aibu to teach my DC to go up the steps and down the slide?

[PrincessScrumpy]

Really trivial.
I always taught dd1 to do this and not climb up the slide. Now she's 5 and I do let her climb her slide at home but not in front of younger siblings or when at a park. Today I took dtds to the park (22mo) and was teaching them this. It was a fairly tall slide but they were doing well. Then lots of other dc arrived with their parents (all around 3yo) and it soon became apparent I was the only one who deemed this important and one parent accused me of spoiling the fun.
I might well be being a bit precious about this rule - to me it's partly about safety and partially about turn taking and allowing dc to get down the slide.
Happy to go with MN jury if you deem me to bu, i'm truly not sure.
Thanks in advance.

[FunnysInLaJardin]

provided your DC are not stopping another child sliding down or making the slide dirty them I have no problem with this. All children seem to prefer getting up the slide this way anyway!

[IneedAyoniNickname]

Oh of course broken limbs can occur on anything, but it just shows that climbing up the slide CAN be dangerous. As I said earlier in the thread, I do let my dc climb up the slide, provided there aren't children waiting to come down.

[Dancergirl]

Given that the 2 year old scales the climbing wall, climbing up the slide is tame!

Exactly. A bit of common sense is called for rather than a blanket ban depending on how crowded it is and the child in question.

[ChippingInGoAndyGo]

I'm in the 'It's fine, do as you please, as long as you are the only one playing on it (or you are all doing it arse about face) but if there are other children playing on it, then it's UP the stairs and DOWN the slide'. Doesn't confuse any kids I know, not even the very little ones.

Given that the 2 year old scales the climbing wall, climbing up the slide is tame!

[Idocrazythings]

it is very dangerous and only takes a second for teeth to get smashed or worse shoved up into gums believe me, I know and the result is not fun. My child was climbing up the slide and ignoring me telling them to come down. They don't do it anymore though. Tough lesson to learn.

[PrincessScrumpy]

Brilliant, accused of helicopter parenting... They are 22mo twins who encourage each other to do all sorts of daring things, so no, I do not take my eyes off them for a second... That is just called good parenting.

[EverybodysStressyEyed]

Bil smashed his front teeth off/out climbing up a slide. Unfortunately they were his adult teeth.

So we always stop the kids and used the warning 'remember uncle x!'

Ds started shouting this at other kids which left them a little confused!

[Dancergirl]

We'll have to agree to disagree then. My own dc aren't particularly into climbing up slides but some dc are (I think I quite enjoyed doing it too as a child!). If my child was waiting to slide down and there was a child climbing up, they wait 20 seconds or so, it's no big deal.

ineed broken limbs can happen when using other equipment too. Just because you have an experience of that happening when climbing up doesn't mean it's dangerous. You hold on to the sides!

[IneedAyoniNickname]

You must have naicer parks where you are dancer I've seen it happen! I also fell off a slide and broke y arm because I was climbing up, there were no other children there so it was totally my fault. And ny friends toddler dd broke her leg falling off the slide, not sure if she fell or was knocked though.

Of course its important to teach them how to correctly use outdoor play equipment.

[Dancergirl]

In 12 years of taking my dc to parks, I've never seen a child slide down a slide without making sure it's clear first. And they check for selfish reasons because a child climbing up the slide would hamper their enjoyment of sliding down. But for whatever reason, they DO check before sliding.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Dancer that's ridiculous. There are times to be inventive and creative, and times to be considerate and thoughtful and safe. A child climbing up the slide in anything but a totally empty playground is at best going to spoil it for everyone else (whether by cacking up the slide itself or the queue waiting for it), and at worst going to get a shoe in his face.

Much simpler and safer just to remind them that ladders are for going up and slides are for .... sliding down.

[Dancergirl]

YABU

Petty and controlling. There are lots of important things to teach children but teaching them HOW to use outdoor play equipment is not one of them. As long as it isn't busy I don't see the problem.

Oh, and children get muddy at the park.

[maja00]

It isnt helicoptering to make sure your child isn't being a dick at the park. It's always the child who is pushing/shoving/being a general pain in the arse whose parents are miles away carefully ignoring them.

[WafflyVersatile]

No harm as long as they are not getting in the way of others/take turns.

[DuelingFanjo]

My ds (2. 6) also likes to climb up the cobbledy bit at the side of the slide, it causes a lot of parents to rush forward and try to help him but he's pretty agile and to be honest I think that's normal for the age. I feel the same as everyone here, climbing up the slide is fine if it's empty vbut not safe or fair if other kids are trying to use it.

[MrsMook]

DS (2.6) hasn't climbed up the slide in the local playground. He did however feel rather inspired at a bigger playground by the big children going up the cobbled slope that the slide is set into. I was sat a few metres away, but by the time I forced my legs into co-operating (5wks post-birth, PGP still problematic) he was a good way up. I concluded he was safer being allowed to continue undistracted, and falling was most likely to be sliding on his belly. I was relieved when he got to the top- so was the crowd of onlookers that he'd attracted. The curious thing is he's quite careful about risk assessment, and will only go down the slide on his belly, feet first. Won't attempt to sit!

Anyway- up the steps and down the slide- yes. It's normally too busy to escape inconveniencing others.

[Notafoodbabyanymore]

I don't think it's helicopter parenting to teach your kids consideration for others. When they're little they cant follow rules with heaps of exceptions, ie you can climb up the slide except when it's muddy and except when there's someone else using it. Easier just to teach up the ladder, down the slide.

I have also been known to tell other kids to stop climbing up the slide in a busy playground. Don't know what their parents thought, but don't particularly care. Children need to learn that life is not all about them and whatever they feel like doing.

[Quangle]

Totally helicopter

My children are allowed to play on the equipment however they like as long as they take turns and don't moan. Those are the only rules I apply.
As for worrying about muddy slides...I just don't.

[bugsybill]

I only let my dc go up the slide u they are the only ones in the slide. Once there are other children they need to move out the way and take turns by taking the steps, safety issues pointed out to them.

[ElectricSheep]

Hmmm helicopter anyone?

[greenbananas]

Is it just me that thinks this thread is very funny?

Every child wants to climb up the slide. This is okay if there is nobody waiting to come down. Most mums have wet wipes in their handbags to clean off muddy footprints. All children must learn to take turns, and children who have climbed the ladder to come down the slide should always take priority.

I love mumsnet because these very simple social rules are talked about here

[aldiwhore]

I teach my children to do what they want with our own garden furniture, the slide becomes a den, or a barrier, in an assault course it's strictly forbidden to go DOWN the slide.

But in a public park, when playing with others or alongside them, you always go UP the ladders and DOWN the snakes.

It's a simple rule and causes no confusion.

YANBU.

[TarkaTheOtter]

My dd has been able to climb up since before she could walk whereas the steps are still too tall. In some cases there are no steps just a ladder, which she would have no chance at.
Fortunately the playgrounds we go to are quiet and it is easy to stop her getting in other children's way.

[MortifiedAdams]

DD is Not Allowed to climb the slide. Kids who climb the slide piss me off and parents who let their kids do it piss me off even more.

I dont want your muddy footprints on the slide or you climbing up when others want to come down.

I have been known to call out to random children [and my own] who are waiting for some little hooligan to stop climbing up "Down you come, dont worry about them, they shouldnt be there anyway".