How do you deal with unruly older kids at the playground?

[Anonymous]

I usually told them "Be careful of the little kids playing!" and then stayed close by to make sure that DD didn't get hurt. Now that DD is one of the big kids, I remind her to be careful of the little kids playing and she sometimes also reminds others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I yell at the older kids; yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. We usually go really early in the morning when it is all little kids and I do agree with the other posters that I only let my toddler play on the younger playground equipment. Then I don't feel bad about yelling at the 9 year old barreling around the 2 to 5 year old equipment. They are all labeled.

Uh, yeah, you're just in the wrong. And that's bad modeling. You don't like the way other kids play so you yell at them. Good luck teaching your kid not to do that. And let me guess, you have one child.

Thanks! I'm sure you are 100% perfect in every way and never worry about others hurting your children bc everything is modeled so appropriately in your life! I bet it is your 9-year old trying to shove off the 3 years olds on the toddler play equipment. As you obviously sit there and just judge everyone around you.

[Anonymous]

I do think that parents should be more conscious of what kids are doing at playgrounds. When I read the title I thought you might be talking abut the 10-14s who stalk our park using the baby swings (for a laugh), monopolizing the equipment and trying to be cool. They annoy me and are sometimes frankly dangerous with the little kids. But 4,5,6 kiddies deserve to be able to stretch the boundaries and I actually think the onus is on you to be constantly with your little more fragile DC. The reality is that you cannot expect a four year old to appreciate that a toddler needs stability and exclusive access to a bridge/slide etc. So either you need to own it and stop the bigger kids or mind yours especially carefully. But don't expect that the entire spectrum of kids developing their various skills and excited about the prospect of doing so should defer to your little one. Parks are for play. Not a lesson in prudence with someone's toddler. Perhaps their parents might be equally annoyed that your DC is holding up the play structure, taking tonnes of time on a busy slide and stopping other kids from having fun. I don't ay this is legitimate but you can see that there's an alternate perspective right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I yell at the older kids; yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. We usually go really early in the morning when it is all little kids and I do agree with the other posters that I only let my toddler play on the younger playground equipment. Then I don't feel bad about yelling at the 9 year old barreling around the 2 to 5 year old equipment. They are all labeled.

Uh, yeah, you're just in the wrong. And that's bad modeling. You don't like the way other kids play so you yell at them. Good luck teaching your kid not to do that. And let me guess, you have one child.

Thanks! I'm sure you are 100% perfect in every way and never worry about others hurting your children bc everything is modeled so appropriately in your life! I bet it is your 9-year old trying to shove off the 3 years olds on the toddler play equipment. As you obviously sit there and just judge everyone around you.

Nope, I have a three year old and a tiny two year old. But I am indeed cognizant of the fact that they will someday be 9. And I am chasing both of them, so not a lot of time to judge or hover. I am sure they will figure it out.

[Anonymous]

I don't think these kids you describe are being unruly.

[Anonymous]

You do exactly what your husband did, spend the time monitoring your own child's safety and moving her out of situations you didn't think were okay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I yell at the older kids; yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it.

Just curious if you do or would accept that as an acceptable response from a misbehaving child: Yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it.

It might actually be true in the case of a child, but really, PP, you can, indeed, help it.

[Anonymous]

I also think those bigger kids are more aware than it might seem. When my girl was a toddler, I was pretty hands-off, and there were plenty of times when it looked like a big kid would crash into her, but they always managed to avoid her at the last minute.

[Anonymous]

Most of these playgrounds are designed for 5+ unless it is specifically "tot lot" which I doubt a 7 yo would be interested in. It is likely your child who is in the wrong place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have yelled at older kids to stop or wait. The kids have always been startled by me and done as I asked. Then I thank them. I could not possibly care any less if the kid's parents are around or not. In the situations that you describe, there simply isn;t time to go looking for a parent or guardian.

It is not appropriate for your little snowflake to take forever and a day to go down a big kid slide while other kids are waiting. Not everything is about you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I usually told them "Be careful of the little kids playing!" and then stayed close by to make sure that DD didn't get hurt. Now that DD is one of the big kids, I remind her to be careful of the little kids playing and she sometimes also reminds others.

+1, thats what we essentially did/do too

[Anonymous]

1. Kids who are 4-7 can't fully think through the consequences of their actions all of the time and get distracted. No need to yell at them, but nothing wrong with reminding them nicely but firmly that they have to wait, slow down, not stop - so that a little one doesn't get hurt.
2. Regardless, there is going to be some possibility that your young child will be bumped/bruised/knocked over at a park where larger kids are playing. It happened to my kid, and he is here to tell the tale today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I yell at the older kids; yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. We usually go really early in the morning when it is all little kids and I do agree with the other posters that I only let my toddler play on the younger playground equipment. Then I don't feel bad about yelling at the 9 year old barreling around the 2 to 5 year old equipment. They are all labeled.

Uh, yeah, you're just in the wrong. And that's bad modeling. You don't like the way other kids play so you yell at them. Good luck teaching your kid not to do that. And let me guess, you have one child.

Op mentioned the shaky bridge. Those are on elememtary aged playgrounds. It is unrealistic of anyone to expect the big kids not to use an entire pathway of a playground so a baby can carefully explore it. And yes, even walking on the bridge will make it shake. That is the point of that particular piece of equipment.

[Anonymous]

At our playground, there are two play structures, and they are labeled for 2-5 and 5+. If my kid were on the 5+ and there were bigger kids playing, I feel like the onus is on me to make sure that she's not in their way. If she's on the play structure for younger kids, then I'm likely to remind the older kids to watch out and be more careful, and if they won't, I ask them to play on the other structure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP has a point though. My confident toddler can't be confined to the little kid playground and almost every big kid we come across is able to respect her space when she's on the big stuff. OTOH, I do not hover, so she doesn't get in situations she can't get out of like a big-kid slide. It sounds like DH helping her DD on the slide was one underlying cause of this problem.

Ah ha! Definition of snowflake right here.