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

It's your job to manage your child's behaviour and keep them safe. You can't control other people's behaviour.

I'd have left the park if I couldn't control my child

Well, I would hope so! Not wanting somebody so stop existing (aka die!) is the bare minimum of common courtesy and respect possible towards an absolute stranger…

“LA“ has a right to exist in public spaces. Just like you and your DC. So no, there’s nothing you could have done or said (except redirect your DC, which you already did. Edit: you obviously could have gone to a different park, went home etc as well).

it‘s your job to control your DC‘s behaviour. But you don’t have the right to control the lawful behaviour of other adults.

I would be uncomfortable - not because this person doesn't deserve compassion and care, but because unpredictability makes me really anxious. So I get that it was a difficult situation.

What I fail to understand is how two 3 year olds can repeatedly ignore their parents with no repercussions. These aren't babies, they are barely toddlers. Just... tell them no if they are doing something you don't like. No need to awkwardness, just say '5 more minutes' and then leave. Go get an ice cream or whatever. No drama.

This is a person, a Human Being … not just the “LA” - with all dripping judgement.

Speak for yourself. I damn well would parent my child and go home if they wouldn’t listen and I couldn’t manage them.

Also why have you decided this is an awful male when OP specified she couldn’t tell the sex?

@dilemmaemmaemma - ignore most of the PPs on here. What they are saying on here is not how they would act in real life.

I too would not be happy to have a drug addict in a kids park and behaving in ways which will draw them closer.

Yes he’s human and things have been rough for him but equally he may be where he is because he’s a horrible human and should be nowhere near kids.

It’s not your job to make him feel better or have your children play with him. It’s also unfair that your kids can’t have free rein of a children’s park - because apparently it’s completely normal for a homeless adult drug addict to be in such a place according to most on here!

There’s a homeless man that sits outside a convenience store near me. I’ve noticed he says a cheery hello and tries to engage younger children in conversation as well as their mothers. There’s a bit of an ‘edge’ to the interactions. He also never tries to talk to the men, so you see women hurriedly smiling and awkwardly saying hi to avoid continued engagement or confrontation.

If he’s there today - go to another park. Let PPs and their kids play with him on the swings and share their sweets with him.

A person who was off their face playing music in a public space was approached by children, and seemed to enjoy the children dancing to the music. The children's parents were 3 metres away, and yet you want to tell the inebriated one that they should be the one to fuck off out of there if children approach them!?

You're right to be wary of your children interacting with people who are off their face, but FFS! Your children approached them, and you didn't immediately remove them. The solution, which you eventually did, was to remove your children from the area and to leave the person who was existing peacefully in a public space, the fuck alone.

Learn how to control your kids

It is a public park and you are being ridiculous.

That does sound a bit creepy to me and as you say it’s the unpredictability of someone in that state that means you have to be very wary.

You need to be much much more authoritative with your kids in potentially dangerous situations, make it clear that you expect to be obeyed, and take them home after one warning if they don’t do as you say. You should never tolerate being repeatedly ignored, or family life will be pretty miserable as they get older and do whatever they like while you look on helplessly.

I would’ve taken them home as punishment for not doing as they were told.

They were minding their own bloody business and by the sounds of things, not doing anyone any harm. It's up to you as the parent to keep your child away for people you don't want them near. Have a sticker for entitled and unreasonable parent.

I think it's perfectly okay for someone to overhear that you don't want your kids to play with adults they don't know. That's a fairly standard safety approach.

The situation sounds like it was handled reasonably by everyone involved, but if anyone was behaving unreasonably in the park it was you, for letting your young children bother the stranger in the first place (they didn't seem to mind/humoured them/thought they were sweet, but you didn't know that would be how it would go down).

I would be concerned that this adult is trying to get in contact with young kids - choosing to drink in a playground then encouraging kids to approach them - I'd report to police online.

So after reading some replies everything now happened differently…

Just move your child away and remind them not to bother adults who they don't know.
Why not be grateful that he was being kind and didn't snap at them to go away rather than resenting the fact he exists 🙄

I wouldn’t like it either. But both our local and town park are alcohol free zones. So I would report to non emergency number.

Some children's play areas have signs outside saying no dogs, no alcohol etc....depends if there have been issues in the past I suppose. If it becomes a regular issue then you could report your local pcso. Otherwise just go and play in a different park.

If the kids had run up to him and he'd told them to fuck off you'd be just as upset. Parent your children, don't allow them to ignore you 🤔🤨

Your child is 3! They are ignoring you and potentially endangering themselves, you don’t let them ‘keep ignoring you’. I’d have removed them from the situation if I honestly couldn’t make them listen. It can’t have been a particularly interesting park trip if your kids would rather leave the play area and go stand with a random adult playing music. Stranger danger applies at any age and any random adults that don’t have kids, they’re never too young to start learning they shouldn’t just ignore you and approach random adults.

AndImBrit

Thank you! This was my first thought. "He's playing music loudly WITHOUT headphones!"

😱

Drip feed is so clearly made up. If he was actually IN the kids playground (as opposed to the park) that would have been made clear in the OP.