to be annoyed with big kids playing in little kids playground ???

I think if you go in with all guns blazing they will rear up and go all defensive but usually they respond well to be treated with respect (not that they necessarily deserve it but...).

I suppose woodwork and reading isn't as appealing.
Don't get me wrong, I do get irritated at times, too, and they can look rather intimidating, too...but, like Kbear, I have not had bad responses when I asked tTeens politely, etc...!
As for swearing, I suppose they want to look cool

There may be lots of things to do in the area, but most of them cost money...and if they were inside reading or doing woodwork, someone would be saying 'Why don't you go out in this lovely sunshine...'

I agree about the swearing and the dangerous larkng around but half the time it's just due to not thinking, and unless they are really scummy types they often do respond to polite requests.

nally, your post made me laugh about reading the graffiti. I was at Canvey with a friend and her kids and we kept pointing out to the water and saying "ooh, look at the bird", "look there's a dolphin" just to distract them from various graphic bits of scrawl on the sea wall as we walked past!

oh no, that was a joke about DH but I'm bound to get leapt on for that!

ooo when i was a teenager we sat in the kiddies park and get yelled up a lady with her toddler to get out of the kids park. so we moved over to the older park with the big equipment, 5 mins later she bought her toddler into the bigger kids park. it annoyed a fair few of us teenagers at the time.

although my DH works on a different basis entirely and is more on the lines of "clear off before I kill you" so we don't take him to the park.

meant "not being PC".

And I always speak up if the language gets too much - along the lines of "could you stop swearing around the little ones please" and again, I've never had a bad response really.

Yep, same in our park last week. They are just bored teenagers hanging about and probably don't mean any harm but I agree it's irritating when they are mob handed and on the equipment designed for smaller kids.

If they are on stuff my kids want to have a go on I politely ask them if they can have a turn next and say "thanks guys" and I've not had a bad response, they just move on. I'm not been PC but I do think that treating them respectfully will usually get you the same back.

I think our instinct is to be scared of the hoodie but seriously they are just bored kids and I remember the days well myself (being only 39 myself )!

Argh, I couldn't agree more. Am staying with my parents at the moment, went to the lovely park 2 mins walk away yesterday, and it was full of big kids - like 16 - 18 year olds I 'd guess, on all the equipment. That's one thing, but then these 2 horrible girls were swearing away, and my lovely dad got really cross and told them off and they soon disappeared.

Went back today and there they were again. There is quite a lot to do around here for kids of that age so I really don't know why this is the most exciting place they can think of to hang around in. VERY annoying indeed.

tis Holidays, so, I assume they don't!
I truely think that that is a big, huge part of this whole issue with Youth...they are so bored, that is why they do so many stupid things, etc...sigh!