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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

236 replies

lookingforwards · 22/02/2011 14:56

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?

OP posts:
weefriend · 22/02/2011 22:08

I'm sure I read somewhere that climbing up slides is one of the main causes of broken arms in children. Presumably when other children come down and hit them. Not a good habit to get into really. I certainly discourage my dc although I'll turn a blind eye if they playground is otherwise empty.

bikermoll · 22/02/2011 22:17

Yabu . Slides are for sliding down NOT walking up.I know this from experience as my daughter walked up an indoor slide on a cross channel ferry when she was four ,slipped and gashed her chin really badly ,losing what seemed like gallons of blood and requiring four crew members to hold her down and apply first aid . She has a scar on her chin to this day . I have felt guilty about it ever since as I had been watching her while she was playing and had turned away for a second when the accident happened . So if you think it's such a good idea , think again .

sunnydelight · 22/02/2011 22:25

YABVU. I sm SO glad my kids are past this stage so I no longer have to meet people like you.

Loshad · 22/02/2011 22:38

ditto sunny - it's such a relief to be past this my child is the only toddler that matters stages

baskingseals · 22/02/2011 22:40

op yanbu

can't see the harm in it myself

Awhiteelephantintheroom · 22/02/2011 22:41

Lol at SunnyDelight.

OP, YABU

mummynutter · 22/02/2011 22:43

YABU

Muddy shoes + baby or childs clothes bottoms = not a good combo

Plus climbing up takes much longer that sliding down.

Slides are for SLIDING not climbing.

I cant stand it when parents let their kids climb the slides while there are others waiting at the top to use it. Selfish.

MrsPennySworth · 22/02/2011 22:50

Wow, I thought I was the only person that hated this - this thread has been an eye opener Grin

Sorry op but I think yabu

TattyDevine · 22/02/2011 22:55

Nice flounce!

I think she was expecting to get congratulated.

Oh dear.

momentsintime · 22/02/2011 23:03

Get a life . Seriously. What kid doesn't climb a slide. But this is what you're worrying about? Not busy - climb climb climb . Busy? Then occupy dc elsewhere In the meantime Stop being soooooo precious

TiggyD · 22/02/2011 23:27

Leaving aside the issue of mud from feet and the human skittles problem there is a far more serious risk. Teaching a child to go against the rules like that will obviously lead them into a life of law breaking and crime. Going up the slide the wrong way at 18 months, robbing banks aged 20.

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney · 22/02/2011 23:43

i agree with everyone who has said climbing takes longer / makes it difficult for others to follow the rules their parents set when they see another little one allowed to do it / the risk of accidents.

can i also add my personal bugbear? ok, so this was in a tiddlers softplay bit. but once he's a bit bigger and progresses to the metal slides in parks, it causes another problem. Outdoor shoes going up slides MAKES THE SLIDES LESS SLIDY!!

and before everyone jumps on me saying that the kids coming down are wearing shoes too, yes, but its usually only a tiny bit of their heels that are actually touching the slide. Climbing up is usually the whole flat sole. My cousin's dh is a parkwarden and they HATE climbers cos it means they need to constantly clean and put the polish on the slides to keep them slidy and not as slow as a slug in honey.

BTW dh's brother aged 4 approx at the time, climbed up a park slide nearly to the top, was booted off by an older impatient boy, fell 12 feet onto concrete, (this was 35 years ago) resulting in a fractured skull and (obv) major concussion. But i'm sure OP's kid will be absolutely fine ... Hmm

HighHeidYin · 22/02/2011 23:51

Oooo was there a flounce? Excellent!

Op was definitely being unreasonable imo. This used to drive me nuts.

Thank goodness I am past the traumatic stage of slide etiquette.

spidookly · 22/02/2011 23:59

PMSL @ all the people who think that it is against "the rules" to climb up a slide :o

And that you should be teaching your child to conform. :o

muminthemiddle · 23/02/2011 00:02

Another yabu I'm afraid.

Also can parents make their kids wait until the previous child has gotten off the slide. Had to reprimand many an impatient twat child who ended up kicking my child in the back because they came down straight afterwards rather than waiting 2 seconds longer.

plonkerr · 23/02/2011 00:08

Well what a to-do about nothing Confused

Of course YABU for allowing your child to be "scrambling" up whilst there are others waiting for their turn. Aside from your ds potentially getting hurt by someone coming the opposite way, it's just really piss-poor manners.

It's a different ball-game IMO if there's no one there. However, I guess you'd need to ascertain whether your 18mo can understand the difference ...?

As for those of you who are against climbing up the slide in any situation - have you really not done this? Really?

Nicdigby · 23/02/2011 01:15

YABU. This really hacks me off when I see this, especially when there are smaller children around as it then teaches them to climb up the slide too, plus it's dangerous. Stop being such a lazy mother, just repeat 'up the stairs, down the slide' like everyone else does.

annieapple2 · 23/02/2011 06:41

YNBU at all! Slides are they for the kids enjoyment and fun if your DS likes to climb slides and your there to look after him keep him safe then wait his turn and let him climb.
All kids play equipment is dangerous if the parents are not looking after the kids on them so as long as you are they and think it safe let him play.

FreudianSlippery · 23/02/2011 06:42

Am still PMSL but also Hmm and a bit :( that some DCs are NEVER allowed up a slide even if there's nobody else waiting! Bizarre.

Trees aren't for climbing either, and bannisters aren't meant for sliding down, are those things banned too?

nooka · 23/02/2011 07:02

All this conformity is a bit sad really. When I was a child playgrounds were much more exciting. Sometimes children got hurt but it was accepted as part of childhood. I think that children miss out from the fun of physical activity when it's all so closely supervised and rule bound.

And yes my two ran up slides. If they got bopped, they recovered from it pretty fast. Sometimes they came home muddy (sign of a good time IMO). I do recall other mums sometimes scooping them up and making a huge fuss when they had occasional trips and falls (not running up slides, but other playground incidents) which was very annoying. Luckily now they are older they can go off and play on their own and we live somewhere this is considered normal and to be encouraged.

Learning to take turns on the other hand is important.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 23/02/2011 07:09

I read about a third of this and then gave up. All the little darling and pfb references to a small boy choosing to climb up a slide instead of going down really began to piss me off. Sometimes this place is a nasty shithole.

OP, you know how long he is taking to do this. If you think it's appropriate them go for it. There's no law that bans climbing up it, most children like to try.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 23/02/2011 07:16

I read about a third of this and then gave up. All the little darling and pfb references to a small boy choosing to climb up a slide instead of going down really began to piss me off. Sometimes this place is a nasty shithole.

OP, you know how long he is taking to do this. If you think it's appropriate them go for it. There's no law that bans climbing up it, most children like to try.

TyraG · 23/02/2011 07:33

So you're waiting to tell him about not climbing up slides because you don't think he'll understand? Or perhaps you're waiting for him to talk before you teach him anything he needs to know. Do you just let him run around and hit when he's angry, throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way? Yeah, I didn't think so.

You are being immensely unreasonable. And to the poster who said it's sad that there are rules for playgrounds. Of course there are, are you a fucking imbecile? There are rules in place so that kids can take turns and so no one gets hurt or at least the possibility of getting hurt is reduced a great deal.

I don't let my kids climb up slides because 1. they're for sliding down (hence the name) and 2. I don't want them or any other child getting hurt in the process.

Unfortunately some people can't see past their own noses.

Bonsoir · 23/02/2011 07:40

I would have no problem with a child climbing the slide when no other children were around - or using climbing frames etc in ways that are not their first purpose. But I do think that it is quite dangerous to encourage your children to use equipment other than for their intended purpose when there are lots of other children about - that's how accidents occur.

I think dirt is par for the course in playgrounds, however!

Mummy2Bookie · 23/02/2011 07:44

You would only nbu if it was your own slide in your own back garden imo.
There are other kids in the world besides your own. There's a mum at our local playground who let's her little monster son do that,don't suppose that's you?

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