To just despair about some parents...

[Scarredbutnotbroken]

Took dd to a small park today. It's tarmac but has patches of soft springy stuff which the play equipment sits on.

Lots of kids there today of various ages. Then there was a dad with a baby of maybe 9 months? Maybe bit less, sitting but not crawling. The dad had put the baby at first on the springy floor on front of the swings. Dc asked me to push her on the swing. I took her over there and assumed the dad would move the baby out of the way - he did reluctantly eventually - I was at the point of asking him to. He then proceeded to move the baby around the springy bits until each time kids were stepping/tripping over it until he moved it again.
He had brought a football with him which obviously is too big for a baby to manipulate do naturally it picked up stones etc off the ground and every time dad removed them.

AIBU to think this was completely daft? Plus the fact that this play park is in the middle of a whopping grass park where he could have sat on the ground with the baby more easily?

But he kept moving the baby and taking the stones away so no harm done? Did he have other dc's?

Wouldn't the springy stuff be better than grass in this weather, as the grass will be very muddy? Why shouldn't the baby get to play on the springy stuff too?

Erm, YABabitU sorry

Cant see the problem.

It was probably my DP.

Awww he was just an eager beaver for his baby to be up and playing football, probably just so he can have a play too.

They were out spending time together, nothing wrong in that.

Why did you go on the swings when he was already there? You can see that the space was already taken. You should've waited until he was done first.

My 9mo loves playing with a football....

he was an idiot father, but until someone goes out with him to tell him how to get it right, he'll never know.

Maybe he thought the baby would like to sit and watch the other children . Yabu

I despair at parents that neglect their kids, I despair at men that beat & abuse their wives... a parent "slightly" outside the norm of playground ettiquette - meh.

YABU

Well ok, feedback accepted. I just think you have to respect the purpose of the springy floor - its a crash mat for the swings etc. I just don't think the path of the swings is a reasonable place to put the baby. Swings are for swinging?

What?
You despair at a (probably) first time dad with a lung baby not quite getting it right in the playground?
Do you live a very sheltered life?

Yes, fair point, but where was he to go? You said he moved and still the other children were getting in his way.

Young not lung
That would be very odd

YABU and quite unfair.

How do you know he was the baby's Dad, OP?

At worst I would think he was a bit daft, I wouldn't despair.

Well....there is a margin of grass all the way around the inside of the fence - which is dry today. I don't have an issue with them watching other kids etc. anywhere really but not at the bottom of the slide, in front of the climbing net thing, in the path of both lots of swings - you get the idea. Park was quite busy with kids god forbid, climbing on the equipment.

Worral - I don't tbf. I am assuming but I reckon he was

mynewpassion don't be silly! The swing area is for swinging! That's like saying I have a right to sit my baby on a table in a cafe and tell people I'm using the space! The area is a designated activity....not for babies to sit on undisturbed.

OP I would have been irritated too.

Though MrsDevere has a jolly good point!

Well there you go then, he could be the child's uncle or something and have no experience of having kids himself.

Why does having no experience of children mean that you put them in the way of play equipment?

Why are women expected to know this sort of thing but a man is "trying his best, bless him"?

Ok so the people honestly don't think you would have to be a bit daft to choose the path of a swing to sit a baby? Really