To want to tell the local addict to step away from the kids?

I really doubt he was. The original post said 'park'. It was only when OP didn't like some of the responses that it became 'in the playground'

Was the person actually inside a fenced playground? If so then yes 100% you would be fine to ask them to leave.

If they were outside the playground or just in the vicinity of a playground then no they are entitled to be there too.

Wow you really are a nasty, judgemental piece of work!

Having worked with people with drug problems for many, many years, I'd rather have my children around someone who was happily playing music and whose company your children were enjoying, than someone like you. You are the problem, not this gentleman! 😡

lol

how lovely that your children don’t show the prejudice you do OP

LA is no more likely to do something to your children than respectable uncle Bob.

ps watch out for uncle Bob

I understand in terms of not wanting your child around someone under the influence of drugs/alcohol but yabu to try and say he can't be somewhere when he's not causing harm to anyone, I think he was very kind to your children when they approached him. You control what you do, not what others do. If you didn't want your child there with him and your child wasn't listening to your instructions you should have took them elsewhere. I also think the way you've spoke about him is quite unkind op, him being "gaunt" and "toothless" shouldn't be part of the issue you have so didn't need mentioning, remember just because he's made bad choices doesn't mean he's a bad person so he doesn't deserve you speaking in a degrading way about him.

Is there not a restriction in the playground? I.e. children under 11 or 12 and parents of playing children only?

If not, there ought to be.

Then chalk it up as one of the myriad random one-offs you'll have as part of your childrearing journey, shrug and move on.

If you didn't like the experience, go elsewhere or take more control of your child.

and my 3 year old and her friend went over and started dancing to the music and running rings around LA

So, this happened in a public park, and LA did not approach the children, but your children ran off and approached them. What do you want LA to stop doing? Maybe be stop your kids from running off?

we repeatedly told the kids to stop going over to LA, and they ignored us

That’s for you to control as a parent, not a random in a park to control for you.

Truly staggering.

The OP says that they started off in the kids playground.

Firstly to put aside the fact you allege he's an addict.

But he was playing music in the park, minding his own business, and nothing bad happened when your kids went over.

You were supervising them and it's up to you to just tell them not to bother the guy.

He hasn't got two heads, and hasn't done anything wrong.

You could actually parent . Give them a warning of going home for not listening and then pick them up and take them home for not listening.

ummm you could have moved further along?

YABU

Surely it's up to you to make sure your children do as they're told? If my children didn't do as they were told we left the park.

Oh FFS, you were very clear that LA was simply sitting playing their music and it was your kids that approached them repeatedly. Suddenly we have you (and a few others) deciding this is predatory behaviour and he's trying to groom your 3 year olds!!!!

MN continues to demonstrate the insanity of some of the population.

Of course it isn't wise to let this kind of interaction carry on because of unpredictable behaviour and obviously you know nothing about the stranger but it's likely the person was just enjoying interacting with children the way most people enjoy interaction with children.

So you know this person well enough to describe them as the "local, multi substance addict" yet don't know whether they are male or female?

Ok then....

A troubled person minding their own business has two random children run up to him and dance and play around him and you want to moderate his behaviour?

Just call your children back or if too young to understand, go and get them and lead them away.

"People without children shouldn't be in fenced play areas imo"

They weren't.

I can't see how the person being the 'local addict' is relevant (unless they are known for being violent or predatory). You could know someone for years and not know that they have a drug addiction; you never really know who else locally is a drug addict.

You were supervising closely which is really all that matters and you distracted the children after a time. And presumably you teach your child about how to behave around strangers. I would have done the same as you did in this scenario.

YABU. It's not as if this person approached the children, they approached him. I'm not an addict, but I actually find it annoying when kids approach me because I feel that there is a very precise level of interaction which is acceptable: if you are too friendly, that might seem weird or overstepping, not friendly enough and you're accused of being a grinch. At the end of the day, there was no harm done, but you shouldn't let your kids just approach people. Especially not if you're then going to get annoyed that those people interact with them.

People without children shouldn't be in fenced play areas imo. During COVID when indoor gyms were shut, our playground was taken over for a few weeks by thwarted gym-goers who brought mats, weights and other gym equipment and used the monkey bars for pull-ups and then shouted at toddlers for tripping over their stuff. Eventually a couple of the dads told them where to go and threatened to call the police on them if they didn't get out, so they left which all us regulars were pleased about.

Although LA doesn't sound obnoxious like that and sounds quite friendly, I agree with you that they shouldn't be in a fenced play area without a child. Those spaces are meant solely for children and those supervising them. If LA was just in the park, which has some play equipment accessible, then that's more doubtful as any member of the public has an equal right to access public space not intended for a particular group.

Why are you changing the story? At first the children kept running over and now he/she was encouraging them like some addict pied piper. I think you are trying to give the impression that the drunk person had sinister motives. Whether they did or didn't it's still your job to keep your children safe.

I didn't think anyone thinks it's unreasonable to not want your children around strangers who are intoxicated but you cannot police admittance to shared public spaces. You manage your concern by supervising your children properly or moving playtime somewhere else if you don't think you can maintain their safety where you are.

You pick up your kid and you leave! I cannot believe you stayed and allowed your kid to do that. You even said that you watched her running over to him and you didn’t follow right away because you didn’t want to get too close to him. So you just stood there?! My God.

If you cannot control your child or teach to stay away from someone them then you pick them up and leave. You start teaching them now, from this age, that if they don’t do as they are told then you will leave, no matter how much fun they are having. You were completely inept. Go on a parenting course.