Children smoking in the park

[TheHeirOfSlytherin]

Dh and I took ds to the "naice" park this afternoon simply because the other nearby park has a skatepark attached and the surrounding area can be littered with glass and worse.

While we were there a group of 4 or 5 11-13 year olds turned up, monopolised the toddler swings and started smoking. Dh saw this and shouted over to them to "Clear off if you want to smoke, this is a kiddy's park." and one by one they slunk off.

The park was busy, lots of families with small children around but when the smokers turned up they all just moved away from them to the other end of the park.

It left me thinking, was dh bu? I don't think he was, had I seen the smokers before him then I would have said something too. The actions of the other parents makes me think we're in the minority.

No. Good on him.

I don't think he was being unreasonable. Some people just feel worried about confronting teenagers. Sometimes it works just saying something like, " would you mind letting the kiddies have a go on the swings please lads?" and seeing if they move before telling them to!!

People avoid confrontation.

I went to the playground with TheSecondComing once, she made a teenager wipe up his spit

Yes avoiding confrontation is not dh's style at all. I think he'd get one well with TSC. In fifty years I fully expect him to be indistinguishable from Victor Meldrew.

I think YABU

would he have said the same to someones mother/father smoking?.

Most teenagers respond to a polite request really.

I think it's good someone told them, and they went off. Teenagers are not all bad, just very thoughtless and sometimes need reminding.
The problem is that they are stigmatized and people act fearful of them, which makes situations worse.
So your DH saying oi clear off, and them duly slinking off, is a good thing.

good question tho yermaw

Where they doing anything wrong other than smoking?

Your DH sounds very rude.

Anyone monopolising the toddler swings should be politely asked if they would mind sharing.

I think if they were just sitting on the swings and the little kids wanted to use them then a polite request is all that is needed, however as they shouldn't be smoking anyway I don't think a bit of a telling off is a bad thing.

If the mum or dad was on the play equipment smoking then yes I'm sure he would have said something to them too. I expect most parents would be more considerate than that though.

Yanbu smoking legal age is 18.

"Most teenagers respond to a polite request really."

Most teenagers respond better to a polite request than a rude one.

You need to be 18 to buy tobaco, 16 to smoke it.

These children were clearly children - as I said 11 to 13 years old at the very most.

I don't think the only issue is the smoking. Why do teenagers want to use a children's play park or a toddlers swing or slide?
Well done to your DH

It's a sad situation, all round.

Children smoking, adults shouting at them and telling them to "clear off".

If they hadn't been smoking there would be no reason to have shouted at them.

Because teenagers still like to go outside and play, Littlemissimpatient.

A new park has just opened near me with "big kids" equipment. It is constantly swarming.

I agree, no need to shout (maybe that's why the other parents moved away?).

Came home once to teens smoking weed outside the front door (flats), I said hi, smiled and politely asked them not to drop the litter around. They smiled back, were pleasant and assured me they would oblige. (people smoking grass doesn't bother me).

Teenagers should have known better than to smoke in a children's playground tho.

no-one remember smoking secretly as a teenager?! we usually went behind a wall somewhere LOL cos you never knew which nosy neighbour would walk by

lynette teenage equipment I don't mind. Where I live they all hang around the toddler equipment.

If it'd been the real swings and he'd been polite, then it would have all been in order.

If they hadn't been smoking there would be no reason to have shouted at them

I find this strange really! Smokers need punishing, do they? There was no reason to shout anyway. They weren't doing anything wrong- it's a public place, not just for the "kiddies". You call them children yourselves.