Mumsnet Talk

In the playground this morning I spent a hot half hour pushing someone else's child round the roundabout and entertaining him with a game of 'train driver'. Now, my dd was there too playing on the roundabout with him and joining in the game, but AIBU to expect the mum/nanny to stop sunbathing/texting and help or acknowledge me (or more importantly the child)?
Am I just grumpy because I'm hot and tired or do I have a point?

Different people parent in different ways.

<<shruggy>>

Different people parent in different ways.

<<shruggy>>

Sorry, but wtf did you play with some random child? You didn't have to I take it?

You were playing with your child, and the other child joined in?

You didn't have to push him on the swings or roundabout though...

You do, but why did you do it? How much can you reasonably moan if you didn't say to the child "go and play with mummy" or similar? Or sit down yourself and let the two children play together? Or go sit with the woman and say hi, the kids seem to be having fun don't they...

But then, I'm the mean old cow who entertains random children for 5 minutes max and then sends them off.

You're obviously a much more child friendly person than I am

I would have stepped away and let the two children play together. It's part of the fun of going to the park.

I think once they're past the age where they might just launch themselves off the top of the climbing frame, and they can get onto the equipment by themselves (3ish?) most parents just leave them to it. That way they can develop imaginative games, play with other children and get some exercise. I certainly wouldn't play any mind-numbingly boring games (train driver in your case, usually something to do with chasing poos in my DS's) with my DCs or anyone elses.

LOL, if someone at the park is happy to play with my child and include them in their game, then i would absolutely go and play with my phone. I would presume that if they didn't want to play with my child, they would no be doing so.

I take my kids to the park so that they can play with other children, not so that I can get on the roundabout and play trains. I understand that's just how i do things and not what everyone has gone there for. But really, what did you want? TWO Mummies on the roundabout playing trains? What would that achieve?

I just have gas

I just have gas

I just have gas

I just have gas

I just have gas

Something repeating on you, Chaos?

Sorry to hear about your gas problem Chaos...all 5 times!

Ignore that^

I just have had a vision of the OP's DD being about 12 and the OP wearing rotor blades.

Chaos

Hecate

Veh droll Hectart.



I now have the whole of Starbucks ing at my snurkle.

I take my kids to the park so I dont have to play with them.
If someone chooses to entertain them I am not going to stop them.

But then I am pretty slack so I might just be proving your point

There are threads like this fairly regularly aren't there, usually where a mum who believes the "right" thing to do in a public play area is to become a bossy slightly older child who directs the games of the other children, and hopes to be admired for it wonders why other mums let their kids invent their own games without parental intervention ...

When did we get <this?

Is it new?

I took mine to the park and let them get on with it, I found a nice bench or parch of grass and chilled.

No way was I running around after them, they were the rules.