To think members of the public should let me make safety decisions for my own children?

[nikki1978]

I am not one of those mums who won't let their child go on a climbing frame alone for fear they might fall off but neither am I neglectful. Yet when out if I let my DC climb on a wall without holding their hand, climb up steep grass verges or do anything that involves the tiniest amount of risk people are forever rushing up to the kids saying are you ok, then looking at me and asking is he/she ok? I am clearly standing there supervising them doing something but personally feel they are having fun doing it and obsessive hovering is not necessary. I often get "oh aren't you brave, I would be terrified to let my DC do that" or "Isn't that a bit dangerous?". Er no it is not dangerous you judgemental, overprotective, giant freak!

Oh rant over

Sorry to divert from original thread slightly but my own post has just reminded me of something similar which winds me up....!

Went for walk round lake last week day after rain. DD (3) wearing wellies trousers etc as outside in country and anticipating some puddles and larking about. Lots of families kids and dogs having day out. Was so sad to see how many little girls were walking round in sundresses and white socks and sandals having to avoid/and or being told to avoid running anywhere, climbing anything or jumping up and down in muddy puddles (you get my drift).

Why do parents dress their girls in such innapropriate clothing for walks and parks ??? I get told my DD is 'such a tomboy' My reply is actually she is just being what is known as 'a child'.

Sorry rant over. I like pretty dresses too just not little ones being hampered by their own bloomin clothes :)

OMG I love this thread!

Where to start...

I was told that ds (9mths at the time) was too big to be in a pram and should be walking the mile and a half to dd's playgroup.

Told that I am a useless and negletful mother because I let the kids play in MY back garden which is fenced off and a gate installed, because I am not out there with them every minute of the day. The windows are open and I can hear every word said by them and by others.

I was shouted at for not hovering by the kids when they are at opposite sides of the playground?????

When I let them play on the front garden, with all thier mates and they go in and out of each others houses and gardens.

Because my son likes to walk around the house naked.

Because he refuses to wear a belt and his trousers fall down halfway down the street (although it has amused more people than annoyed)

Because I let my 9 year old go on the field at the back of the house, which I can see the enitre field from her bedroom window.

For letting her have the bedroom on the thrid floor of the house.. umm, the house is built on a slope, it's two stories at the front and 3 at the back.

because the boy goes out in the rain without a coat sometimes.

Because I let my kids splash in the puddles and am a bad example because I encourage them to do it.

Beacuse I had a dog in the house when they were babies

Beacuse I didnt see the point in sterelising the bottles once they were crawling because of the dog and they were drinking and eating out of the dog bowl whenever I forgot to pick them up off the floor. Again not often.

Because I let the dog sniff them

Because I let the dog play with them

Because I let them sleep on the dog, and that was only once, the dog was happy about it and refused to move if the kids were playing ner him, so I didnt see the problem.

Because I let the kids play on the slide at school when they are not insured so they should be allowed? WTF?

Because I let them climb the trees in the garden, and eat the fruit they pick of the bushes.

Oh and the best one...

Ready for this?

I let them eat too much fruit and that gem was from (drumroll please) the kids reception teacher!

Shall I go on?

sorry, I got carried away.

I am so pleased this thread is still alive as hopefully some judgey-pants safety-heads out there will read it and start to develop some common sense.

Ipom, I love your post. Had I not lived in the UK for many years I would have thought it a pack of lies but after raising a child here, everything you said is believable. Sad times indeed.

You should have seen the palava when DS picked his nose and it bled a tiny bit at gymnastics. I had to fill out three forms.

Slightly off topic, but excellent helicoptering: after my grandad had had a fall, I went round to cook him some meals to put in the fridge and reheat. He told to me to call him when I got to the bit that I needed to use the big knife to cut the cheese off the block, and then again when I needed to light the gas hob. I was appraoching thirty at the time.

Ahhhhm Sonic, that quite sweet.

My own mother is pretty bad - "you can't take DS' stabilisers off his bike - he will fall off"

Erm...yes, he probably will mum...but he also needs to learn to ride without them, besides falling off is part of learning to ride a bike!

Grrrrrrrr

Sorry but children are more likely to develop a cold if they are cold and wet. Because there are lots of cold germs around and those you catch are more likely to affect you if you are cold and wet. Sometimes things that are dismissed as old wives' tales are true. They were just sneered at because it's only women. Until the big important and mostly male scientists bothered to check. (At the Common Cold Research Centre if you want to look it up.)

I do put ds to bed with damp hair, though, otherwise we'd be waiting for ages after his bath. And it's positively good for them in hot weather, to cool them down.

I don't hover over ds in the park and I have been allowing him to walk on walls since he was tiny BUT I wouldn't let him scoot on a wall. Scooters are designed for the ground. Surely scooting on a wall is dangerous? Walls are narrow.

(I do let ds get cold and wet, though, catching a cold won't kill him and will boost his immune system.)