to let my son spend HIS turn on the slide climbing up it instead of going down it?

[lookingforwards]

Just had this happen again at play area (softplay this time) but its happened so many times over the last yr since DS could walk. He's a climber and thinks slides are for climbing. He waits his turn, then goes to the bottom and starts scrambling up it. After a suitable interval I get h im off and he waits again till the last child after him has had a go at which point I let him at the slide again for a scramble. He only gets about 1 minute if its busy but unlimited if there's noone else there. I lift him off if there's someone waiting at the top who has clambered up and wants to come down and then he can scramble again while they are climbing back up. He is 18 mths.

The problem starts when some other parent lifts their child/baby striahgt up to the top and then looks at me impatiently or says straight out 'can you take him off please?'.

Well I think a go spent climbing is as valid as a go spent coming down but the rest of the baby playground world apparently goes by a different etiquette where slides are for coming down and anyone climbing up is a pain and their parent needs to have it pointed out to them that their son is breaking all the unwritten rules.

So go on then AIBU, what's the verdict?

I would use this as an opportunity for Loud Parenting when my dc the same age ask whine why they arent allowed up the slide like yours.

'Because darling slides are for going down and if you do that then you're likely to get someone sliding down on top of you'

its very dangerious, in my opinion, my dd runs up slide, slides down, does not notice your child and an accident is caused.

I make my dd follow rules that are in place for such saftey reasons that I dont want her involved in a an accident perfectly avoidable with a bit of respect for others.

Why cant you, follow the same general rules?

There should be a sign up OP as it quite dangerous to let children climb up apparatus that is not designed to be climb on.

I can see where you are coming from, but really he could get hurt, or encourage a child not being supervised to do the same, as mentioned by another poster, and they could get hurt.

sorry should be runs up slide steps...slides down slide, darn typos..

Sorry, YABU. It may be in socks now, but when he's older... You get the picture.

A few mums let their little ones climb up the slide at soft play. Not an issue... except there is usually a queue at the top of children wanting to come down, some more patient than others. The main reason I don't let DD play at the bottom of the slide or climb up it is simply because it'll cause a collision/mass pile up at the bottom.

Slides are for sliding, I too have seen a child fall off and break their arm.

Funny, I thought baby playgrounds were for playing in!

Well they are, but if you are going to let your child do as it pleases when everyone elses child is following the appropriate (and sensible) rules then dont be surprised when you get comments like the ones you got today.

And dont be pissed off when your child gets booted in the face. It WILL happen!

Oh and good luck when your DC goes to nursery and pre-school and is the only child that wont follow the rules because it has been taught that life is all about getting his own way!

To be honest I would be cross, Maryz I would think a 7 yr old shouldn't be there if its a baby playground and if he is then he should be ultra careful of the babies. My 4 year old is always very slow and gentle if she's in a baby area because I've drummed it into her that its their area to play in as they like and not hers so she must play by their rules... I'd expect other parents to do the same. It doesn't really apply because I'm always there anyway.

TBH I wouldn't let him do it if I wasn't there by his side anyway. When he can talk (he has no words at all yet) I'll be able to explain about going down not climbing up and why its safer and enforce that. That'll be about when he enters the bigger playground anyway and has to interact with 7 yr olds. Right now it adds to his non-lingual frustration to drag him constantly away so I let him but try to keep it fair.... no muddy feet, only 15 secs etc.

i agree with SOH (see is a wise one) specially about the accidents, you are teaching your kid (and other kids) thats its ok to climb the wrong way up a slide, next time they do it unsupervised andother child could be coming the opposite way and bash a kiddie crash, resulting in tears and parent rage

so stop being a nob

Its one of lifes pleasure, being a kid and running up a slide ....

Just because he can't talk doesn't mean he can't understand you.

Yes, getting his own way!

Let the kids sot it out between themselves.

It's not about 'conforming'. But your child has to learn to play with other children. It's part of growing up in society. By all means let him do it when nobody's around but when it's his 'turn', it's his turn to do something that everybody else is doing.

Finger/body painting is all well and good for example but if he's at a session where all other parents are working hard to get their child to use painbrushes/rollers and you're there encouraging him to paddle in the paint to express himself, you're actually being antisocial.

Anyway over and out. I can't be doing with this any more, forgot how aggressive AIBU is!

That's me finished and done.

Thanks for your inpu, glad I know the unwritten rule is firmly underwritten by plenty of MNers. I'll remember you lot at the playground later on (and if my son gets booted in the face too)...

It's common sense...if we all let our DC do that then they'd all get kicked in the face eventually.

Do you have only 1 child as a matter of interest?

Oh FFS! If you dont like the answers then dont ask the question!

You asked if YABU and the answer is yes! Would be stomping off in a huff if everyone had agreed with you? I think not....

An 18 month old is perfectly able to understand even if they can't talk.

Do you let him eat only biscuits because you can't 'explain' about nutrients yet?