Adult telling 12 year olds to leave playground

[Wrenbird27]

This happened to my friends daughter. She was with her friends and an older man (~65ish) approached them and told them they were too old to be in the playground. He demanded that they leave before they broke equipment 'with their weight'. He was very persistent and a few of the girls were upset.

The playground was very quiet at the time - just a few other kids.

None of the parents of the 12 year olds were close by - a few of the girls phoned their Mums who arrived quickly but he was gone by then. He didn't have a child himself which the girls noted and thought was odd.

My friend says her daughter won't go there anymore. I think this is a pity as it was a safe area (I thought!) for them to hang out. If there had been more children in the playground they would have moved to the side but the girls said nobody was waiting to go on equipment. The equipment is very sturdy - I've seen adults sitting on swings in there before!

What should they have done?

Love the work of the entitled mummy to a precious first born.

Those of us defending the 12 year olds... they were little too once. We've all done our stint of moving away from giant towering 6 year olds on swings and soft plays and thinking our child is the tiny precious one and all other kids are hoodlums....

Spoiler - they're not. They're just larger kids. And with how society seems determined to press girls in particular out of childhood earlier and earlier - we need to be sticking up for those 12 year olds who are still out on the climbing frame - not demonising them. If the park has no age limits - they have as much right to be there as any other child. If they're behaving like arses - then yes, tell them off - but if they're just inconveniencing you by virtue of their simple existence - tough shit.

We have it all bloody summer long on the local FB group... whining cos kids are out on bikes, whining cos kids are sitting on a bench in the park, whining cos kids are walking to Tesco, whining cos kids usually of school age are in the park during school hours and it's fucking ridiculous. These kids are not allowed to just exist anywhere - and no, they don't have to be taking a football and engaging in a structured activity at any time they're out of the house - and can you imagine the outrage (from the same people) if these "street kids" rocked up at the park with sticks?!

The nightmare 12 year olds I know - are the ones whose mothers were the sort who kicked up a stink at other kids daring to use the park, demanded that any child that looked older than them gave way so they could use whatever they wanted, encouraged them to come out of the younger kid area and completely block up the older kids' play area by trying to tackle a piece of equipment completely beyond them etc etc... they're the ones who are now little thugs at age 12 and the ones likely to be trying to trash things effing and blinding - because they've had their entire time on this earth being the centre of attention and getting pandered to.

I agree. If the playground is not just for under 12s/10s/etc and they are actually playing (nicely, not pushing toddlers out of their way) then I see no reason why they shouldn't be there.

However, using equipment meant for toddlers (damaging it as a result), running around aggressively and jumping over younger kids, or even sitting on equipment (instead of a bench) and blocking it from actually being used by others are definitely examples of antisocial behaviour. Just as is putting your bag on an empty seat is when the bus/train is busy.

I'm not sure it's pretense, it's the reason their kids are so oblivious/inconsiderate to other users of shared spaces.

Why would anyone think it's okay to sit on (hog) play equipment, when there are younger children there who want to actually play on it. IMO if you aren't using the equipment for what it is intended then you shouldn't be on it.. there's normally plenty of seating around parks to sit on.

It's like if someone stands in the doorway of a shop.. sure, you can ask them to move so you can go in, but why should you have to, it's basic human consideration to be aware of other people around you and not cause an obstruction in the first place.

I find it rude that you're gatekeeping the correct age group that people are allowed to use (or sit on) communal equipment, and absurdly entitled of you to think that YOU and your precious child feeling intimidated trumps their right to exist in public. I'm not mocking the child, I'm mocking the adult who is teaching their child to be afraid of girls having a chat.

No one has the right to sit on a piece of equipment, therefore making it inaccessible for others, and not even use it themselves.

There are benches to sit on and chat.

It's a see saw on play park built for 2 kids, not a communal sitting area built for 8 kids.. I don't think their ages is even relevant in your example.

They are 'sitting' on it preventing anyone else from 'playing' on it, if they don't recognise that as inconsiderate the chances of them moving out of the way for other kids who want to actually play on it is slim to none.

The issue of it is, there are always plenty of places around parks & playgrounds for kids to sit in a group, why would they need to 'sit' on a piece of play equipment at all?

their right to exist in public

indeed 😂😂😂

And my 12 year old was horrendously excited when the playground was being revamped to see what new equipment was added - because they are just kids at the end of the day - however desperately they try to pretend they're not sometimes!

I am not saying 12 year old should not be allowed to use playground but not those equipments designed for younger kids.

If you ask me personally, I would say even adults should have their own playgrounds, don't we all need to wind down and have some silly fun but in limited resources, needs have to be prioritised.

Why not ask your local parish to install something suitable for older children? Play companies do seating with staging for older children that might want somewhere to sit/staging for dances. Parish Councils are generally able to access large pots of money, particularly in grants for things that target teenagers.

sovereignplayequipment.co.uk/sensory-playground-equipment/stages-and-theatres/tri-linx-staging/

@Thebaguette I hope you keep your kid off equipment designed for older kids (than yours) too.

People are aware that some playgrounds are designated for particular ages?

Where are you supposed to take your 8 year old for outdoor play then? Lots of soft plays also stop at 7 its as if the people who design and run play areas and soft plays only want to cater for cute toddlers and forget that children older than 7 still are little kids🙄

Our playground has a section fenced off for younger ones, and swings and a slide for older ones. The problem is the older ones absolutely love the little playground- I've had to ask older kids to move several times.

Oh very mature. Next there will be a post about how rude and disrespectful kids are these days

Where does the assumption come from that the 12 year olds were just occupying playground equipment without making use of it, and intimidating younger children who wanted to use it, or that they were using playground equipment which wasn't age-appropriate?
It's not in the OP, people are just making things up to suit their own narrative.

Thank you for putting that point of view. What you say would never have occurred to me, I guess it must be a generational difference, as my child was in the playground 20 years ago. Also not in the UK, which may again, make a difference!

Aww, this makes me sad. I have a 13, nearly 14 year old DS and he bloody loves a playground. We’ve been out and about over the summer and if we see a play area we usually stop and my boys run off and let off steam. I was quite disappointed in some play areas (out of town) having age restrictions on them. No over 10’s at one and no over 12’s at another. The equipment wasn’t geared up towards a younger age group as stated either, they were normal areas with aerial runways and those high rope pyramid things. As it was quiet I let my teen have 10 mins but told him to keep away from any littles and if other kids want a go on anything he was on then he was to let them and come away. On the whole playgrounds are wonderful, I do get age restrictions and whatnot but they are still children and many of them still want to innocently play. Not all of them are hooligans and on ASBO’s. This would be scary to my kids and upset them.

8 or 9 what? I have a early teen and she’s a lot lighter than some tubby children who are 6 and 7!

My children were happily playing in the park other day (6 and below) when a group of 12/13 yr olds decided to take over and scream Fxxxing this and that at each other, pulling each other around, metres away. I asked them to stop swearing in a child’s park and they did stop. There’s a difference between 12 year olds harmlessly using the swings and invading a small child’s park (for 8 years and below) with that behaviour

This

That's the first though that struck me also. We don't know exactly what the story was here, but I have a fair idea and most intelligent adults will have it sussed. To the person who suggested verbally abusing and slandering the man, let's hope that was just a joke in appalling taste.

This.