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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why people let their DC play with sticks?

123 replies

ladyandthechocolate · 27/10/2013 06:10

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.

OP posts:
DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 27/10/2013 08:20

Stick Gun Movie

Pinkpinot · 27/10/2013 08:21

I clicked to see what could possibly be bad about a stick
Think you're being a bit OTT. Obviously caused by a traumatic event, but I think they could just hurt themselves as much by falling over in the park

PeggyCarter · 27/10/2013 08:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sandtimerhalfempty · 27/10/2013 08:39

It's not about the stick its about the behaviour of thechild with the stick

Some kids are unruly and some play quietly

But if you go around taking toys off kids you will soon find that as the confiscated stick pile grows, the number of friends your child has is reduced by a similar amount.

It's far better to teach them respect for their friends....

friday16 · 27/10/2013 08:40

Eye injuries from pointy things (including a number of things found around the home) are common enough to be worth guarding against

So children should wear safety goggle at all times, perhaps. After all, you can't be too careful.

friday16 · 27/10/2013 08:42

Kids are terrible at risk assessment, adults need to step in.

Yeah, because as endless threads on MN show, adults are so much better at rational risk assessment.

killpeppa · 27/10/2013 08:43

seriously- you don't see this as unreasonable?

I fell of a bike & broke my arm.
I won't stop my kids from playing in bikes.

talk about cotton wool children!

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 27/10/2013 08:57

I was walking along the pavement with my DS (along tje high street) and in front was a mum and her child had a stick and was throwing it up in the air. The stick was landing all over the place. I thought this was really irresponsible as it could have hit all the other people walking past, or my DS.

DreamingOfAFullNightsSleep · 27/10/2013 09:00
NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 27/10/2013 09:05

Yabu

If you have an issue with play fighting then fine. But don't blame the sticks!

ChippingInNeedsANYFUCKER · 27/10/2013 09:12

You need to remove your children, not remove sticks from other peoples' children.

Shodawnofthedead · 27/10/2013 09:30

No-one should play with sticks! You could be breaking up whole families.

"I'm not a mast for a silly old flag
Or a sword for a knight
Or a hook for a bag.
I'm not a pen!
I'm not a bow!
I'm not a boomerang, no..."

Won't anybody think of the children?

FamiliesShareGerms · 27/10/2013 09:30

Sticks are awesome. YABU

Pinkpinot · 27/10/2013 09:34

I'm watching my son collect sticks right now
He's going to build a den

Heartbrokenmum73 · 27/10/2013 09:36

This.is.brilliant!

Jesus, if you could see some of the places we chose to play in when I was a kid, some of the posters on this thread would have a heart attack!

We lived literally across the road from a huge park, with three play areas. Did we want to play there? Hell no! We went to 'the graveyard' (basically where a house had been knocked down and was now just stingers, broken bottles and assorted junk), the local bmx track (not a play place) and a place that consisted of huge big balls of copper wire (I think) piled on top of one another - so naturally we climbed as high as we could possibly go! Dangerous? Yes. Had our parents known, THEY would have had heart attacks. Sticks were the least of our worries.

Weirdly, no accidents or injuries occurred in any of these places but on the play equipment in the park? Three broken arms from monkey bars, my friend being bounced so hard by an older boy on the see saw that he flew over the handle and banged his face, and numerous kids flying off the roundabout. Maybe we should stop kids playing in parks now. They're obviously dangerous places!

My youngest (5) is obsessed with sticks. We go to the park and he doesn't want to know about swings/slides. He finds a stick and draws in the dirt or sand with it, then wants to bring it home. My youngest brother used to collect tree branches. We all still have our eyes. My dc know know not to fight with sticks or wave them near faces.

Surely it's common sense?

DropYourSword · 27/10/2013 09:36

My goodness. Next you'll be telling us THEY JUMP IN PUDDLES.Shock The horror!

PicardyThird · 27/10/2013 09:36

My two have always played with sticks under supervision (and frequent shouts of 'Careful!'). As a result they are quite aware. Nothing has ever happened or even nearly happened.

I do get where you are coming from but YABU.

Grin at 'think of the children'.

FudgefaceMcZ · 27/10/2013 09:42

Of course you are right OP, terrible things can happen when children are allowed to play with sticks.

SleepyFish · 27/10/2013 09:42

Ds has been collecting sticks for years < eyes up massive pile of sticks in garden>. No eyes have been removed so far but then I wouldn't let him wave them in people's faces. They are the best toy ever.

ReindeerBollocks · 27/10/2013 09:43

My two love sticks and play fight with them too. The only time I remove the sticks are if they are whacking each other too hard or going near each other's faces.

I think the childhood event has made you overly cautious.

Sticks are fun, we have quite the stick collection thanks to our avid stick collecting DD.

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 27/10/2013 09:48

I've just put that book on ds2 (9s) present list. It'll go nicely with the knife Grin

Fakebook · 27/10/2013 09:49

OP, think you're....please click the link!!

PublicEnemyNumeroUno · 27/10/2013 10:12

My DS1 loves sticks, he likes to pretend he's Harry Potter, i do warn him not to hit anyone or point it in anyones face, and he never has. Id be pissed off if somebody took his stick off him.

slothlike · 27/10/2013 12:09

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.

KissesBreakingWave · 27/10/2013 12:19

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.