Playground etiquette

[Anonymous]

I am new to the whole playground scene, my DD is just walking so we have started going when it is nice out. I am wondering what people's thoughts are on this. When we were at the playground the other day, my niece and nephew were climbing up the slides, then sliding down (as opposed to using the steps to go up). Other kids were doing this too, but there was one boy who tried and I heard his dad say very loudly that that was wrong, he had to use the steps , etc. I got the impression it was directed for me, as I think he thought I was niece/nephew's mommy and that he felt they shouldn't be climbing the slide either.

Do people generally feel that this was wrong? I didn't necessarily feel that it was unsafe, so I wasn't bothered by it, and since it is my sister in law's place to look after her kids, I did not intervene. Just wondering if there is some silent code for the playground...if my kids can't do it, yours shouldn't either, etc.

[Anonymous]

You don't have to listen to other parents if you don't want to - especially passive-aggressive ones. If he wants to direct a comment at you, he can walk over and politely do so.

I don't let my son go up backwards when there are littler kids around who want to use the slide and aren't up for the rough and tumble play of the bigger kids. Otherwise, it is a silly battle to fight, and one that is unwinnable.

I do feel strongly about letting kids of the appropriate age have first dibs on the equipment aimed at them. (When others are around, don't shoot baskets with your three year old when the eight year olds are playing, and don't let your six year old play tag on a climbing gym designed for the preschool set)

[maynie]

Kids climbing up the slide only irritate me because it stops other kids from going down who did use the stairs. It's so funny to see this post because I was at a playground yesterday talking to my friend about how much I don't like it. My daughter was waiting to go down and a few of the older kids kept running up so she just stood there waiting. Then my friend said, "You probably did it too." After thinking about it I had to agree.

[Anonymous]

I let my kids climb up the slide when there's noone else around. However, when other kids come up wanting to use it, I make them abide by (what I consider) the unwritten rules of the slide. You only go down the slide, not up.

[Anonymous]

I tell my kids not to climb up the slide since they are little. Agree that its annoying to have older kids playing rough while a little one is waiting at the top.

I think the real safety issue is that some slides are high and when kids are climbing up its easy to play even a little rougher and fall over the sides of the slide. A friend of mine's 6 year old recently broke his arm doing this. So for consistency I try to keep my kids going down one way, not head first, not climbing up, or going over the side.

I get very annoyed when other parents let their kids do really dumb things such as climb over and try to balance on the high guard rails up top. It their choice to let their kids break their necks but it them requires every other mom to tell their kids who want to copy the behavior to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I let my kids climb up the slide when there's noone else around. However, when other kids come up wanting to use it, I make them abide by (what I consider) the unwritten rules of the slide. You only go down the slide, not up.

This is my policy too.

[Anonymous]

I don't let me dd climb up the slide whether kids are around or not..why? Because I want to teach her consistency--it's not fair to tell a little kid not to do something some of the time and I want to make sure she understands polite manners and it's not polite to have your kids climbing all over the place when other kids want to use the equipment. Frankly, this is just so obvious.

[Anonymous]

I have to disagree, PP. I think it's perfectly fair to say to a kid that sometimes they can do something and sometimes they can't. We have outside voices, inside voices and library voices, for example. Etiquette, after all, always has a context and I think it's fine to teach that from an early age. So I agree with the posters who would let their kids play in an unorthodox way on the equipment when there is no one else there trying to use it the "right" way.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP - I coach my daughter by reminding her that she still needs to take her turn on the slide, even when she's climbing up.