Reply to Parents who don't intervene -- why not?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I will freely admit that I do not usually intervene when my kid commits a routine playground faux-pas like climbing the slide. You know why? I am tired and it is not a huge deal at the end of the day. With my 2yo, I intervene because it is usually a safety issue. With a 5yo, though? No. They can figure it out themselves.

I completely realize this is selfish and that most of you probably find it extremely annoying. I find the people who are constantly intervening in the social dynamics of elementary-school-aged kids annoying as well. [/quote]

I was just thinking as I read the OP, "I let my 4 year old climb the slide......"    I figure he and the other kids can work it out.  Either they will take turns, or they will all decide to climb up instead of slide down, or vice versa, or someone will get kicked and i'll say "yup, sometimes that happens when you climb the slide when it's crowded... people coming down have first dibs".  I actually really dislike when other parents correct children climbing the slide (who aren't their own).  "Ok guys... slides aren't for climbing!  Little Larlo (their own child, always) is waiting patiently to slide down!"   Like ok... let them wait patiently.  What's wrong with this? [/quote]

So another kid is supposed to wait patiently while your kid plays?  and yet in another statement, you say that people coming down have first dibs so your kid should be okay with being kicked. So the other kid is supposed to have dibs and patiently wait for your kid?  The problem is both parents that dont intervene and those that give mixed messages. Maybe your kid should go at the non-busy times and if there are other kids there then they should follow the general rules. 
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Her kid can wait patiently, or say "I'm sliding down now! Move!"  or just slide down and let my kid get bumped since she has the right of way, or say "that looks fun I want to climb up too!"  She can truly do whatever she wants.  What I don't like is the other parents policing the play of children who are not their own, ALWAYS older kids who are somehow "disturbing" their small toddler on the playground by not playing by their rules.  And for the record I don't mean something inherently mean or dangerous like throwing sand at your younger child, or pushing them off of the steps, or anything like that.  I mean just... playing.

For example once I saw a 5 year old swinging on the monkey bars and a 15-18mo old little kid was playing in the wood chips underneath them while her mom beamed at her.  Then the 5 year old's hands slipped and she landed right next to/ partially on top of the toddler.  The mom of the toddler YELLED at the 5 year old.  "You need to be careful for the little ones!  You need to look and pay attention!  It's dangerous what you just did!"

Anyways, that was a tangent and unrelated to the neverending "is climbing up the slide okay?" debate. Sorry.   But basically, don't tell my kid what to do on the playground, if you find yourself policing the play of school aged kids on the playground because it's making it difficult for your kid to play the way they want- but no one is doing anything mean or hurtful, it's just different strokes for different folks- either back off and let the kids play and handle it, or if your kid is too little for that approach, consider that it's time to move your child to a different area. [/quote]

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