So am I just crazy overprotective?

[Deleted User] · June 2014

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jac409 · June 2014

Not alone, no. I will take her to the top of the small slide and let her go down by herself. But I don't let her go up by herself. Like you said, she doesn't understand heights or falling yet at all. But, my DH says I am too overprotective. Maybe I am, but I don't think so.

[Deleted User] · June 2014

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valeriegp · June 2014

My son is very skilled physically and has very good balance. He understands to stop at edges most of the time. We were at a small (smaller sounding than what you described) play area this weekend with a local parenting group. We let him play in the playground area, including climbing up the (plastic) steps and the slide (both ways! He's very good at climbing up slides), on his own. One of us had an eye on him, but it wasn't every second of the time, and we were about 15-20 feet away most of the time.

Granted, the situation and the equipment were different, but he was fine and had a blast.

kescalera · June 2014

If there are metal bars within body-length of a platform I'm always hovering close enough to catch Killian if he takes a dive. If there are no bars or potential head-injury risks, I'm ok with 6-8inch platforms but nothing over a foot for sure.

DH would say to let 'em fall a few times and they'll learn but he's also the first one to Killian if he trips on flat ground & bumps a knee.

Jackiemxoxo · June 2014

I may be overprotective but I definitely dont let dd go on the playground by herself. I pretty much follow her around. She can climb and get on stuff but she is not stable and can hardly reach the handles. It only takes one mistake for them to seriously injure themselves. This is definitely not the age where you can just sit and watch.

dlbello23 · June 2014

I let dd go on the equipment by herself but when she's climbing up I stand next to the stairs just in case she falls. I also stand by any drop off just in case she decides she's going to walk off of it. They are still a little to young to let them have total freedom on the playground IMO, but I also give her a little to let her try things and see what she can do.

ExcitedAunt2b · June 2014

Nope, Morgan isn't going on any playground equipment by herself. She falls down just waking through the house sometimes so I'm not going to risk a fall from the slide or anything else.

When she's a bit older, maybe 3-4 she can do it by herself but I will still be near, just in case.

SingleMom31 · June 2014

No, I'm with you. Normally, if we're at the playground, both DH and I are there too, so one of us hangs out on the platforms/top of the slide/etc. to make sure that she's headed down safely and the other is at the bottom to make sure that she gets off alright and doesn't make a break for it. There's so much that could happen that I wouldn't feel comfortable letting her play alone yet.... Like, she doesn't understand that the firemen's pole isn't good for her yet, other kids aren't always careful of the little ones, etc.

Now, if she's at school, they'll usually let them play with a little less supervision. I feel like it's safer though since the equipment is a much smaller scale and there aren't big kids around.

JessAnnJ · June 2014

Not on that play set from how you describe it. There's a rather large playset that is designed for younger ones that is nearby that I would let her climb on without being right there because it's designed so that they can't really fall off, but definitely not one with a four foot platform that she can fall off.

LittleFish1 · June 2014

Am a helicopter mom myself... DH stays even closer to LO

kjsmith9 · June 2014

Yup, still walking around on the jungle gyms with her. She also does the "full on sprint toward the 4 foot drop off" - no broken bones yet, please!

She also tries to alternate her feet going up steps (instead of putting both her feet on each step), even though she isn't quite strong enough to do it yet... So she loses her balance a lot on jungle gym steps that are a bit taller than normal.

kerbear135 · June 2014

No way! DD is still fearless and isn't phased by getting to the edge of something...we were out on the deck a couple of weekends ago and when she got to the stairs (there are 2- it isn't that far of a drop, but still a drop) she kept right on walking...luckily I was holding her hands and she didn't fall...until she understands that walking off the edge of something isn't a good idea, I wouldn't let her get out of arms reach anywhere that is high enough for a fall to hurt her

[Deleted User] · June 2014

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SebsMum · June 2014

We have a slide in our yard that's 35.-4 ft tall that we allow DS to climb up and go down independently. I watched him like a hawk the first few times he played on it, but now I am happy to be doing something else in the yard while he's using it.

That being said, I do follow him around the playground for most of the reason already posted. He climbs up ladders himself, but he's too interested in the firefighter's pole for my comfort, although I have noticed that he is semi-careful around drop offs. He's pretty good about going up and down the stairs (supervised!) at home, so it's probably a bit of that showing through.

SingleMom31 · June 2014

My little brother (he's 30) and I just had a discussion about this today actually, and we ended up agreeing to disagree. He posted a link on FB about a mom who left her 5 year old in the card while she ran into the store and how someone saw her child in the car unattended and called 911. He thought it was insane that a parent can't choose to leave their child in the car while they run into the store and called me a helicopter mom; I told him that he'd be crazy for leaving a 5 yo. Maybe I'm a little protective, but I don't feel crazy....

Btw, here's the article: https://www.salon.com/2014/06/03/the_day_i_left_my_son_in_the_car/

[Deleted User] · June 2014

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