To wonder why people let their DC play with sticks?

[ladyandthechocolate]

My DS1 and 2 are 3.5 and have a few good friends who they play with a lot in the park before and after preschool. I am friends with their parents too. Most days, two children in particular turn up with sticks that they proceed to run around and play fight with (until I take them away like the total spoilsport I am!).

I remember when I was little, a child being blinded by a stick and it has stuck with me ever since. Losing a eye is a terrible thing but most parents seem a bit blasé about the issue or else it just hasn't occurred to them that it could happen.

Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid? I don't let mine play with sticks and I don't want them being put at risk by others doing so as well.

[stopthiscrap]

Old ladies with umbrellas are worse. Or people bending down at the bus stop in the rain to light a fag. They pose a great danger to the eyes of the British people. (Lady at Fulham Broadway stop, I'm looking at you through my one remaining eye)

[Davsmum]

I took a look at that Stick Book - I know a little boy who would love it. Will get it as a small Xmas gift for him.Thanks.

[VerySmallSqueak]

My DD's have always made 'potions' and pretend fires with sticks but I don't recall them fighting with them,which surprises me really since they spend approximately 75% of their waking hours fighting.....

[claraschu]

I'm glad people liked the book!

[5Foot5]

Did anyone look at my link from 6:44:53? Just wondering because the book is really good.

I saw this for sale at a National Trust property just the other day and thought it looked like a lovely little book. If DD had been younger it might have found its way in to her Christmas stocking.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I think if you are in charge of somebody else's children it may be wise to take the sticks off them, as maybe you'd get the blame if anything happened.
I agree though, you can take an eye out with many things considered safe.
I don't blame you though after you have experienced something like this it can make you more protective. I knew somebody who lost a finger ice skating as a child. Fortunately we live so far from a rink that my dc have never asked to go

[Ilovegeorgeclooney]

Without sticks, shells, leaves and cardboard boxes my children would have had no toys (apart from the plastic things cluttering up their bedrooms)!

[LittleRobots]

Ha! I lived in London too - we went out regularly together and she was fab - but it was odd!

[MrBloomsMarrow]

littlerobots re your "London friend" She probably hadn't seen a tree before as we obviously don't have them in London. Anyway, at least our DCs don't have to worry about tree or leaf related injuries.

[TwoStepsBeyond]

I too witnessed a stick related eye injury which ended up with hospital treatment although thankfully all ok in the end. I am wary, but still have to be balanced about risk v enjoyment.

[DropYourSword]

Pooh sticks without the sticks is just...poo.

[TwoStepsBeyond]

I let mine play with sticks as long as they are sensible and safe. I took what can only be described as a branch off a 5 yo kid at schol the other day, the parent was nowhere to be seen as he waved it around like a massive light sabre.

I could see it ending up in someone's eye and unfortunately it soon did. Undeterred, the kid carried on swooshing it around at another boy, so I checked on the injured boy and intervened, removing the branch from him.

Unfortunately everyone probably thought he was my child and I'd let him run riot for ages before stepping in!

[5madthings]

oh fgs i am yet to meet a child that doesnt pick.up/play with sticks.

i suspect if you could find out how many children worldwide play with sticks and total of eyes lost tge risk is statistically minimal...you take a bigger risk each time you take them. in the car..

my ds3(8) had a horrible eye injury this summer. we spent the summwr holidays at the hospital and with him on strict bed rest as his eye pressure was too high and any.more bleeding and pressure would gave meant losing his sight.


thankfully he is ok but still needs regular check ups.


what caused the eye injury...LEGO a piece thrown by a sibling. the drs couldnt believe the damage caused by a bit of lego. but there you go the most inocupus things can.be dangerous. we just need to teach our children to.be careful.


we still have our ten.million tonnes of lego, they arent daft enough to.throw it now!


off to buy the stick book...

[happybubblebrain]

Pooh sticks is no fun without sticks.

If I blink dd has climbed 20 foot up a tree. Sticks are the least of my worry. There are a million sticky situations kids can get themelves into when you're not watching.

[Davsmum]

My son was obsessed with sticks from about 3 years of age and it lasted until he was 7 or 8!
He had a collection of them. They were not just sticks to him. I don't know exactly what they were to him - but he loved them and got upset if any 'went missing' ( thrown away!)

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

Yew two are barking

[DropYourSword]

I can't beleaf you replied so quickly! I guess I was a plank to be lumber the impression you were spreading your business roots. You would be barking mad not to grow this pine idea and reap the fruits of your labor.

[KissesBreakingWave]

DropYourSword, you've bole-d me over when I logged on and saw your query. Not sure I should be taking the elm of a new business at this time, though, but where there's a willow there's a way.

[NoAddedSuga]

I hate it when children walk down the street along parked cars with big sticks in their hands.

Cars have been scratched loads by kids messing around in the street with sticks.

[LionelRichieAndTheWardrobe]

at branches all over the country.

[DropYourSword]

Kisses can I please sign up for your stick fighting course! Is there an advanced option for twig warfare? Do you have branches all over the country? IT REEallly wood mean a lot to me.

[SatinSandals]

If 3 year olds are playing boisterously with sticks it seems lazy parenting to remove the sticks, far better getting them playing a different game that catches the imagination. They are easily distracted at that age.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

Because boys are like dogs

[KissesBreakingWave]

Once my boys got to having at each other with ticks I taught them some basic sabre drill - cuts only, they weren't old enough nor had the safety gear to practice thusts - and how to do pirate halves (Stage fencing move, designed to look like a real fight but not actually make contact) and left 'em to not hitting each other but making a lot of noise up and down the lane. A few skinned knuckles, the odd bruise, no harm done. And both of them learned to parry and block properly.

[slothlike]

I let my DS (3.2) play with sticks all the time. He loves them and I would feel a bit OTT taking them off him - a lot of things can be dangerous, really, when you think about it. Plus I think it's nice that he's having fun with nature and all that.

Wouldn't let him wave one around in anyone's face, though.