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?

Agree with Amber

Why is this dad getting the 'at least he's spending time with his child' nonsense as if thjats so amazing and excuses his poor care? Would you say the same if it was a mum?

Why is his stupidity excused as him 'being a man'

I don't know why I'm on this thread.

What a bunch of toss.

"there is a margin of grass all the way around the inside of the fence"

And that grass is usually where people take a piss and allow thier small dcs to pee and dogs cock thier legs against the railings, where the parents throw thier fag buts and kids drop thier sweety wrappers and the drinkers smash the glass...I would not be letting any baby sit in that area.

I dont really see what he did wrong other than inconvenience you and your dc, but that is part and parcel of the play ground we learn to negotiate our way around others.

oh dear i regularly used to let mine sit on the floor at the park and would move them around with me so they were near me whilst i kept an eye on the older ones. i wouldnt have put them in front of a swing but yes on the rubber matting stuff, better than the grass which may have dog poo/wee on and i would also have been playing the 'remove stones' game, infact i still play it with my 19mth old who will still try and eat them!

i always tell my older children to look out for babies and younger children and be careful not to run into them etc.

Anyone would think he put the baby down in front of the swings while children were playing on them, or that he put it down and walked off leaving it alone

I think the dad was silly.
Who on earth thinks it ok to put a baby in front of swings/slides or other equipment where you are very likely to get kicked etc.
He is the parent and should think more rationally.