Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To not enjoy taking DS to the park?

75 replies

DorisShutt · 28/09/2013 09:06

DH thinks I am.

DS is almost 3. We have a nice park about 20 minutes away in the car (relevant) with a great outdoor play bit which DS loves. He's at the age where he doesn't want anyone to go round with him, but is still too young to be left on his own to go round. Therefore trips to the park involve standing around bored as DS pops in and out yelling hello. I hate this. I get cold and bored. DH, on the other hand, loves it.

DH seems to have taken my "I don't enjoy the park" to mean that I don't enjoy spending time with DS. I think it's, "I don't like the park". Baking, drawing, playing with trains - all fine. Parks... not so much.

AIBU?

OP posts:

ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee · 28/09/2013 15:24

Why do you feel he's too little to go off by himself? If it's something in particular with that park, find another. As soon as they work out that launching themselves off the edge of something isn't a good idea, they are actively encouraged to go off by themselves. I have found this to be before they have reached their 2nd birthday, let alone their 3rd. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be prepared to spend the hours there that we do!!

ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee · 28/09/2013 15:25

Ragwort I don't think they do, I think her DH takes their DS, but they don't want to spend so much time apart each weekend the woman is mad!! Most of us would be MORE than happy with that arrangement for a couple of hours every weekend!!

SPsTwerkingNineToFive · 28/09/2013 15:27

My sin is nearly 4 and been going off playing on his own on the park for a while now. If needs me he shouts me.

Ragwort · 28/09/2013 17:03

Good typo SPs

DoBatsEatCats · 28/09/2013 17:10

YANBU. I fucking hate the park. Fortunately not a lot of it falls to me - DH knows I hate it. He isn't thrilled, but hates it less than I do. I also hate crafty stuff, but fortunately DH loves that! I do other stuff with DD, particularly cooking and reading.

Wishihadabs · 28/09/2013 17:11

This is the reason I am so glad mine are older. God the tedium yy to coffee/tea , a book or a mate. I also find most other mums happy enough to have a chat. If you frequent the same park you do meet familiar faces in the end.

shewhowines · 28/09/2013 17:15

Oh the joys of parenting. Just wait until you are on the sidelines watching him play football. You'll long for the days when it was the park.

Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 28/09/2013 18:30

YANBU. Good god I hated the bloody park with a passion when my two were little.

Catsize · 28/09/2013 18:41

Thank you! Thought it was just me and that this made me an unloving non-maternal type! I have a 1yr old who is 12 in his head and thinks he can jump from great heights and do fireman poles by himself. It is exhausting.

ToysRLuv · 28/09/2013 18:44

I hate the park, because ds (4) is rather small and scared careful, so wants help with a lot of equipment. He wants me to look all the time too. Also he is easily intimidated/annoyed by (younger) toddlers following him/standing in his way/pushing him, so gets upset and then wants to go home. Or he doesn't go on any of the equipment and just runs around pretending to be an aeroplane/train instead, which he could do anywhere. So, instead of the playground we go to the botanical gardens or just a wandering in town stopping at cafes and shops..

ToysRLuv · 28/09/2013 18:46

If he went off on his own and I could just sit down and read, I'd be at the park all day with a coffee thermos, nibbles and my kindle.

Lilacroses · 28/09/2013 18:47

Yanbu at all. There were loads of things I l

DontCallMeBaby · 28/09/2013 18:49

If you do the park 'right' it's not spending time with DC at all - it's them spending time with the swings, their friends, random other kids etc. the last thing you want is to be spending time with them - I hated actually playing WITH DD in the park. All those other things you mention, you do WITH your child, so your DH is definitely BU.

MimsyBorogroves · 28/09/2013 18:54

I hate the fucking park too. Boring, cold, meh.

DS2 gets obsessed with one thing each time we go, so I'm always helping him up the "SLIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE" or pushing him on the "SINGS!" - no chance of reading.

DS1, who is 5 and usually very independent where play is concerned feels the need to, instead of going on any of the activities, pretend he is in a cafe. Which is fine for 5 minutes, but there is only so much "what would you like to eat now?" I can take without telling him his cafe is fuelling a culture of overeating.

LimitedEditionLady · 28/09/2013 23:09

I wouldnt hate it so much if other kids didnt follow me around whilst i assist ds.Same in play areas,i always get some kid following me about who clearly doesnt want to play alone so decides they shall join my family which is ok sometimes but i drew the line when a child was screeching and crying at me as i wouldnt allow them to sit on my knee going down a slide.errrr noooooo way.

StandingInLine · 28/09/2013 23:14

Glad i'm not the only one. Son's 2 and a half and always wants me to go round with him which i'm not usually in the mood for. Will go to the park with him if i'm with another adult as i'll have someone to natter with ,and even better if they have a kid with them as well as it takes the pressure of me to amuse DS.
I usually go to the park when it's quiet as I hate it when it's too busy but last time I went it was packed and actually ended up preferring it as DS found some other kids to play with whilst I could sit on the bench and keep an eye on him.

MmmmWhiteWine · 28/09/2013 23:19

Ok, I'll take the bait and go against the tide....YABU. I don't love all the things my DDs do, particularly doing swimming and going to the park. I could think of things I'd far rather be doing. But the point is they love it and it's good for them so I have to suck it up and do what they want to do some of the time. It's not all about you...

Mollydoggerson · 28/09/2013 23:25

yabu!

Controversial.

You need to prioritise what's best for the family and be a little more flexible. Lots of great benefits of the park, outdoor, being at one with nature, sharing time together, good for imagination and co-ordination. Healthy for everyone.

BrianTheMole · 28/09/2013 23:29

Oh hell, YANBU. I hate the park. Cold and boring. The kids love it though so I suck it up and smile. But I don't have to love it, pretending is good enough.

MomentForLife · 28/09/2013 23:32

YANBU. I loathe it but love going for a walk/swimming/anything but park with DD.

Shaky · 28/09/2013 23:53

I thought I was a bit odd for not enjoying the park. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

It is endless pushing on the swings "push me to the sky mummy, no, higher in the sky"

I don't get to it down because he is either really clingy or giving me heart failure.

I get piss bored, I'm very glad I'm not alone.

FutTheShuckUp · 28/09/2013 23:59

I've always hated the park and felt this made me a terrible mothers

FutTheShuckUp · 28/09/2013 23:59

Mother! Sodding iPad

Thesimplethings · 29/09/2013 00:03

I hate the park, ok so I've got a just turned 2 year old (yesterday) and a 3.5 year old, but it is hell on earth keeping them both in eyesight and safe..

Ditto soft play.

propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS · 29/09/2013 00:05

Yanbu. I hate the park.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread