Extreme jungle gym anxiety - for me, not him

krissyh21 · February 2012

I feel like I am super hoverer at the park when D is on the jungle gym. This is normal right? He is only 2.2 years old after all.

But he is super independent and seems not to fear much, so as I hover over him on the 7 foot slide saying "I will go down with you" and he says "Mommy, I DO ITTT" I kind of feel guilty, because I want to raise an independent boy, BUT my heart races as he zooms down the HUGE slide all by himself (laughing all the way).

Maybe next time I should scope out a smaller jungle gym? If it wasn't 7 feet off the ground maybe I would do better?

I'm nuts.

ladychicago · February 2012

I think it is normal!

It isn't the slides that bother me so much as the high up gaps in the railings where she could stumble in the wrong direction and fall. At least on a slide she is contained and I can keep her from flying off the end.... but the thought of her falling off the side of a bridge or walkway just kills me!

LIAngel · February 2012

If you're nuts, then I am too. We have 2 parks near my house. One has more toddler friendly stuff and it's fenced in. I can sit on a bench and let him climb to his heart's content. The jungle gym isn't so high.

The other park has gigantor slides and is more open. It has a bridge that is really high up and he can go down 6 different slides. I am paranoid he'll fall. It has rails, but it is still open enough that he could slip through. So for the playground, I would hover and follow him up the ladder and make sure he doesn't fall through. That's all fine if I'm by myself with him, but usually I have Ava too. So what am I supposed to do with her? Let her hang out in the stroller down below?

For now we go to the toddler friendly one and will continue to do so until I feel less paranoid.

krissyh21 · February 2012

ladychicago:
I think it is normal!
It isn't the slides that bother me so much as the high up gaps in the railings where she could stumble in the wrong direction and fall. At least on a slide she is contained and I can keep her from flying off the end.... but the thought of her falling off the side of a bridge or walkway just kills me!

Yeah that is another thing I freaked on, this gym has an open gap in the middle of it where the only way down is a latter. Dillon goes one speep and runs right towards the opening as I follow grabbing his arm in case he trips.

I swear for the hour we were at the park I was gasping and freaking the whole time (secretly so he wouldn't notice)

Mrs.Babbsy · February 2012

totally normal, I still won't do anything with the girls by myself, one on one coverage even though they are completely independent on stuff like that

krissyh21 · February 2012

LIAngel:
If you're nuts, then I am too. We have 2 parks near my house. One has more toddler friendly stuff and it's fenced in.   I can sit on a bench and let him climb to his heart's content.   The jungle gym isn't so high.

The other park has gigantor slides and is more open. It has a bridge that is really high up and he can go down 6 different slides. I am paranoid he'll fall. It has rails, but it is still open enough that he could slip through. So for the playground, I would hover and follow him up the ladder and make sure he doesn't fall through.   That's all fine if I'm by myself with him, but usually I have Ava too. So what am I supposed to do with her? Let her hang out in the stroller down below?

For now we go to the toddler friendly one and will continue to do so until I feel less paranoid.

Oh good I am not alone! Dillon appeared to be the youngest one there. So other parents are all hanging on the benches as I am shadowing him.

I definitly need to find a smaller jungle gym. This park was good last year when he had no desire to climb up everything. I can't do this again - too stressful!

pandabearlover · February 2012

I have the same anxiety. If it makes you feel better, I am constantly running over in my mind what I would do right then if one of them breaks something. I am positive they are going to fall off something one day and break an arm. I want to be prepared! I even asked DH (he's a nurse) what I should do-straight to ER or call pedi? He said call pedi, but I know we will be going right to the ER.

muppet.fan · February 2012

ladychicago:

I think it is normal!

It isn't the slides that bother me so much as the high up gaps in the railings where she could stumble in the wrong direction and fall. At least on a slide she is contained and I can keep her from flying off the end.... but the thought of her falling off the side of a bridge or walkway just kills me!

Ditto. I hover and I admit it!

The above example is how Elizabeth broke her arm last summer at school (and the platform wasn't even super high, no more than four feet up). So now I work hard at forcing myself to back off and let her still have fun. I don't want her to lose her fearlessness -- just maybe dampen it slightly

DeputiesWife · February 2012

Totally normal.

What I have learned is not to express these things out loud so DD doesnt feed off of them.

I follow her on the playground -- we usually end up playing chase -- sometimes she'll ask me to come down with her or she will go by herself. I get more scared of the open areas higher up and her climbing up things as well as being too far away from her on the playground -- some might say Im a little paranoid but she does need to be in my sight on the playground, especially if its crowded.

LIAngel · February 2012

ladychicago:

I think it is normal!

It isn't the slides that bother me so much as the high up gaps in the railings where she could stumble in the wrong direction and fall. At least on a slide she is contained and I can keep her from flying off the end.... but the thought of her falling off the side of a bridge or walkway just kills me!

That's what I meant. I don't want him falling off the side of the bridge or walkway.

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