it has nothing to do with you and we already worked it out.  and i wasn't implying she is a bad parent,  i was implying she will parent her children differently from the way i will.