To think that parents of toddlers need to realise that older children have just as much right to play in playparks....

[MrsHeffley]

and actually some areas are actually designed for the over 4s.

So taking that into account giving kids of 7 and over the evils and tutting when playing quite happily on equipment at the older end because your pfb is on the same equipment is a tad precious and actually not very nice.

If you don't like older kids engaging in loud energetic play remove your toddler and take him/her down to the large amount of play equipment designated for younger children.

Also expecting a large number of older kids to queue for a veeeeery long time so your pfb can spend ages being lifted step by step up a ladder is a tad selfish when it's the only slide for older kids and you have 3 other toddler slides to choose from!!!!

Just sayin.

I have a 7 year old and a toddler so I can see both pov. Sometimes we have had to leave a park because the older children are too boisterous for ds2 but that's just how it is sometimes.

I have on occasion asked teenagers to sit on the grass instead of the swings and to tone the swearing down and they have always been very amenable.

"Why wouldn't you want a 7yr old and a 10yr old out of your sight in a park?"

That's funny/rich to hear on MN, where many people would say they were ridiculously young to do anything independently.

Actually I mostly would now let them play out of sight, although not very comfortably especially if it was a new (to me) park I didn't have much feel about yet. And if the 10yo & 7yo separated, I would start to feel uncomfortable about what was the 7yo up to & did I need to check up on him (boisterous child with poor impulse control), like when DS7 upset the toddler mum & was asked to leave, was he really just being noisy & climbing stuff or was he being obnoxious in other ways? I wasn't close enough to fully see because I was watching 3yo play 30' away behind bushes. I only have statements from DD to go on. I'd rather know for myself.

And it was more of an issue when DC were say 1, 5, 8 & 10; did I let the 8yo go off with 10yo to other park, knowing they weren't much good at looking out for each other. Play areas that are designed for multiple ages or where you can simultaneously view all different age areas are best. I do know play park areas like that; the worst is places where the different areas are screened off from each other with hedging or just plain located far apart.

peel seriously?! Have you seen parents letting their toddlers run about on skating ramps I am speechless!

Tis true brandy Don't worry, nobody was actually skating at the time - there were all these big lads waiting politely while toddlers tried to climb up the ramps (getting filthy).

I agree that parents/carers should exercise their responsibilities properly and ensure that the children that are in their care are playing with/on the equipment and facilities designed for their age group.

I get incensed when groups of overweight teenagers break the jungle gym at our local park (age limit: 12).

Anybody of any age going up the slide incites blood boiling fury inside me!

I agree that ime there is a lot of hypocrisy regarding parents of younger children and parks. Particularly one park I know of where it is separated into sections: under 6 and over 6. The toddler mums moan furiously when the older children dare to enter the toddler section but then expect to let their children roam freely over the equipment which specifically states is only suitable for children aged 6 +. If you insist on keeping the bigger children out - then you too must keep out of the bigger children's section. Tis only fair.

I've seen toddlers on skate ramps and very small children on their scooters too.

Now I've only just started letting my older 2(8) on skate ramps as they're clearly meant for those that can scoot/skate with some skill.If they get knocked off sorry it's not the fault of others playing with gusto.For this very reason my two aren't keen on skate ramps when not empty for fear of being knocked off and knowing that I have no intention of telling older children to modify their play ie if they can't stand on their own two feet they aint ready.

Same for cycling pump tracks.Are older kids really supposed to queue up behind little Johnny so he can toddle around on his bike?My 2 boys can manage said pump track beautifully,dd can't so she doesn't go on it.When she can cope on her own without causing a bottleneck then I'll relent.

The thing with this park is there was absolutely no need for toddlers to be on this apparatus,there was plenty more equipment(not suitable for older children)available for them to play on.

There does seem to be a prevailing attitude in this country that past 8 kids don't play and don't need to, that only under 8s do.It's very wrong and perhaps if play for over 8s was catered for better and looked on as the norm perhaps many wouldn't have the assumption that all facilities are exploration zones for toddlers.

I also think it is ok to say "sorry no you can't go on something" to young children they won't curl up and die.

Of course sometimes the age ranges specified are a bit to restrictive. One playground we go to has a brilliant area marked as 6-12 and a rather poxy area marked for younger - any self-respecting 4 or 5 year old for sure wouldn't be happy staying in there, and they are generally fine on the bigger stuff. But you do sometimes watch with that heart-in-mouth feeling when a tiny child barely able to walk properly on the flat sets off up a big set of steps without an adult nearby - I've seen them fall off backwards a couple of times. That's my real issue with people ignoring age limits - fine IMO if you think about safety properly

I think yab a bit u but I can see your point. I think it's more about parents parenting properly than banning certain ages from certain areas.

We have kids ranging from 2-12 and I find that ours are all great because they are used to one another. My younger ones kind of instinctively know to get out of the way of the bigger kids because they have their own older siblings who are faster, stronger and a bit boisterous sometimes. On the otherhand my older ones also know to take care around smaller kids and help them if they are a bit stuck on a slide or whatever and my eldest recently went around the park calling out for the parents of a child who had fallen down and was crying, which I was deaec proud about.

I think allowing them to play together is good for both older and little kids but parents need to educate their children a bit and the parents of the younger children MUST supervise and be ready to setp in and rescue or remove their child as appropriate.

What I cannot stand is parents of toddlers engrossed in a conversation while their child holds up the slide or whatever because they need help and the parent has not noticed. Older kids will go and do their own thing but littlies do need watching much more closely.

Def agree that no way should toddelrs and young kids be on the skate/bike ramps though - that is a step too far

I have never forgotten my DS and his friend being told to 'grow up' in a playpark. They were aged 6 yrs and running and shouting!
There was a slide, cut into the hillside so that wide steps went up beside it, a mother and her PFB were climbing up them and they ran past, down the slide and up again-obviously getting in about 4 turns to their 1, but they were not slowing him down, taking his turn, or even impeding the progress up the steps. I often wonder if the woman changed her tune when her DS got to 6 yrs.

YANBU.

First-time parents are often ridiculously bad at judging age-appropriate behaviour in older kids. I remember myself taking my babies to t;he park and ;thinking how horribly rough and selfish those great big five and six year olds were, when in fact they were still littlies themselves and barely more capable of reason or spatial awareness than the toddlers.